Preparing for Japanese Permanent Residence application is a time consuming process. This repository was created to share how I prepare my application. Some example documents were added to help give some clues how they look like. The guide here will focus on the application with Highly-skill-engineering condition A as this was the one I applied.
The required documents are categorized into folders, each contains a note about how to prepare or some things you need to pay attention to. Zairyuu and passport folders are just place holders to get you to know they are needed, no need to copy or print them out. When I prepared, I scanned all necessary documents and put them into their designated folder to help me organize them easier. I added some templates for covers that you can reuse, or at least copy it in your own way.
I organized and ordered the documents as below.
- Cover - This includes your name and statement that your documents are up-to-date.
- Zairyuu card - Take it with you, just for verification.
- Passport - Take it with you, just for verification.
- Application form - Get it from PDF, XLS. Make sure to fill in the date and your signature on the second page by your hand on the day you apply.
- Education and work history - No need if you can fit them in the application form.
- Acknowledgement (了解書 - ryoukaisho) - Get it from PDF
- Your own photo.
- Essay/Statement of intent - Write about your history and why you want the permanent residence.
- Certificate of residence (住民票 - juuminhyou) - Get it from your ward office.
- Current employment certificate (在職証明書 - zaishoku shoumeisho) - Get it from your office.
- Certificate of resident tax payment (住民税の納付状況を証明する資料 - juuminzei no noufu joukyou wo shoumei suru shiryou).
- Certificate of national tax payment (国税の納付状況を証明する資料 - kokuzei no noufu joukyou wo shoumei suru shiryou).
- Proof of income - Copy your bank statements of the last two years.
- Proof of pension and health insurance payment.
- Proof of pension payment in each year - This is tricky.
- Copy of health insurance card.
- Guarantor documents.
- Guarantor form (身元保証書) - Get it from PDF.
- Guarantor's current employment certificate (在職証明書 - zaishoku shoumeisho)
- Guarantor's income certificate (所得証明書 - shotoku shoumeisho)
- Support documents for HSP. - Repeat this based on your HSP condition
- Point evaluation document - Get the newest one from XLS - english, XLS - japanese
- Income certificate (所得証明書 - shotoku shoumeisho)
- Education and work history
- Education history - Repeat 4.2 + 4.3 for each education you have.
- Education item cover - List all
- Copy of your education certificate
- Copy of your education certificate (Japanese translated)
- Work history - Repeat 5.1 - 5.3 for each work history you have.
- Work item cover
- Employment certificate - For the most recent job, please use the real document, not the copy.
- Employment certificate (Japanese translated)
Please check the note in each folder to know how to obtain a specific document.
I went to the immigration office in Shinagawa as it is the closest one for me. There are some immigration offices in other places as well, such as in Tachigawa.
You can get to the immigration office from Shinagawa station by taking a bus here. However, you can also walk there as well, it is only 2KM from the station which should take you around 25 minutes.
It is better to go there as soon as possible as the whole process can be finished fast if you don't have to wait for other queues before you. In my case, I arrived there at 8:40AM and I still need to queue up for around 20 minutes before I can get into the building (due to the Covid protection policy). I started the process from 9AM and got it finished around 10:10AM.
When you get into the building, go straight to the second floor. You will see the pre-check counter right away on the left side. The staffs here will check your documents and verify that you got all required documents. If all look good, they will give you a number tag for your queue, take it and go to B counter as shown in the image below. During the pre-check, they will help you black out some important information like your pension number. In my case, they asked me to put the real employment certificate of my current job as I use the copies for all employment certificates. Luckily I bring the real one with me. So please be aware and bring some spare documents with you just in case.
After you get the number tag, wait in front of the B counter. Once they call you, you have to hand in the documents and they will do a full check. I missed one document that the staff at pre-check counter did not mention to me, that is the acknowledgement document (了解書 in 3-2). You can print this, but please fill in the date and signature with your own writing in the day of application. The staff in the B counter may ask you some questions as well. If things are ok, you have to wait on the right side of the B counter for your passport and zairyu card to be returned.
At the end, you will get the receipt. Take a photo of it, and make sure not to lose it, very important.
I would like to express my deep gratitude to my wife, friends and colleagues who helps me prepare the documents. Thanks Prae, O.Yusuke, L.Sean, S.Scott, S.Hiroshi and X.Tan for all your supports 🙇🏻♂️.