Children born to a former Japanese national who has renounced their Japanese citizenship and become a foreign national are eligible to apply for “long-term resident(定住者)” status in Japan. This is often the case for Japanese descendants, such as second- and third-generation Japanese(日系2世・3世). With the status of residence “long-term resident”, you can do any kind of activity as long as you can live a stable life in Japan. There are no restrictions on working, and you can even run your own company. In addition, the spouse (wife/husband) of a second or third generation Japanese-descendant may also be eligible for the “long-term resident” status, so you can consider moving to Japan as a family. In this article, we will explain the status of residence for children of former Japanese nationals.
Status of residence that can be obtained by children of former Japanese nationals
Children born after a former Japanese national has become a foreign national, and their children, are eligible for the “long-term resident” visa status. In addition, the spouse (wife/husband) of a second- or third-generation Japanese-descent “long-term resident” can also apply for “long-term resident” status, so children of former Japanese nationals can immigrate with their families.
What kind of person is eligible for this status of residence (visa)?
Regarding the children of former Japanese, the following people would be applicable if they were to be explained correctly and in detail.
・A biological child born after the parent acquired a foreign nationality
A typical example would be a case where a person is born in Japan, moves abroad and acquires a foreign nationality (Japanese nationality is automatically lost when a foreign nationality is acquired), and then has a child after acquiring a foreign nationality.
Excluded cases include cases where a foreign national moves to Japan, naturalizes, and then later reverts to their foreign nationality, which does not fall under the category of “former Japanese” here. In addition, if you were born as Japanese and then became a foreign national (lost Japanese nationality) after the birth of your child, the status of residence your child should apply for is “Spouse or Child of Japanese National(日本人の配偶者等)” rather than “Long-Term Resident”.
In addition to being a “natural-born child of a former Japanese national”, you must also be able to demonstrate the ability to lead a stable life in Japan. You or your family must have a stable source of income (or the prospect of one) from employment in Japan, or you must have someone else who will cover the costs of living in Japan (a financial sponsor).
▶Reference: Immigration Services Agency「Status of residence: “Long-term resident” (if the foreign national (applicant) is the spouse (husband or wife) of a second-generation Japanese)」
Can a family of former Japanese immigrate together?
You can also apply for “long-term resident” status for the children of former Japanese nationals (grandchildren of Japanese nationals, third-generation Japanese). You can also apply for “long-term resident” status for the spouse (wife/husband) of a former Japanese national. For the spouse (wife/husband), the condition is that the marriage must still be continuing (those who have divorced are not eligible). Also, as with other spouse visas, you will need to submit a questionnaire(質問書), but you will need to explain the circumstances from the time you met until now in detail, and your application will be thoroughly examined to ensure that it is not a fake marriage.
▶ Reference: Immigration Services Agency「Status of residence: “Long-term resident” (if the foreign national (applicant) is the spouse (husband or wife) of a second-generation Japanese)」
About the process of applying for a residence visa
This part explains the procedures for acquiring the status of residence of “Long Term Resident (Notification No. 3（告示3号）)” for children born after a former Japanese citizen has acquired foreign nationality. This status of residence applies to the biological children of former Japanese citizens born after they have renounced their Japanese nationality. In addition to the children of former Japanese citizens, Notification No. 3 also applies to the grandchildren of Japanese citizens and the biological children of the former Japanese citizens’ biological children after they have renounced their Japanese nationality.
Procedures for inviting family members from overseas – Application for Certificate of Eligibility(在留資格認定証明書交付申請)-
The procedure that is carried out when moving to Japan from overseas is called the “Application for Certificate of Eligibility”. In order to carry out this procedure, you must have relatives in Japan, and the person who invites you (your relative in Japan) will act as your representative. If you do not have any relatives living in Japan, you will not apply for a Certificate of Eligibility, but will apply directly to the Japanese embassy in your country.
Procedures for changing from another status of residence to “Long Term Resident” – Application for Change of Status of Residence(在留資格変更許可申請) –
If you are already living in Japan and wish to change your status of residence to “Long Term Resident”, you will need to apply for “Change of Status of Residence Permission”. This procedure is carried out at the Immigration Services Agency that has jurisdiction over the area where you live.
