When do the revised guidelines apply?

There are three dates to distinguish:

• October 1, 2026: the guidelines were revised and the final version was published.
• April 1, 2027: the revised guidelines generally start applying to applications filed from this date.
• April 1, 2026: the beginning of the filing-date window for the specified income and public-burden transition rule, provided the application was still pending on October 1, 2026.

There is also a separate transition concerning a three-year period of stay. Applications filed by March 31, 2027 continue to benefit from the treatment explained below. Certain first applications filed after that date are covered subject to additional conditions.

A transition rule sets out special arrangements for moving from one set of rules to another. It should not be treated as applying every change to every pending application.

What happened to the proposal published on August 4, 2026?

The August 4 document was a proposal released for public consultation. The final guidelines and the consultation results were published on October 1, 2026.

The e-Gov results page for consultation case 315000140 confirms:

• Proposal published: August 4, 2026.
• Results published and guidelines revised: October 1, 2026.
• Comments received: 5,180.
• Amendments made to the proposal in response to submitted comments: none.

The result does not mean that all practical details have already been announced. ISA’s responses to comments should be read alongside the final guidelines. The responses state that publication of specific income, pension and financial-asset amounts is not planned. They also indicate that arrangements for evaluating Japanese proficiency are to be developed and announced before April 2027.

Could an application already under examination be affected?

The specified transition requires BOTH of these conditions:

1. The application was filed on or after April 1, 2026.
2. It was still pending on October 1, 2026.

For example, an application filed in September 2026 and still under examination on October 1 falls within this rule. Filing in September does not guarantee that the application will be assessed solely under the previous income approach.

Applications filed before April 1, 2026 are outside this particular transition rule. That does not remove existing requirements or prevent immigration authorities from examining changes in circumstances during the assessment.

The provisions extended to these pending cases are limited to income and public burden. Do not assume that the new Japanese B1 or future-pension assessment applies to a pending application merely because it appears in the same revised guidelines.

The new income assessment

The guidelines consider whether annual household income has continuously reached a level above the average income of Japanese households of the corresponding size.

Three points matter:

• Assessment generally concerns the household sharing residence and household finances, rather than the applicant’s salary alone.
• Household size affects the reference level.
• Continuity matters; a temporary increase in income does not, by itself, establish stable income.

The official guideline text does not specify a fixed annual income amount that is mandatory for everyone. It would be misleading to say that JPY 5 million guarantees permission or that one universal income figure determines eligibility.

Certain statutory exemptions also need to be checked. Spouses and children of Japanese nationals, permanent residents and special permanent residents are exempt from the separate good-conduct and independent-livelihood requirements. Refugees and certain other protected persons have exemptions concerning independent livelihood. These exemptions do not remove the national-interest assessment, including consideration of public burden.

Household size and dependants living abroad

Relatives supported by the applicant are included when assessing household size even if they live separately, including overseas. This does not mean that every relative abroad is counted: the relevant issue is dependency.

For households of five or more, the guidelines provide for an addition reflecting increased living costs. Applicants should not assume that the same income reference applies regardless of the number of people supported.

Income from activities outside the permitted status, such as part-time work by a family member holding Dependent status, is generally not included in household annual income under this approach. Permission to engage in activities outside a person’s status allows limited work; it does not automatically make those earnings eligible for combination in the PR assessment.

The guidelines also use a specific definition of work status. Technical Intern Training, Employment for Skill Development, Specified Skilled Worker (i), Intra-company Transferee and certain Designated Activities are excluded from that definition. The fact that some work is permitted does not, on its own, establish how the income will be treated.

People outside parental dependency must also be considered separately under the relevant provision; parents’ income should not automatically be added to an independent adult’s income.

What does public burden mean?

The guidelines expressly address both a household currently constituting a public burden and a realistic risk of doing so in the future.

Where there are no special circumstances, the situation may receive a negative assessment. The provision should be read carefully, particularly for applicants exempt from the separate independent-livelihood requirement.

The official approach nevertheless calls for an overall assessment, giving weight to family residence stability and humanitarian considerations. It is therefore inappropriate to say that receiving public assistance always leads to refusal. The reasons for assistance, future prospects and family circumstances require individual examination.

What is B1-equivalent Japanese proficiency?

The guidelines generally consider whether the applicant has Japanese proficiency equivalent to B1 or above under the Reference Framework for Japanese-Language Education.

For readers, B1 can be understood as a level at which a person can use Japanese with a degree of independence in familiar daily situations: understanding the main points of ordinary communication and giving simple explanations of experiences or plans.

B1 should not automatically be equated with a particular Japanese-Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) level. The specific assessment methods and accepted tests require the official implementation guidance.

The guidelines provide exceptions, including highly skilled applicants under Section 3(6)–(8) and their families, people who have received a cumulative six years of elementary or secondary education under Japan’s School Education Act, and certain Japan-born children of permanent residents. For the child-related exception, the parent raising the child must meet the specified B1-equivalent condition.

