目次
Issue of Residence Card, and Notification of address, etc.
Issue of residence card
A Residence Card is issued when you receive a landing permit to Japan.
A Residence Card is granted to mid-to-long-term residents.
A Residence Card is issued when you are granted with a new landing permit, or receive a permit to change residence status, or extend your period of stay.
A mid-to-long-term resident is: |
A person to whom any of the following does not apply. → The period of status of residence is determined to be less than “3 months.” → The status of residence is determined as “Temporary Visitor” → The status of residence is determined as “diplomatic status” or “official status” → Staff members of the Japanese office of the Taiwan-Japan Relations Association (Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in Japan, etc.), or Permanent General Mission of Palestine in Japan who have “Designated Activities” status, and their families → A special permanent resident → Does not have a residence status |
Notification of address and place of residence
Mid-to-long-term residents are required to file a notification of address and place of residence at the city office of the municipality where they reside upon submitting their Residence Card within 14 days after they have settled in a residence at a new address.
Those whose Residence Cards are determined to be issued at a later date must present their passport to the municipality, and file a notification of address and place of residence.
A Residence Card will be sent by mail later.
Residence Cards to be issued at a later date: |
Residence Cards are issued when new landing permits are given at Narita Airport, Haneda Airport, Chubu Airport, Kansai Airport, New Chitose Airport, Hiroshima Airport and Fukuoka Airport. When you receive a new landing permit at an airport other than the above, a Residence Card will not be issued on the spot, but sent by mail to your place of residence after you file a notification of address and place of residence. |
Procedures relating to status of residence
If you wish to remain in Japan beyond the residence period currently authorized, or if you wish to change your purpose of residence, you are required to carry out procedures at a regional office of Immigration and Residence Control.
Changing the status of residence
If you want to change the purpose of residence currently authorized, you have to apply for permission to change the status of residence.
Extension of the period of stay
If you wish to remain in Japan longer than the residential period currently authorized, you must apply for permission to extend your residential period before the end of the residential period currently authorized.
Acquisition of residence status (birth, etc.)
If a child is born as a foreign national in Japan, and if she/he is going to stay for a period longer than 60 days after birth, she/he needs to apply for permission to acquire residence status within 30 days from the date of birth.
Permission to engage in an activity other than those permitted by the status of residence previously granted
If you wish to engage in an activity other than that your current residence status permits and earn income or receive compensation, you have to obtain “Permit to engage in activity other than that permitted under the residence status previously granted” (Shikaku-gai Katsudo Kyoka:資格外活動許可).
Permission for permanent residence
Those who wish to reside permanently in Japan have to apply for a permanent residence permit.
If the permanent residence permit is granted, you can engage in any activity in Japan and stay in Japan for as long as you like without any restriction, and you do not have to take procedures for extension of residential period or changing the residence status.
Points-based preferential treatment for highly-skilled foreign professionals
With a focus on highly skilled and talented foreign nationals who are expected to contribute to the growth of the Japanese economy, etc., this system grants preferential treatment with respect to immigration control to foreign nationals who acquire a total of 70 points or more, by recognizing them as “highly skilled foreign professionals”.
Each item, such as “educational background”, “work experience,” “age” and etc., is allocated specific points depending on the characteristics of the activity of the foreign professional.
Details of the preferential treatment: |
1 Permission to engage in multiple activities as a resident A foreign national is allowed to engage in activities covered by two or more residence statuses. For example, you can engage in research activities at a university, operating related business at the same time.
2 Grant of “five years” residential period A foreign national is uniformly granted the longest legal residential period of five years. * It can be extended.
3 Reduction in the period that a foreign national must live in Japan before he is granted permanent resident status If a foreign national has engaged in activities as a highly skilled foreign professional for three years without break (or one year if recognized as advanced (at least 80 points)), the period required to live in Japan before being granted permanent resident status is reduced. |
Re-entry Permission
If a foreign national legally residing in Japan wishes to temporarily leave Japan and re-enter Japan later on, he/she can exit and re-enter Japan while holding his/her currently authorized residential status and residential period by obtaining a re-entry permit in advance at the nearest regional office of Immigration and Residence Control.
(5 years maximum. In cases where the residential period expires in less than 5 years, until the day it expires).
In addition, if mid-to-long-term residents in possession of valid passports and valid resident cards wish to re-enter Japan in no more than one year after the day of their departure (or if the residential period expires in less than one year, by the day the residential period expires), they do not, in principle, have to obtain a re-entry permit.
