PR: a 3-year permit stops counting as the maximum period of stay
PR applicants must hold the maximum period of stay. For applications filed from 1 April 2027 that generally means a 5-year permit. A 3-year permit still counts until then, and in one narrow case after.
To apply for permanent residence, you need to hold the longest period of stay available for your status. Until now a 3-year permit has counted as the longest. For applications filed from 1 April 2027 it won’t, so in practice you’ll need a 5-year permit.
There’s one exception after that date. A 3-year permit still counts if you held it on 31 March 2027, this is your first PR application, and the decision comes before the permit expires.
This applies on the spouse, Highly Skilled Professional and Long-Term Resident routes too. Those routes shorten the 10-year residence rule, but they don’t lift the maximum period requirement.
If you’re on a 3-year permit and meet the other requirements, an application filed by 31 March 2027 is assessed under the current rule. Your period of stay is printed on your residence card.
Sources
- 永住許可に関するガイドライン（令和８年１０月１日改定）
Immigration Services Agency · Japanese · official source
- Japan PR with a 3-year status: 2027 rule change
YX Law · English · secondary source
This is information about published rules, not legal advice, and not a decision about your case. ISA decides each application on its own facts. Check with ISA (0570-013904) or a licensed gyoseishoshi before acting. Spotted an error? Tell us