What changes
On 1 October 2026 the Immigration Services Agency revised its Guidelines for Permission for Permanent Residence, following the government's January 2026 package on accepting foreign nationals. The legal test is unchanged: good conduct, the means to live independently, and that permanent residence is in Japan's interest. What changes is how each part is judged.
- Income. The applicant's household income must have stayed above the average income of a Japanese household of the same size. Income earned by family members on a non-work status such as Dependent, through permission for other activities, does not count. Dependants abroad are added to the household size. The guidelines do not publish a yen figure.
- Pension. The applicant's expected pension is compared with what someone would receive after 30 years at that income level in the Employees' Pension. A shortfall can be covered by financial assets, with a lower bar for younger applicants.
- Japanese. Ability at B1 level of the national Japanese language reference framework (equivalent to CEFR B1) is now a factor. It is not required of Highly Skilled Professionals applying on the fast-track routes or their families, people with at least six years of schooling in Japan, and some children of permanent residents.
- Rules and systems. Applicants' understanding of Japan's rules and systems will be checked by a method the agency designates, based mainly on its Guidebook on Living and Working.
- Residence. The standard ten years of continuous residence must include five continuous years on a work or residence-based status. Intra-company Transferee, Specified Skilled Worker (i), Technical Intern Training, Employment for Skill Development and some Designated Activities do not count as work statuses for this purpose. A single absence of six months or more, or absences totalling two and a half years in the past ten, without good reason, now counts against the applicant.
- Period of stay. The applicant must hold the longest period of stay available for their status. A three-year period is treated as the longest for applications made by 31 March 2027, with limited transitional relief after that.
- Record. Past failures to pay taxes or social insurance, past breaches of immigration duties and past fines count against the applicant even if they have since been put right. Children of compulsory school age must be attending primary or lower secondary school.
The guidelines apply to applications made on or after 1 April 2027. The income and public-burden tests also apply to applications made in the six months before 1 October 2026 that were still pending on that date. The separate guideline on "contribution to Japan" is abolished.
Who it applies to
Foreign employees planning to apply for permanent residency, and their families. Employers are affected because payroll, social insurance enrolment and assignment structures determine whether an employee's record qualifies.
Action for employers
- Check assignment structures. Staff who came on Intra-company Transferee status will not build work-status years towards permanent residency while on it. Where long-term settlement matters, consider moving them to a local contract and Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services status early.
- Keep enrolment and withholding records clean. Late social insurance enrolment or unpaid inhabitant tax on the employer's side can count against an employee years later. Fix any gaps now.
- Budget for Japanese. Employees who will need B1 Japanese, and are not on the Highly Skilled Professional route, should start language support well before they apply.
- Plan long overseas assignments. Sending an employee abroad for six months or more in one stretch can now set back their application. Discuss timing with them before the assignment.
- Tell employees who applied after 1 April 2026. The income test may already apply to their pending application.
Sources
- Immigration Services Agency, Guidelines for Permission for Permanent Residence (revised 1 October 2026), including Part 6 on application dates.
- Immigration Services Agency, notice of public comment on the revised permanent residency guidelines and the new revocation guidelines (comment period 4 August to 3 September 2026).
- Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act, Article 22(2).