Procedures Visa renewal, status changes, extension,and permanent residency for foreign residents in Japan

For the ones who plan to work or already working in Japan

If you plan for visiting Japan as a tourist, this site may not be of a great use since this site is made for those who plan to work or already been working in Japan, explaining various visa types for working and documents required for visa processing.

Definition vs. Common View in terms of the use = Definition < Common View

Though we usually use the word, VISA for talking about the right of foreigners to stay in Japan; strictly speaking, VISA is defined as the right for foreigners to enter into Japan from abroad,and VISA is issued by either embassy or consulate of Japan in foreign countries, and the both governmental branches belong to Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan. Whereas, the right of foreigners to stay in Japan after his/her entry is defined as the Qualification of Stay rather than VISA and the right of management belongs to another governmenal organization, Ministry of Justice, so it may be helpful for you to know the fact that 2 different governmental organizations are involved, and specifically the fact that the right of management of your VISA after arrival is controlled by Immigration Services Agency (ISA) that belongs to Ministry of Justice.

However, understading the fact that the word, "VISA" is commonly used with an affirmativeness by foreigners to talk about his/her status for the right of stay in Japan, we may as well use the word, "VISA" instead of Qualification of Stay through this web site.

TYPE OF VISA IN DEPTH - 29 statuses - 4 for Residency Statuses and 25 for Activity Statuses

In fact, Immigration Services Agency (ISA) classifies that all the 29 VISA status types into 2 status categories from a broad view point, and the one status category that has no restriction, for working allowed, is the status qualification, for its being rest on one's personal status, so called Residency Status and that have 4 status types.
The other status category that has certain restrictions is the qualification of activity, so called Activity Status and that have 25 status types.

2 Status Categories defined by Immigration Services Agency (ISA)
Residency Status(4 statuses) Working allowed with No restriction.	Activity Status(25 statuses) Restriction on working exists.
With link above image file, you will see 4 visa statuses namely: No. 25 - Permanenet Rsident No. 26 - Spouse or Child of Japanese National No. 27 - Spouse or Child of Permanent Resident No. 28 - Long-Term Resident	With the link above image file,　you will see 25 visa statuses namely: No. N/A- Diplomat, No. 1 - Official, No. 2 - Professor, No. 3 - Artist, No. 4 - Religious Activities, No. 5 - Journalist, No. 6 - Highly Skilled Professional, No. 7 - Business Manager, No. 8 - Legal/Accounting Services, No. 9 - Medical Services No. 10 - Researcher, No. 11 - Instructor No. 12 - Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/Internation al Services No. 13 - Intra-company Transeree No. 14 - Nursing care, No. 15 - Entertainer No. 16 - Skilled Labor, No. 17 - Technical Intern Training No. 18 - Specified Skilled Worker No. 19 - Cultural Activities No. 20 - Temporary Visitor, No. 21 - Student No. 22 - Trainee, No. 23 - Dependent No. 24 - Designated Activities

ACKNOWLEDGE YOUR VISA TYPE - please at least be sure of your activities in Japan.

Type of VISA has 29 statuses as a whole, and it is important for us to know on which visa status type you will be or you have been since documents required for visa application may differ from one visa status type to another, so if you have already been living in Japan, please have an idea of your visa status. You can see your residence status on your Residence Card on STATUS.
On the other hand, if you have not yet applied for visa for Japan and still living in your country but sure that you will be coming to Japan for working for companies, please check and see a contract, made between you and the company and have an idea of your visa status type.
Please click here for checking all the 29 visa status types and field of the list "Explanations and examples" and get an idea of name of your visa status.

If you have questions, please let us know either directly from you or from the person of the company that you are in contact.

Residency Status - status with no restriction on working

Residency Status has 4 status types, and numbered 25 up to 28 in the list above.
The distinctive status is Permanent Resident (No.25) as the status has NO limitation on the length of stay in Japan.
Spouse and children can also stay in Japan as attached to permanent resident (No.27) and also Japanese Nationals (No.26).
The No.28, Long-Term Residents are for third-generation Japanese, Japanese nationals remaining in China, and refugees resettled in third countries.

Activity Status - working qulifications for designated business fields in principle

Having indicated in the list above, Activity Status has 25 status types, and regardless you already work or will be working in Japan, your visa status type is fallen on to one of the 25 status types.
Since majority of the visa statuses of these 25 types are for working, and working fields are defined and specified by ISA. Importantly be noted that working is not allowed with 3 visa statuses out of the 25 and those (working not allowed)are the ones written in red color in the list above, namely as the following:

• 1. Cultural Activities (list No.24)
• 2. Temporary Visitors (list No.25)
• 3. Trainees (list No.27)

Now, we have other 2 visa statuses that working is not primarily allowed but will be allowed after obtaining a permission from ISA, and those are the ones written in green color in the list above, namely as the following:

• 1. Student (list No.21)
• 2. Dependent (list No.23)

Student and Dependent will be able to work up to 28 hours per week after obtaining a permission for working from ISA, providing that the work does not adversely affect your primary activity.

For your information, if you want a working permission from ISA, you are required to apply for what is called " Permission to engage in an activity other than those permitted by the status of residence previously granted" to ISA

If you find it difficult to obtain the working permission from ISA, please contact us as we are willing to help you for the permission accordingly.

Now, we have covered popular visa status types with more in depth and put links for them, so please check and see in the left side bar for further detail.

Please be reminded that CONSULTATION is FREE. so please take advantage of the free service.

Please choose any of the following means for contacting us accordingly:

NATURALIZATION - the status to officially be a Japanese

Another status, superior to the category, Residency Status, is Naturalized Citizen, meaning that you change your nationality to Japanese. In this case, voting rights is given and Japanese passport will be attainable. On the other hand, importantly be noted that since Japan does not allow dual nationalities, you will be obliged to give up on your former nationality if you choose naturalization

Naturalization is to be applied to Ministry of Justice, to the nearest branch that covers area of your address. It should be noted that process of evaluation of eligibility for naturalization is quite strict as you are reqired theoretically to be the same as the Japanese. Generally speaking, the process takes quite a while, for min. 1 year and usually takes 3 years, and many documents are required and the process is quite complex. In fact, quite some foreign residents give up on the application on the way by doing the process by themselves. Please note that we, Immigration Lawyer, are the specialist of realizing the naturalization for applicants, so please consider for letting us try for your naturalization.

For your information, please be reminded that CONSULTATION is FREE.