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Approval rate / Disapproval rate of Permanent Resident visa application! Analyze the latest data!

Many foreigners residing in Japan wish to live in Japan in the future, and are aiming to obtain a “Permanent Resident visa” by switching from work visas, etc.
What are the chances of getting a Permanent Resident visa once I apply?
For those who are thinking about applying for a Permanent Resident visa, this is a very important point.
Therefore, on this page, we will explain the approval rate and disapproval rate of Permanent Resident visa that are worrisome.

1.How to find out the approval /disapproval rate of Permanent Resident visa

How should we collect data in order to know the approval/disapproval rate of Permanent Resident visa applications?

Data on the status of residence of foreigners, including Permanent Resident visa, can be found in the “Immigration Control Statistics” compiled and published by the Immigration Services Agency.
Of the affairs handled by the Ministry of Justice, statistical information such as immigration examinations, examinations of status of residence, deportation procedures, etc. handled by Immigration Bureau is published.
They also clarify the number of approval and disapproval for Permanent Resident visa applications on a yearly and monthly basis.

Therefore, it is very useful information to know the actual situation of examination of Permanent Resident visa application.
If you are interested, please visit the website of the Immigration Services Agency of Japan.

However, the amount of data is huge and it may take some time to read it.
Therefore, this time, we have summarized the latest figures in an easy-to-understand manner.

2.Is it easy to get a Permanent Resident visa? The approval /disapproval rate!

Permanent Resident visa is literally a status of residence that allows you to continue living in Japan.
There will be no restrictions on the period of stay and residence activities (work, etc.).
For that reason, it is necessary to meet more requirements than other statuses of residence.

>> Click here for Permanent Resident visa requirements

Therefore, there is a higher probability that a Permanent Resident visa application will be rejected than an application for a Student visa or various work visas.

According to Immigration Control Statistics, in 2021, the total number of Permanent Resident applications (determined) handled by Immigration Bureau around the nationwide was 64,149.
Of these, 36,691 were approved.
There were 25,451 disapproved.
There are 2,007 cases treated as “Other”.
Permanent Resident visa application approval rate is 57.1% and disapproval rate is 39.6% of the total number of processed (64,149 cases).

In other words, 2 of 5 applications for Permanent Resident visa were rejected.

By the way, looking at the same Immigration Control Statistics for 2021, the approval rate for visa applications other than Permanent Resident is 94.4%.
By comparing in this way, it would let you understand how difficult it is to apply for a Permanent Resident visa.

As you know, 2021 was in a special situation where the entry of foreigners was restricted due to the influence of the COVID-19.
Let’s look back at the approval rate of Permanent Resident visa application in the past.

Year 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021
Number of processed 61173 62965 50788 56182 52819 50907 61027 56902 57570 64149
Number of approval 42176 45179 35800 39820 35679 28942 31526 32213 29747 36691
Rate of approval 68.90% 71.70% 70.40% 70.80% 67.50% 56.8% 51.60% 56.60% 51.60% 57.10%

(Prepared by our company based on Immigration Control Statistics)

I won’t go into detail in this column, but the requirements for applying for a Permanent Resident visa have been eased in some areas and tightened in other areas over the past 10 years.
Looking at the transition of the Permanent Resident permit rate from 2012 to 2021, there was a time when it exceeded 70% in 2013, but in recent years it has not exceeded 60%.

So, Let’s have a look the latest approval rate for Permanent Resident visa applications.

2022.10 2022.11 2022.12 2023.1
Approval Disapproval Rate of approval Approval Disapproval Rate of approval Approval Disapproval Rate of approval Approval Disapproval Rate of approval
All 3105 1535 66.91% 3496 1889 64.92% 4019 1680 70.52% 3338 1725 65.92%
Tokyo 1801 736 70.98% 2208 1083 67.09% 2420 787 75.45% 1765 661 72.75%
Osaka 453 296 60.48% 391 256 60.43% 454 178 71.83% 438 200 68.65%
Nagoya 555 361 60.58% 617 360 63.15% 873 587 59.79% 870 719 54.75%
Yokohama 259 155 62.56% 387 289 57.24% 236 77 75.39% 91 53 63.19%
Fukuoka 123 54 69.49% 87 72 54.71% 82 47 63.56% 53 50 51.45%
Kobe 164 28 85.41% 76 21 78.35% 123 11 91.79% 101 18 84.87%
Hiroshima 76 62 55.07% 72 68 51.42% 81 41 66.39% 93 38 70.99%
Takamarsu 22 7 75.86% 37 14 72.54% 29 1 96.66% 52 14 78.78%
Sapporo 37 15 71.15% 17 12 58.60% 48 24 66.66% 35 6 85.36%
Sendai 38 4 90.47% 67 24 73.62% 32 15 68.08% 32 37 46.37%

(Prepared by our company based on Immigration Control Statistics)

Looking at the month by month, the rate of approval and disapproval of Permanent Resident visas is

October 2022: Approval rate 66.91%, Disapproval rate 33.08%
November 2022: Approval rate 64.92%, Disapproval rate 35.07%
December 2022: Approval rate 70.52%, Disapproval rate 29.47%
January 2023: Approval rate 65.92%, Disapproval rate 34.07%

Compared to the annual disapproval rate of 2021 (39.6%), it has decreased slightly, but still about 3 out of 10 people have been denied permission.

