Residential Status of Children of Permanent Residents of Japan

Q. If a child of a permanent resident was born in Japan, can he/she also apply for permanent residence in Japan?

A. The residential status of a child depends on the country in which the child was born and the residential Status of the parent. We will explain what will happen when the child was born in Japan, and when the child was born outside of Japan.

If the child was born in Japan

Simply put, permanent residents’ child who was born in Japan is eligible for “Permanent Resident” or “Spouse or Child of the Permanent Residence” visa.

・Situation in which the child is eligible for Permanent Residence

 If either of the parent is a permanent resident and plan to apply for permanent residence for their Japan-born child(non-adopted), they need to apply within 30 days after birth.

 If there is no problem with the residential status of the parent and they applied within the above-mentioned time limit, they can get permanent residence for their child.

・Situation in which the child is eligible for Permanent Residence

 If there is any problem with the residential status of either of the parent, or the application was filed outside of the 30-day time limit, the child may not be eligible for “Permanent Resident” visa and can only apply for “Spouse or Child of the Permanent Residence” visa.

 Situation that can void eligibility of Permanent Residence includes:

⇒Unstable financial condition

⇒Becoming a burden to public institutions

⇒Did no fulfill public duty(pay the pension, resident tax etc.)

For children that were grant “Spouse or Child of the Permanent Residence” visa with a duration of stay longer than 3 years, they can apply for “Permanent Resident” 1 year after their birth.

It should be noticed if a child were not grant any residential status, they will be considered illegal immigrant (overstay) and will be issued a deportation order.

Necessary procedures as permanent residents’ child is born in Japan

• Submit birth registration at city hall within 14 days after birth (Including the day of birth)
• Submit application for permanent residence or other statues of residence at Immigration office within 30 days after birth
• Report the birth of child to home country at diplomatic missions in Japan (Embassies, Consulates)
• Apply for child’s passport at diplomatic missions in Japan (Embassies, Consulates)

If the child was not born in Japan

 A child of a permanent resident born outside of Japan is eligible for “Long-term Resident” （Notification No.6）status

 (The following are cited from the law)

“The minor child(non-adopted) of dependent family of the special permanent resident specified in the Special act on the Immigration control of, inter alia, those who have lost Japanese nationality pursuant to the Treaty of Peace with Japan or those who are residing in Japan with permanent residence or Japanese citizenship.”

As mentioned above, if the child is underage and not married, he/she is eligible for applying. However, the older the child get, the higher likelihood of denial of visa. The reasoning is that the closer the child get to adulthood, the more likely the child would be working in Japan. Although family situation may demand otherwise, if you are considering bringing your child from abroad we recommend you make the application while your children are young. However, even if your child is getting close to adulthood, as long as you can prove his/her purpose of coming to Japan is not for work, there is still good chance the application being approved.

We are providing the service of making the application documents (Statement of reasons) according to various circumstances.

Though it is hard to take care of various procedures when the child is born, but if the necessary procedures are not done in time, it may bring disadvantages to you such as denial of visa or a deportation order. Therefore, to get the procedures done immediately is very crucial.

To lighten your burden, we suggest you considering to let the experts help you with making or collecting the documents. If you have any anxieties regarding the visa of child, please feel free to contact us.

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We are Yanagi group, who have the offices in Osaka (Abeno and Tennoji) and our affiliated offices in Tokyo (Shibuya and Ebisu) are also available for on-site consultation. We have handled many applications for permanent residence permits, naturalization permits, work visas, college student visas, management visas, etc., as well as visa renewal procedures related to status of residence with the Immigration Bureau (Immigration Bureau) as a one-stop service. Our experienced administrative scriveners are also available to help you with any problems you may have. We also have staff members who can speak each of the native languages and can assist you in obtaining a visa.

Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions about your status of residence or visa, even if they are trivial.

Toll free number: 0120-138-552 

For English speaker: 080-9346-2991

For Chinese speaker: 090-8456-6196

For Korean speaker: 090-8448-2133

For Vietnamese speaker: 080-5510-2593

Keywords: Japan permanent residence, dependent visa, permanent resident’s offspring, offspring born abroad