Status & Visas: Six Guides, Ordered by Where You Are Now
This is the front door for everything about status of residence and visas. The peculiarity of this topic is that the procedures themselves are not hard — the hard part is knowing which page matches your situation right now. Someone who just arrived needs "which status do I apply for"; a student needs the work permit first; someone settled needs renewal; someone staying long-term wants to reach permanent residency faster. This page puts the six guides in situation order, then lists the three mistakes people make most often.
📅 Verified October 2026In one line: how your legal status in Japan is maintained, upgraded, and used to earn money. It covers three things — which status you hold and what activities it allows, timing (when you must renew, when you can apply for permanent residency early), and limits (what your status does not permit, part-time work above all). All of it comes from the Immigration Services Agency and changes with ministerial ordinances and amendments, so official guidance decides. This page does not re-explain any single procedure; it just routes you to the right one.
📍 Find your situation (ordered by where you are, not by importance)
① Just starting out: work out which status to apply for
There are dozens of statuses, and picking the wrong one means starting over. This guide uses a diagnostic to place you: work, study, family, business, spouse — what each one requires in documents and process. This is the entry point for the whole topic; read it first.
② Student or dependent: get the work permit before your first shift
"Student" and "Dependent" do not permit work as a rule — you need the permission to engage in activity other than that permitted first (it is free). After that the cap is 28 hours a week across all jobs, and adult-entertainment venues are off limits regardless of permission. You cannot retro-fit this one: permission first, then the job.
③ Settled in: renewal when your period of stay runs out
Your period of stay is a hard line you cannot cross. Renewal needs to be applied for well before it expires. This guide covers the documents, what is actually reviewed (your conduct as a resident, tax payments), and what changed on the immigration side in 2026.
④ Want PR sooner: start with the points calculation
Reach 70 points as a Highly Skilled Professional and the residence requirement for permanent residency shortens substantially. This guide is a points calculator — run it to see exactly which items you are short on.
⑤ Already at 80 points: the one-year route to PR
The 80-point route can bring permanent residency forward considerably — but the sequencing, the timing, and the requirement to keep the score up for the whole period are where people slip.
⑥ Starting a company: the Business Manager status
It starts with a sequencing question — company first or status first? — then moves through capital, premises and what the business plan is actually assessed on. This guide answers "am I allowed to", not "how do I run a business".
🧰 Tools you can use directly on this topic
🎯 Highly Skilled Professional points calculator
Skip the statute text — enter your qualifications, experience and salary to see your score and the gaps
🛂 Status of residence diagnostic
Describe your situation (job, education, family) and get the status to apply for plus a document checklist
⚠️ The three mistakes people make most on this topic
Mistake 1: "I have a Residence Card, so I can do any job"
No. Your status defines the activities you are permitted to carry out, not merely permission to be in Japan. A work status such as Engineer/Specialist in Humanities allows only the activity it covers — manual labour falls outside it. "Student" and "Dependent" do not permit work at all until you hold the permission. Going beyond the scope does not just mean a fine; it can affect the status itself. See part-time work and the work permit.
Mistake 2: "Renewal is just handing over papers, a few days late is fine"
Your period of stay is a line that cannot be crossed. Once the date passes, the status lapses — and afterwards it is not a late renewal but a fresh application, potentially leaving you unlawfully resident. So the correct approach is to start preparing months ahead, not to assemble documents at the last minute. Note also what review looks at: not just completeness, but your conduct as a resident — whether you have paid what you owe and respected the part-time hour cap. See the renewal guide.
Mistake 3: "Enough points means PR is automatic"
It is not automatic. The score is one condition that shortens the residence requirement, not the grant itself. Tax compliance, your period of stay and general conduct are assessed too — and on the 80-point route, the score must be maintained for the required period; dropping below it matters. Treat it as a faster lane, not an exemption from review. See the 80-point PR guide.
🗂️ Other topics
- Money, tax & insurance — take-home pay, filing tax, health insurance and pension, banking, medical costs
- Housing — renting, setting up utilities, moving, rubbish rules
- City hall & driving — the city office checklist and converting a foreign licence