Q. Can I
renew my Period of Stay?
A.
If you wish to continue staying in
Japan under the same status of residence, it is possible to renew your period
of stay.
You can begin the process of applying for a renewal of your period of
stay three months before your current period of stay ends.
Please refer to the
Ministry of Justice’s “Guidelines for Permission for Change of Status of
Residence and Extension of Period of Stay” for more information.
Q. We are a foreign couple (husband
and wife) residing in Japan. We have just had a child. What do we need to do?
A.
<Registration
of Birth> at the Municipal office
Submit a Registration of Birth form
within 14 days to your municipal office.
When a Registration of Birth form is
submitted, a certificate of residence as a “person who may continue to stay
transitionally in Japan by birth” will be created for the child.
(If there is
no application for status of residence submitted within 30 days, the
certificate of residence will become null.)
<Apply
for a passport> at your country’s Embassy/Consulate in
Japan
Submit a “Registration of Birth” and “Passport Application” form to the Embassy/Consulate in Japan that corresponds to
the child’s nationality.
Application for a passport may be
carried out after applying for Residence Status.
<Obtain
Status of Residence> at the Regional Immigration Bureau
for your area
If both the father and mother are
foreign nationals, their children will also be considered foreign nationals,
and thus, it is necessary to submit an application for residence status.
Please
submit your application within 30 days of the child’s birth to the Regional
Immigration Bureau for your area.
If you are leaving Japan within 60 days of
the child’s birth and do not intend to return, it is not necessary to apply for
a Status of Residence.
*Documents necessary to obtain
status of residence
・Application for Permission to
Acquire Status of Residence
・Proof of Birth (birth certificate,
maternity record book, etc.)
・Copy of Residence Certificate that
lists all household members, including the child
・Original copy of child’s passport (can be submitted later)
・Copies of the parents’ residence cards and passports
・Proof of occupation and income of
the person(s) supporting the dependent (Parent’s certificate of employment, tax
declaration/tax payment certificate for resident tax)
Q. In what cases is “Permission to
Engage in Activity Other than that Permitted by the Status of Residence
Previously Granted” necessary?
A.
The activities that foreign
residents can undertake is determined by their Status of Residence.
If you will take part in activities
in which you receive an income or are involved in a business which is not
covered under your current visa status, you must apply for this permission.
Q. I have a long period of stay in
Japan. I want to visit my home country. What do I need to do?
If a medium- or long-term resident
wishes to leave Japan temporarily, and enter Japan again with the same status
of residence, the following two methods are available based on the duration of
departure from Japan.
<If
the period of your departure from Japan is less than one year>
If a foreign national with a valid
passport and residence card (special permanent resident certificate for special
permanent residents) leaves Japan for a period of less than one year and wishes
to re-enter Japan with the same status of residence as before, you must
complete a form at the airport. People who leave Japan cannot extend or renew
their visas from overseas and must re-enter Japan within one year(*) after
leaving, or they will lose their status of residence.
(*If there is less than one year
remaining for period of stay after leaving Japan, you must return before this
period of stay ends. Special Permanent Residents may leave the country for up
to two years. )
※<If the period of your departure
from Japan exceeds one year (two years for Special Permanent Residents)>
You can obtain a “re-entry permit”
before you leave Japan from your nearest Immigration Services Agency office.
A re-entry permit may be valid for a
maximum of 5 years (6 years for Special Permanent Residents).
Please look at the Ministry of
Justice’s website for more details.
Ministry of Justice – Re-entry permit
application
（外部リンク）
Immigration Bureau – Re-entry permit（外部リンク）
Immigration Bureau – Re-entry requirements（外部リンク）
Q. I left the company I’ve been
working at for 3 years with Engineering/Humanities qualifications and would
like to start a new job. What kinds of procedures are necessary?
A.
If a person who resides in Japan
with their qualification for employment as “Engineer/Specialist in
Humanities/International Services” changes jobs, it is necessary to notify the
Immigration Services Agency within 14 days of changing jobs. Similarly, it is
also necessary to notify other affiliated institutions within 14 days. You can
submit an application for “Certificate of Qualification for Employment” to
confirm that your new job matches your existing status of residence. This also
helps renewal procedures for future job changes go smoothly.
If you have this
certificate, and your new employer wants to employ a foreign national, it is
possible to check beforehand whether your status of residence matches the
details of your work after your job change.
This certificate is issued at the request
of the applicant, and is not mandatory.
Q. I want to obtain a “Permission
for Permanent Residence”. What do I need to do?
A.
Please see the Ministry of Justice’s
“Guidelines for Permission for Permanent Residence” for full details.
<Requirements>
(1) The person has a history of good
behavior.
(2) The person is capable of and has
sufficient assets to live independently.
(3)The person’s
permanent residence is regarded to be in accordance with the interests of
Japan.
The Ministry of Justice publishes
guidelines related to obtaining permission for permanent residence, along with
examples of permission for/non-permission of permanent residence.
Ministry of Justice:
“Guidelines for Permission for Permanent Residence”（外部リンク）
“Guidelines for Contribution to Japan”（外部リンク）
“Examples of Cases where Contributions
Were Recognized and Permission for Permanent Residence Was Granted, and Cases
where Permission Was Not Granted”（外部リンク）