[2025 Revision] Summary of Changes to the Guidelines for Permission for Permanent Residence

On February 24, 2026 (Reiwa 8), the Immigration Services Agency of Japan revised the “Guidelines for Permission for Permanent Residence.” This revision reflects the 2024 amendment to the Immigration Control Act, and the screening criteria for permanent residence have changed significantly. This article explains the main changes and the measures to take going forward.

Background to the Revision

In June 2024 (Reiwa 6), a bill amending the Immigration Control Act was passed by the Diet. One of the pillars of this amendment is the “optimization of the permanent residence permission system.” Measures were introduced to ensure that permanent residents observe the minimum rules required to live in Japanese society (payment of taxes, social insurance premiums, etc.).

Main Changes

1. Introduction of a System for Revoking Permanent Residence

Under the amended Immigration Control Act, a new system has been established that allows permanent residence permission to be revoked where certain grounds apply.

Important: This system targets cases where a permanent resident “intentionally” fails to fulfill public obligations. Cases where payment is impossible due to unavoidable circumstances (illness, unemployment, etc.) are not covered.

2. Stricter Treatment of Payment Deadlines for Public Obligations

The change with the greatest impact in this revision is the tightening of payment “deadlines.”

Item	Before the Revision	After the Revision
Taxes and social insurance premiums	Acceptable if paid in full at the time of application	Must be paid within the payment deadline
Late payment	No problem as long as paid in full	Payment even one day past the deadline is, in principle, grounds for denial
Period checked	Most recent 3-5 years	Most recent 5 years checked strictly

3. Transitional Measure for a “3-Year” Period of Stay

As a requirement for permanent residence, in principle the person must “currently hold the longest period of stay.” For many residence statuses the longest is “5 years,” but the revision introduced the following transitional measure.

Transitional measure: Only for applications made by March 31, 2027 (Reiwa 9), a period of stay of “3 years” is also treated as the longest period.

4. Clarification of the Scope of Exclusion for Work-Related Residence Statuses

In calculating “residence for 5 years or more continuously with a work-related residence status” under the requirement of conformity to the interests of Japan, it has been clarified that the following residence statuses are excluded.

• Technical Intern Training
• Specified Skilled Worker (i)

In other words, periods of residence under Technical Intern Training or Specified Skilled Worker (i) are not counted as the employment period required for a permanent residence application.

Comparison Table Before and After the Revision

Screening Item	Practice Before the Revision	Practice After the Revision
Tax payment record	Approved if paid in full	Payment within the deadline checked strictly
Social insurance premiums	Approved if paid in full	Payment within the deadline checked strictly
Period of stay of “3 years”	Accepted in practice	Transitional measure until March 31, 2027
Revocation of permanent residence	No such system	New revocation system established
Technical Intern Training period	Ambiguous treatment	Clearly excluded from the employment period

Outlook and Measures Going Forward

For Those Considering an Application

1. Thoroughly manage payment deadlines — We recommend switching resident tax to special collection (withholding from salary). For National Pension and National Health Insurance, direct debit is reliable.
2. Consider applying early — Those with a period of stay of “3 years” should consider applying during the transitional measure period (until March 31, 2027).
3. Check your past payment history — Check your payment status for the most recent 5 years right away and verify there are no delays.

For Those Who Have Already Obtained Permanent Residence

In preparation for the enforcement of the permanent residence revocation system, please make sure to pay your taxes and social insurance premiums reliably. Since “intentional non-payment” constitutes grounds for revocation, we recommend setting up direct debit or automatic payment.

Reference: Guidelines for Permission for Permanent Residence (revised February 24, 2026) — Immigration Services Agency of Japan

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