Required documents
| Long Term Resident (Notification No. 3) |
|---|
| ・Application for Certificate of Eligibility/Application for Change of Status of Residence ・Photo ・One copy of the family register(戸籍謄本) or removal from the family register (certificate of all matters)(除籍謄本) of the parents (Japanese) ・Marriage registration certificate (for parents)(婚姻届け受理証明書) ・ Birth Notification Acceptance Certificate (applicant’s) (出席届受理証明書) or Recognition Notification Acceptance Certificate(認知届受理証明書) ・Death Notification Certificate(死亡届受理証明書)（When the parents are deceased） 【Proof of expenses for your stay in Japan】 ーIn the case where the applicant is living on his/her own financial resources ・A copy of the applicant’s bankbook ・1 copy of employment plan certificate(雇用予定証明書) or employment offer letter 採用内定通知書(issued by a Japanese company) －If the applicant has a sponsor in Japan who will pay the expenses for the stay ・One copy each of the resident tax (or exemption) certificate(住民税の課税（又は非課税）証明書) and tax payment certificate(納税証明書) for the most recent year for the sponsor (stating total income and tax payment status for the year) ・Letter of guarantee(身元保証書) |
※In addition to the above, you may also be asked to submit documents that provide supplementary information about your life or documents that show your past immigration status. The above is the minimum amount of documents you will be asked to submit.
Apply to the Immigration Services Agency
Basically, application is made at the Immigration Service Agency that has jurisdiction over the residence of the applicant or the applicant’s representative.
The following are the rules regarding where to apply.
The regional immigration office with jurisdiction over your planned place of residence , or the place of residence of the applicant’s representative.
【Application for change of status of residence or Application for extension of period of stay】
Regional immigration office with jurisdiction over the place of residence
| Regional Immigration Office | Area of jurisdiction of the |
|---|---|
| Sapporo Immigration and Residence Office | Hokkaido |
| Sendai Immigration Bureau | Miyagi, Fukushima, Yamagata, Iwate, Akita, Aomori |
| Tokyo Immigration Bureau | Tokyo, Kanagawa Prefecture (Yokohama Branch Office has jurisdiction), Saitama Prefecture, Chiba Prefecture, Ibaraki Prefecture, Tochigi Prefecture, Gunma, Yamanashi, Nagano, Niigata |
| Nagoya Immigration Bureau | Aichi, Mie, Shizuoka, Gifu, Fukui, Toyama, Ishikawa |
| Osaka Immigration Bureau | Osaka, Kyoto, Hyogo (Kobe Branch Office has jurisdiction), Nara, Shiga and Wakayama Prefectures |
| Hiroshima Immigration Bureau | Hiroshima, Yamaguchi, Okayama, Tottori, Shimane |
| Fukuoka Immigration Bureau | Fukuoka, Saga, Nagasaki, Oita, Kumamoto, Kagoshima, Miyazaki Prefectures, Okinawa Prefecture (Naha Branch Office has jurisdiction) |
If there is no branch office nearby, you may apply at the nearest branch or local office. However, depending on the branch office, there may be cases where they do not accept applications for status of residence, so please check with them.
▶ Immigration Services Agency: Jurisdiction
Who makes the application?
When inviting someone from overseas, the application is basically made by a relative in Japan who is inviting the applicant (foreign national) to Japan. Even if you are moving to Japan as a family, a relative of a second- or third-generation Japanese national can act as an agent for the whole family. You will need to apply at the Immigration Services Agency that has jurisdiction over the place where the applicant plans to live or the place where the relative or other agent lives. If the applicant is a child under 16, a legal representative (such as a parent) can apply as an agent.
Also, a “Intermediary（取次者）” who has filed the application can apply on behalf of the applicant. Examples of “Intermediary” are administrative scriveners（行政書士） and lawyers（弁護士）. Even if you are using the services of an administrative scrivener or lawyer, the condition for submitting an application is that you have relatives in Japan.
Conclusion
The above is an explanation of the “Long Term Resident” status of residence that can be applied for by the children of former Japanese citizens who have foreign nationality.
If a child born after their former Japanese parents have moved abroad and taken foreign nationality is expected to lead a stable life in Japan, they can apply for “Long Term Resident” status. Also, if a family is considering moving to Japan, there is a possibility that the family members (wife, husband, children) of the children of former Japanese citizens can also apply for “Long Term Resident” status. The Long Term Resident visa status is a relatively flexible visa status that does not restrict the activities of the holder. Please use this as a reference when considering moving to Japan.
