I do not know whether I can apply now
You want to know how long you need to have lived in Japan and whether your residence history and current status allow you to consider permanent residence.
Ryohei Yamamoto Administrative Scrivener Office
Permanent residence application support
For your continuing life in Japan.
Nationwide support · No office visit · Free initial consultation
永住ビザの取得をお考えの方へ。在留資格「永住者」の永住許可申請について、現在のビザ・在留歴・生活状況から、申請時期と必要な準備を一緒に確認します。配偶者ビザ・就労ビザ・定住者など、現在の在留資格に応じてご相談いただけます。
You can consult us even before you know whether you can apply for permanent residence.
“I have lived in Japan for some time, but is now the right time to apply?” We review your residence history, family, work, taxes and social insurance together and discuss a plan, including application timing.
Once the plan is agreed, our office prepares all documents needed for permanent residence. You submit the completed documents to immigration yourself because your residence card and passport need to be presented.
Permanent residence applications JPY 121,000 (tax included) See fees and the guarantee ↓
Expenses of JPY 860 are charged separately.
Start by telling us about your current situation.
It is fine if you have not collected the documents. The initial consultation is free.
Weekend and holiday consultations are available; evenings by appointment.
Do you have any of these concerns?
I want to apply from spouse status
You want an approach suited to your marriage to a Japanese national or permanent resident and your family circumstances.
I want to apply from work-related status
You have continued working and want to check whether your residence history and current period of stay meet the conditions.
I am concerned about my income or a job change
You are worried about your annual income or have recently changed jobs and are unsure whether to apply now.
I am concerned about taxes, pension or health insurance
Some payments were late, or you are unsure about enrolment and payment records, and want to know what to check first.
I have traffic violations or a previous refusal
You want advice on how a violation or an earlier application affects the preparation this time.
Please do not draw a conclusion from just one circumstance.
We start with your current situation and identify the explanations and preparation needed.
Which permanent residence route fits your situation?
We review it in light of your current status and your life in Japan so far.
From status as a spouse of a Japanese national or permanent resident
We check the reality and duration of married life and your residence history in Japan. We consider whether a residence-history exception applies to spouses, alongside public obligations and other matters.
From work-related residence status
We review residence history, activities under your work status and continuity of work and income. We also check rules for the particular status and circumstances such as job changes or long absences from Japan.
From Long-Term Resident status
We check continuous residence under Long-Term Resident status, family relationships and your living situation. Both the years spent in Japan and the statuses you held matter.
From highly skilled or other residence status
For highly skilled exceptions, we check evidence that you have continuously met the relevant points or criteria from the required earlier date. Please also consult us individually about other statuses.
A residence-history exception does not by itself determine permission. We review the applicable requirements as a whole.
Main points to check for permanent residence
Residence history
Your statuses and activities from entry to the present, and your life in Japan, including time spent overseas.
Current residence status and period of stay
The status on your residence card, the permitted period and expiry date, and consistency with your activities.
Work, income and living arrangements
Your employment or business, continuity of income, dependants and the household’s circumstances.
Taxes
Payment of the necessary taxes and payment deadlines: not only whether they are paid before applying, but the history of compliance.
Pension and health insurance
Enrolment and payment records, including timely payments and periods when coverage changed because of a job change or similar event.
Conduct, traffic violations and related matters
The nature, timing and circumstances of violations. We check the facts rather than deciding mechanically from the number alone.
Family circumstances
The realities of marriage, living together and financial support, and the family’s residence and living arrangements.
Previous applications and refusals
Earlier submissions, the circumstances of refusal, subsequent changes and current preparation.
We do not determine the prospects from one figure such as annual income. We review each case, including compliance with notification obligations.
Applying immediately is not always the best approach
We consider the timing together.
Timing also matters for permanent residence. We review your residence, public obligations and changes in work or income. If we consider a period of preparation preferable to applying immediately, we explain that as well.
“Apply now,” “check first,” or “prepare further before applying”: after listening to your circumstances, we explain the preparation and steps clearly.
Changes in the rules or transitional arrangements, such as treatment of the period of stay, may also affect timing. We check the official information applicable when you apply and consider a plan suited to your situation.
Why choose Yamamoto for permanent residence support?
Immigration applications, including spouse visas, permanent residence and naturalization
All applications that our office accepted after determining that approval could be obtained have been approved to date, including difficult cases.
With your future life in Japan in mind.
Permanent residence also involves organizing your residence and life history. We listen to your concerns and identify the circumstances to explain and records needed.
Japan Federation of Certified Administrative Procedures Legal Specialists Associations
Registration No. 24351781
Advice starts with when to apply
We do not simply prioritize speed. We review your circumstances and progress in preparation before explaining the approach.
Nationwide support — no office visit required
Using LINE, telephone, email, post and online meetings, you can consult and prepare from home.
Consult the administrative scrivener directly
Our office prepares all application documents and explains how you submit them to immigration. You can also consult us about additional records and questions during the process.