Next, let’s take a look at the approval rate of Permanent Resident visa applications by Immigration Bureau.

The approval rate at the Tokyo Immigration Bureau is

70.98%(October 2022)
67.09%(November 2022)
75.45%(December 2022)
72.75%(January 2023)

In some months, the approval rate exceeds 70%, and it maintains a relatively high approval rate.
However, as mentioned above, this is only a “decided” figure, so we never know if it will apply to new applicants for Permanent Resident. This is the same for any Immigration Bureau.

At the Nagoya Immigration Bureau,

60.58%(October 2022)
63.15%(November 2022)
59.79%(December 2022)
54.75%(January 2023)

As you can see above, there are months when the maximum approval rate is a little less than 60%, and a little more than 50%.
Looking at the numbers alone, it seems that there is a difference between the “strict Immigration” and the “not strict Immigration”.

However, for example, the Sendai Immigration Bureau has a approval rate of over 90% in October 2022, but in January 2023 it is 46.37%, the lowest rate in the period shown in the table.

Depending on the Immigration Bureau of each place, there is a big difference in the number of Permanent Resident visa applications, which is the parameter.
In general, it cannot be compared with XX Immigration examinations being strict and XX Immigration examinations being easy.
Please understand that.

By the way, since the outbreak of the new COVID-19 infection in 2019, there are many who worried about their family in their home country, and they wonder if they can continue to stay in Japan. ――I think there are people who have returned to their home countries for a while for various reasons.

Regarding the “requirements for continuous residence” for applying for a Permanent Resident visa, there are guidelines as attached below.
If you have any concerns, please feel free to use the free consultation of us Daiichi Sogo Office.

「永住許可に関するガイドライン」における「継続在留要件」の 取扱いについて

3.Approval rate of Permanent Resident visa application of handling by us Daiichi Sogo Office and the reason

As mentioned above, the requirements and screening criteria for applying for a Permanent Resident visa are stricter than for other statuses of residence, and as a result, the approval rate is low.

Then, what is the Permanent Resident approval rate of Administrative Scrivener Corporation Daiichi Sogo Office?

We Daiichi Sogo Office has maintained a Permanent Resident approval rate of over 95% since its establishment.

Why is there such a large difference in the Permanent Resident approval rate?

One of the reasons is “performance”.

As mentioned above, the examination of Permanent Resident visa applications has more requirements to consider than other statuses of residence, and the examination standards are strict.
A Permanent Resident visa application is called a “comprehensive examination”.
In addition to whether or not the requirements for applying for a Permanent Resident visa have been formally cleared, a comprehensive judgment will be made “on whether or not it is possible to continue living in Japan at the moment”, depending on the current socio-economic situation in Japan.
Therefore, applications for Permanent Resident visa that have been approved so far may even be disapproved.

For that reason, those who apply for a Permanent Resident visa are required to be familiar with the social situation in Japan at that time, obtain information in a timely manner, and respond to it.

This kind of response is not normal for everyone.
If you are not an international business office like ours, it is difficult in current situation.

As an office specializing in international business, we have obtained permission for many Permanent Resident visas.
Some of them have applied for Permanent Resident visas by themselves, but regrettably they were denied, and came to us for advice.
We desperately search for the reason, “Why was it denied?”
And in order to ensure that the Permanent Resident visa is granted when reapplying, I dare to give advice that sometimes hurts the customer’s ears.
Of course, the same is true for those who come to consult with us about applying for a Permanent Resident visa for the first time.
We sincerely listen to what you tell and stay close to you.

In this way, we repeat our daily work.
By doing so, information such as laws, guidelines, immigration examination guidelines, etc. will naturally accumulate in us.

That’s not all.
Our greatest asset is the natural collection of real information on immigration examinations in various places.
One of our strengths is that we can accumulate information obtained through dialogue with you, not based on theoretical reasoning, but on a first-hand basis.

Based on these data, we assess the possibility of permission for a Permanent Resident visa “before application”.
In other words, instead of applying for a Permanent Resident visa on a haphazard basis, if there are negative factors in the examination, we will tell you the truth, and after reviewing it, we will apply for a Permanent Resident visa.

This is the reason why we are able to maintain a high approval rate of Permanent Resident.

4.Summary of the approval/disapproval rate of Permanent Resident visa

This time, we have looked at the approval rate and disapproval rate of Permanent Resident visa applications.
Permanent Resident visa approval rate is low compared to other statuses of residence, and it may have been a shocking content for those who are thinking about applying.

But it’s okay!

More than 95% of our customer obtain permission for Permanent Resident visa if you understand the requirements for permission for Permanent Resident visa and make proper preparations.

It is not only the submission of formal documents to the Immigration Bureau that is important.
What is more important is the content of the document.
To prove and there is enthusiasm to “I want to live in Japan for the rest of my life”, and that “I have all the requirements to continue living in Japan”.
We believe that we can help you with that.

If you are preparing for a Permanent Resident visa by yourself, please refer to the frequently asked questions regarding the application for Permanent Resident permit.

If you are thinking of applying for a Permanent Resident visa, please feel free to contact us.
We also offer free consultations in English, Chinese, and Vietnamese, so please feel free to contact us.

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