Updates to Japan's Permanent Residency Guidelines (2026 Revision)

Japan’s Immigration Services Agency has updated the "Guidelines for Permission for Permanent Residence." (https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/applications/resources/nyukan_nyukan50.html)Comparing the October 2025 version with the latest February 2026 revision, there are several critical changes that applicants should be aware of.

1. New Requirement: Compliance with Landing Permission Criteria

A new sub-item has been added under the "Contribution to Japan's Interests" requirement.

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  New Addition (1-3-d): Applicants must now conform to the "Landing Permission Criteria" ($Joriku\ Kyoka\ Kijun$) as prescribed by the Ministry of Justice for their current visa status.

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• What this means for you: The Landing Permission Criteria are the requirements you had to meet when you first obtained your visa—for example, the educational or professional experience requirements for the "Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services" visa.

• Ongoing Compliance: This change signifies that at the time of your Permanent Residency (PR) application, you must prove that you still maintain the original conditions and qualifications required for your current residency status.

• Stricter Screening: Expect the Immigration Bureau to conduct a more rigorous and "strict check" on whether you continue to satisfy these fundamental criteria throughout your stay.

💡 Important Note for "Highly Skilled Professionals" (HSP)

If you currently hold a "Highly Skilled Professional" visa, the Landing Permission Criteria include maintaining a score of 70 points or higher in the point-based system.

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• The Potential Risk: Even if you apply for PR as a "standard" resident (e.g., after staying in Japan for 10 years) rather than using the HSP fast-track, you may still be required to prove that you maintain at least 70 points at the time of your application.

• Why? Because maintaining those points is part of the "Landing Permission Criteria" for your current HSP status. If your points have dropped below 70, you might be judged as not meeting the PR requirements under the new guideline (1-3-d).

  
  

2. Clarified Deadline for the "Maximum Period of Stay"

Historically, one of the fundamental requirements for PR has been holding the longest available period of stay (currently 3 or 5 years) for your current visa. The new guideline sets a definitive timeline for the "3-year visa" transition.

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  The Deadline: The 3-year visa will be treated as the maximum period until March 31, 2027.

  
  
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  One-Time Grace Period: For those holding a 3-year visa as of March 31, 2027, it will still be treated as the maximum period only for their first application processed within that remaining visa term.

  
  

3. Structural and Terminology Changes

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  Item Reordering: Due to the new landing criteria requirement, the item regarding "Public Health" has been moved to 1-3-e.

  
  
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  New Note (Note 2): A detailed definition of "Landing Permission Criteria" has been added.

  
  
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  Note Numbering: The definition of "Highly Skilled Professionals" has moved to Note 3.

  
  

Summary Table: Key Changes at a Glance

Feature	Oct 2025 Version	Feb 2026 Version
Landing Criteria	Not explicitly mentioned in this section.	Explicitly required and strictly checked (Item 1-3-d).
HSP Points	Not specified for general applications.	Must maintain 70+ points if currently on an HSP visa.
3-Year Visa Status	Treated as "Maximum Period" for the time being.	Limit set to March 31, 2027, with a one-time exception.

Daichi Ito, Immigration Consultant(Gyoseishoshi)

Disclaimer: This post is for informational purposes. For specific legal advice regarding your visa status, always consult with a certified Administrative Scrivener ($Gyoseishoshi$).