However, obtaining permanent residency from Specified Skills “Care Worker” status involves complex requirements and long-term preparation, leading many individuals to feel uncertain about questions such as “What pathway should I follow?” and “What preparations are necessary?”
This article provides a clear, situation-based explanation of the pathways and preparation methods for obtaining permanent residency from Specified Skills “Care Worker” status. We hope this guide will serve as a useful reference for employers seeking long-term retention of specified skills workers and foreign nationals hoping to achieve permanent residency, helping them organize their future options and make informed decisions.
Table of Contents
Key Requirements for Obtaining Permanent Residency
To obtain permanent residency, you must meet the following three basic requirements:Among these, the requirement of “alignment with Japan’s national interests” includes criteria related to the length of residence, which is particularly important when seeking permanent residency from Specified Skills “Care Worker” status.
Let us first examine these five requirements in detail.
Good Moral Character
The good moral character requirement is evaluated based on whether an individual consistently follows the law in daily life and maintains behavior that is not subject to social criticism.For example, not only serious crimes that result in criminal penalties, but also repeated violations without penalties can potentially lower your evaluation.
Even seemingly minor rule violations require constant attention, as your overall past living situation will be comprehensively reviewed at the time of application.
Ability to Maintain Independent Livelihood
The ability to maintain independent livelihood is evaluated to determine whether the applicant can sustain a stable life without relying on public assistance.This assessment comprehensively examines multiple aspects including assets, annual income, and job stability.
Additionally, the entire household’s income and living situation serve as important factors in the evaluation, and standards tend to be more strictly applied when there are many dependent family members.
Alignment with Japan’s National Interests
Alignment with Japan’s national interests is the most important evaluation criterion in permanent residency applications for foreign nationals.This requirement comprehensively assesses factors such as long-term residence history, criminal record, tax payment status, and social insurance contribution history to confirm whether the applicant has been living stably in Japan.
Furthermore, the evaluation system takes a broad perspective that includes health-related confirmations, such as ensuring there are no public health concerns.
Residing with a Period of Stay of Three Years or More
To apply for permanent residency, the period of stay associated with your current residence status must be three years or more at the time of application.If your authorized period of stay is one year or six months, you will be deemed not to meet this condition, and you cannot obtain permanent residency even if you satisfy all other criteria.
Therefore, when aiming for permanent residency application, it is essential to prepare strategically in advance to obtain a long-term residence permit.
Continuously Residing in Japan for 10 Years or More
To obtain permanent residency, you are generally required to have continuously resided in Japan for 10 years or more.Of these 10 years, at least 5 years must be spent under work-based or residence-based status categories. However, it is important to note that Specified Skills Category 1 and Technical Intern Training are not recognized as “work-based” years for this purpose.
For example, if you work under Specified Skills “Care Worker” for 5 years and spend the remaining time under non-work-based statuses such as Student or Dependent, even though your total residence period reaches 10 years, you would not meet the requirement of 5 or more years under work-based status, making you ineligible for permanent residency application.
Therefore, when aiming for permanent residency from Specified Skills Category 1, it is crucial to consider changing your residence status at an early stage and proceed strategically.
How to Obtain Permanent Residency from Specified Skills “Care Worker” Status
From this point forward, we will examine specific methods for obtaining permanent residency from Specified Skills “Care Worker” status, organizing the pathways according to different situations.Since the requirements and important considerations differ for each case, it is essential to understand the respective processes.
Obtaining the Certified Care Worker National License
While the maximum period for residing in Japan under Specified Skills “Care Worker” status is set at 5 years, if you can obtain the Certified Care Worker national license during this time, it becomes possible to change your residence status from “Specified Skills” to “Care Worker Visa.”After changing to a Care Worker Visa, the years can be counted toward the work-based years required for permanent residency. For example, if you continuously stay in Japan for a total of 10 years—5 years under Specified Skills “Care Worker” and 5 years under Care Worker Visa—you can meet the years requirement.
However, to qualify for the Certified Care Worker national examination, you need at least 3 years of practical experience (540 days or more of work) and completion of designated training. In practice, you can only take the examination twice—in your 4th and 5th years.