(This is called a special re-entry permit).
Notifications that Mid-to-long-term residents must file
When mid-to-long-term residents having the following status of residence change their organization of affiliation, they must report the change to a local regional office of Immigration and Residence Control.
Professor, Highly Skilled Professional (i) (c) or Highly Skilled Professional (ii) (limited to cases of engaging in the activities listed in (ii) (c)), Business Manager, Legal/Accounting Services, Medical Services, Instructor, Intra-company Transferee, Technical Intern Training, Student or Trainee ● Change in the name or location of the organization in Japan at which the activities are being carried out ● Dissolution of the organization ● When leaving or being transferred from the organization:
Notify within 14 days |
Highly Skilled Professional (i) (a), Highly Skilled Professional (i) (b), Highly Skilled Professional (ii) (limited to cases of engaging in the activities in (ii) (a) or (b)), Researcher, Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/ International Services, Care Giver, Entertainer (limited to cases of engaging in the activities based on a contract with a public or private organization in Japan), Skilled Labor, Designated Skilled Labor ● Change in the name or location of the organization with which he has a contract ● Dissolution of the organization ● Termination of the contract with the organization or conclusion of a new contract
Notify within 14 days |
Dependent, Spouse or Child of Japanese National, or Spouse or Child of Permanent Resident (limited to persons with the status of the spouse) ● Death of or divorce from the spouse
Notify within 14 days |
Procedures for Deportation
When a foreign national remained in Japan beyond his designated period of stay even by one day, he is regarded as an illegal overstayer and subject to the Procedures for Deportation.
In addition, in a case a foreign national, without obtaining a permit to engage in an activity other than those permitted under the residence status previously granted, has engaged in an activity which is outside the scope of activities permitted by his residence status and earned income or received compensation, or otherwise received a certain criminal punishment, he is subject to the Procedures for Deportation even if he may not be an illegal overstayer.
If you are deported from Japan, you can not enter Japan for a period of five or ten years.
Also, if you are deported after receiving a certain criminal punishment, as a rule, you will never be able to enter Japan again.
Departure Order System
Under this system, an illegal overstayer, if all of the following requirements are met, is allowed to leave Japan through the following simple procedures without being placed in custody.
When an overstayer leaves Japan under the Departure Order System, he cannot enter Japan in principle for one year.
Requirements to be applicable for the Departure Order System:
● He/she must voluntarily appear at a regional office of Immigration and Residence Control with intention to leave Japan
● He/she is not subject to deportation for any cause other than overstaying the authorized period of stay
● He/she has not been punished by imprisonment with or without work for certain crimes such as theft
● He has never been deported or departed Japan by a departure order in the past.
● It seems certain that he will leave Japan immediately
Special Permission to Stay in Japan
Even when deportation procedures are taken, Special Permission to Stay in Japan may be granted by the Minister of Justice in consideration of the duration for which the foreign national has lived in Japan, his family situation, etc.
Procedures for Refugee Status Recognition
As a member of the Refugee Convention (the Convention relating to the Status of Refugees and the Protocol on the Status of Refugees), Japan recognizes refugee status and takes various protection measures for refugees based on these conventions.
The term “Refugee” refers to those to whom Article 1 of the Convention relating to the Status of Refugees or Article 1 of the Protocol on the Status of Refugees applies. A refugee is generally defined as follows:
A Refugee is:
A person who, owing to well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion, is outside the country of his nationality and is unable or, owing to such fear, is unwilling to avail himself of the protection of that country
Application for recognition of refugee status
A foreign national residing in Japan can apply for Recognition of Refugee Status.
It is a system for those who have fled their home countries as described above (see “Definition of a Refugee ”), and seek protection from Japan . A foreign national, when he/she is recognized as a refugee by the Minister of Justice, is issued with a Certificate of Refugee Recognition, and is granted with a residence status of “Long-Term Resident” unless he otherwise falls under certain exclusionary criteria.
A foreign national who has been recognized as a refugee, based on his application, will receive a refugee travel document as a travel document in place of a passport.
In addition, a foreign national recognized as a refugee and his family can benefit from the “Settlement support program,” which includes Japanese language education, guidance for living in Japan, job placement, etc..
Request for administrative review
A foreign national who has not been recognized as a refugee and is dissatisfied with the decision can request an administrative review by the Minister of Justice.
The Minister of Justice, when he makes decisions on the request, is expected to hear the opinions of the Refugee Examination Counselors who have knowledge of laws and international affairs.