What our office handles / What we ask you to do
What our office handles
- Initial interview and consideration of application timing
- Review of permanent residence requirements
- Individual guidance on documents and how to obtain them
- Preparation of all application documents, including the application form and statement of reasons
- Delivery of the completed documents and guidance on submission to immigration
- Support with additional documents and explanations
- Review of the result and guidance on the procedures after approval
What we ask you to do
- Answer the interview questions
- Prepare the records we request
- Check the completed documents and sign where required
- Take your residence card and passport to immigration and submit the completed documents
You submit the documents to immigration yourself because your residence card and passport need to be presented. Our office prepares all required application documents and explains the submission method.
We provide your individual document checklist after engagement.
After formal engagement, we conduct an individual interview and explain the required records and how to obtain them according to your status, family and employment.
You do not need all the documents before the consultation. Start with your current residence status, expiry date and concerns.
Our office prepares all application documents. You obtain the public certificates and employment or income records used as supporting evidence. We individually explain how to obtain them and the order of preparation.
Permanent residence support fees
Permanent residence applications
JPY 121,000 (tax included)
JPY 110,000 before tax
Expenses of JPY 860 are charged separately.The amounts above are our professional fees and expenses. A separate government fee is payable to immigration upon permission. We explain the applicable amount after checking changes and any reduction arrangements according to the timing of your application.
Free reapplication support
Refund arrangement available — confirm details
Check permanent residence fees in the fee list →
You can consider engaging us after reviewing your circumstances and the costs.
From consultation to the permanent residence decision
Free initial consultation
Tell us your residence status, expiry date and concerns by LINE, telephone or email.
Review of your current situation and permanent residence requirements
We organize your residence history, living arrangements and compliance with public obligations, and consider the approach and timing.
Formal engagement and individual interview
Review the fee and scope; after engagement, we ask about your circumstances in detail.
Preparing the supporting records
We explain the documents appropriate for you and how to obtain them, then check the records you prepare.
Preparing the application and statement of reasons
Based on your records and interview, our office prepares all application documents. We ask you to check them and provide the necessary signatures.
You submit the documents to immigration
We give you the completed documents and explain submission. Because your residence card and passport need to be presented, please take both and submit the documents yourself.
Responding to additional requests
If additional records or explanations are requested during examination, we explain the response needed.
Review of the result and guidance after approval
Please notify us when immigration’s decision arrives. We review it and explain any further procedures.
Even while a permanent residence application is pending, you need a separate renewal application if the decision will not arrive before your current period of stay expires.
Feedback from our clients
Read feedback received about our consultations and application support when considering whom to engage.
Frequently asked questions about permanent residence
Can I ask whether I can apply without engaging you yet?
Yes. The initial consultation is free. We discuss your current status, residence history, family, work and concerns to identify what needs checking. You do not need to gather every document before formal engagement.
How many years do I need to have lived in Japan?
The general rule is at least ten years of continuous residence, including a required period under certain work or residence statuses. Exceptions exist for spouses, long-term residents, highly skilled professionals and others. We review the treatment of your status, public obligations and living circumstances as well as the years of residence.
Can I apply from spouse status?
Residence-history exceptions exist for spouses of Japanese nationals, permanent residents and special permanent residents. We check the reality and duration of married life and continuous residence in Japan. Taxes, social insurance and other public obligations and residence circumstances still need to be reviewed.
Can I apply from a work visa?
Permanent residence can also be considered from work-related status. We check your past statuses and activities, continuous residence and stability of work and income. Please describe your history specifically, as the statuses counted and any exceptions are checked against the rules applicable when you apply.
What if my annual income is low?
One income figure alone cannot determine the prospects. We review your household, dependants, employment and continuity in light of the applicable requirements. Tell us about your present living situation.
Can I apply just after changing jobs?
A job change alone does not decide the answer. We review activities and income before and after the change, current employment, consistency with your status and required notifications, then consider applying now or allowing time to prepare.
What if pension, health insurance or tax payments were late?
The official guidelines state that missing the original deadline is generally viewed negatively even if payment is complete by the application date. We review what was late, when, and the current payment position, and advise on preparation and timing.
Can I consult you if I have traffic violations?
Yes. We review the nature and timing of violations and any resulting penalties. We consider the other circumstances too, rather than deciding approval or refusal from the number alone.
Can I engage you after a previous refusal?
Yes, we accept consultations about reapplication. We review the earlier records, refusal circumstances and subsequent changes, then consider preparation and timing. Tell us about any records you still have.
Can I engage you from anywhere in Japan?
Yes. We work nationwide and no visit to our office is needed. Consultation and document preparation proceed through LINE, telephone, email, post and online meetings. You submit the application yourself because your residence card and passport must be presented. We prepare all application documents and explain submission.
Official information about the procedure
The Immigration Services Agency’s published information was checked on October 7, 2026. Permanent residence requirements and fees are subject to amendments and transitional arrangements. Amendment dates and commencement dates may differ, so treatment is checked against the application date and examination circumstances.
Alongside residence history, we review livelihood, compliance with public obligations and the matters applicable when you apply. Please consult us rather than deciding eligibility from an older article’s figures or a single condition.
The first step toward permanent residence is understanding your situation.
Whether you are unsure about applying or have particular concerns, start with a consultation about your future life in Japan.
Nationwide support · No office visit · Free initial consultation
For a smoother consultation, tell us your current status, expiry date, residence history in Japan and concerns.