Therefore, improving your Japanese language skills while gaining practical experience is the key to passing the examination, making it crucial to proceed with systematic study from an early stage.
Transitioning to Other Work-Based Residence Statuses
Changing to other work-based residence statuses is another option to meet the years requirement necessary for permanent residency.For example, “Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services” is a residence status that can accommodate diverse roles such as office work, sales, and interpretation. If the relationship between job duties and educational background is recognized, there is potential to change to this residence status, including career changes to different industries.
Within care facilities, administrative and management duties fall under “Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services,” so with appropriate job reassignment, it is possible to change residence status while accumulating work-based years at the same workplace.
In this way, by continuously residing for a total of 10 years—5 years under Specified Skills “Care Worker” and 5 years under “Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services”—you can meet the residence years requirement necessary for permanent residency application.
Changing to Residence-Based Status Categories
Residence-based status categories include “Spouse or Child of Japanese National” and “Spouse or Child of Permanent Resident,” which can be obtained when marrying a Japanese national or permanent resident.When obtaining this residence status, if you maintain a substantive married life for 3 years or more and have resided in Japan for 1 year or more, you will meet the years requirement for permanent residency.
For example, if you stay in Japan under Specified Skills “Care Worker” for 4 years and then marry a Japanese national and change to “Spouse or Child of Japanese National,” you can meet the years requirement for permanent residency application at the 7-year mark.
However, since evaluations regarding alignment with national interests and other criteria are conducted in parallel with the years requirement, it is also important to confirm overall requirement compliance.
Careful Preparation is Essential for Obtaining the Certified Care Worker License
When foreign nationals under Specified Skills “Care Worker” status aim for permanent residency, the most reliable method is to obtain the Certified Care Worker national license and secure permanent residency through the Care Worker Visa route.To take the Certified Care Worker national examination, you need at least 3 years of practical experience and completion of practical training. For those who entered under Specified Skills “Care Worker” status, examination opportunities are limited to the 4th and 5th years.
Additionally, when taking practical training from an unlicensed state, 450 hours of training are required, so it is expected that much time will be devoted to this training in the third year.
Therefore, it is advisable to work on strengthening Japanese language skills at an early stage, ideally aiming for N2 level by the second year.
However, since passing the Japanese Language Proficiency Test is not a requirement for the Certified Care Worker examination, it is important to create an efficient Japanese language learning plan with the goal of passing the Certified Care Worker examination.
Conclusion
This article has provided a detailed explanation of the main requirements, specific pathways, and key points for obtaining the Certified Care Worker national license necessary to secure permanent residency from Specified Skills “Care Worker” status. Meeting the requirements for continuous residence in Japan and work-based status is crucial for obtaining permanent residency, with acquiring the Certified Care Worker license being the most practical route.Moving forward, individuals aiming to obtain permanent residency from Specified Skills “Care Worker” status should systematically proceed with their career planning, language skill improvement, and examination qualification verification from an early stage. When you have questions or concerns, consult with specialists and gather the latest information while steadily advancing your preparations step by step.
Expert Commentary
Obtaining permanent residency from Specified Skills status requires continuous preparation and planning over an extended period. Therefore, it is crucial to first properly understand the requirements for permanent residency and establish early learning plans for Japanese language acquisition and preparation for the Certified Care Worker examination.For employers as well, initiatives that support foreign staff members in pursuing permanent residency have the potential to lead to stable retention of personnel for over 10 years. Establishing a forward-looking support system from the recruitment stage will bring beneficial results for both parties.
Referenced Primary Sources
The primary sources referenced in creating this article are as follows:Immigration Services Agency | Guidelines for Permanent Residence Permission
(URL: https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/applications/resources/nyukan_nyukan50.html)
Immigration Services Agency | Permanent Residence Permission Application
(URL: https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/applications/procedures/16-4.html)
Japan Social Work Education School Federation and Social Welfare Examination Center | Certified Care Worker National Examination
(URL: https://www.sssc.or.jp/kaigo/shikaku/k_08.html)
This article is a translation of the original Japanese version.