The Japanese-proficiency provision generally applies to applications filed on or after April 1, 2027. It is not one of the two provisions extended to previously filed applications under the income/public-burden transition rule.

Future pension benefits and financial assets

The guidelines also assess estimated future pension benefits. This concerns expected retirement income, rather than simply whether the applicant currently receives a pension.

The reference involves a person working for 30 years at the relevant income level while covered by Employees’ Pension Insurance. It does NOT mean that every applicant must already have completed 30 years of pension membership before applying.

Where projected pension benefits fall short, financial assets held at application may supplement the shortfall. Age and the circumstances of a couple are also relevant. Younger applicants have more time to build assets, and the guidelines reflect that distinction.

This does not mean savings automatically replace insufficient current household income. The pension provision and the current-income provision address different issues.

ISA’s responses to comments state that assets acquired temporarily just for the PR application, with no plan for continued ownership, will not be considered. Further official guidance should be checked regarding evidence and practical operation.

The new future-pension and financial-asset provisions generally apply from applications filed on or after April 1, 2027. They are not retrospectively extended by the two-item transition rule. Timely payment of pension contributions remains a separate, existing issue.

Your current status of residence is also examined

An applicant may receive a negative assessment if the status currently held does not meet the relevant landing-permission criteria or requirements in applicable ministerial notifications.

These criteria can concern qualifications, experience, business circumstances or the basis for residence. A valid residence card does not, by itself, establish that the applicant’s actual activities satisfy all requirements.

Applicants should check whether their work, employer or business situation and family circumstances remain consistent with the status they hold.

Can someone with a three-year period of stay apply?

For PR applications filed by March 31, 2027, a three-year period of stay continues to be treated as satisfying the maximum-period-of-stay consideration. The applicant must still satisfy the other applicable PR requirements.

For applications filed on or after April 1, 2027, the guidelines provide a further arrangement subject to all of these conditions:

• The applicant held a three-year period of stay on March 31, 2027.
• This is the applicant’s first PR application filed on or after April 1, 2027.
• A decision on that application is made between April 1, 2027 and the expiry date of that particular three-year period of stay.

The last condition concerns the date of the decision, not simply filing before the expiry date. Assessment times therefore matter as well as the filing date.

Checklist for people who applied from April 2026

Check whether any of these circumstances apply:

• You filed your PR application on or after April 1, 2026.
• It was still pending on October 1, 2026.
• You changed jobs, left employment or experienced an income reduction after filing.
• You have a spouse or dependent relatives overseas.
• Your household composition changed.
• You began receiving public assistance.

Checking a box does not mean your application will be refused. Start by establishing whether the transition applies, then organise the relevant household, income and assistance facts.

Whether to submit supplementary evidence voluntarily, and which documents to use, depends on the application and the changed circumstances. If immigration authorities have issued a request for additional documents, check the requested items and deadline first.

Summary

The revised guidelines generally apply to applications filed on or after April 1, 2027. However, income and public burden also apply to applications filed on or after April 1, 2026 that were still pending on October 1, 2026.

Not every new provision applies retrospectively to pending applications. Japanese proficiency, future pensions and financial assets, and the three-year period-of-stay arrangements each require separate examination.

Frequently asked questions

Q. I have already applied. Will I need B1 Japanese under the transition rule?

The specified pending-application transition concerns income and public burden only. Japanese proficiency is not included in that transition.

Q. Does JPY 5 million in annual income guarantee permission?

No. The official text does not set one fixed threshold for everyone. Household size, eligible income, continuity and applicable exemptions must be assessed.

Q. Does B1 mean JLPT N2?

It should not be treated as a fixed equivalence. Check the official assessment arrangements when announced.

Q. Must I already have 30 years of pension membership?

No universal completed 30-year membership requirement is stated. The 30-year reference is part of the future-pension comparison.

Q. Can I apply with a three-year period of stay?

The arrangement continues for applications filed by March 31, 2027. A further arrangement applies after April 1 subject to the specified conditions, including the date of the decision. Other PR requirements remain relevant.

Official sources

1. ISA — Guidelines for Permission for Permanent Residence, revised October 1, 2026:
https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/10_00279.html
2. ISA — August 4, 2026 proposal and public consultation:
https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/11_00112.html
3. Proposed guidelines (PDF):
https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/content/001467984.pdf
4. Proposal summary (PDF):
https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/content/001467985.pdf
5. e-Gov — consultation case 315000140, results:
https://public-comment.e-gov.go.jp/pcm/1040?CLASSNAME=PCM1040&id=315000140&Mode=1
6. Results notice (PDF):
https://public-comment.e-gov.go.jp/pcm/download?seqNo=0000321728
7. Submitted comments and ISA responses (PDF):
https://public-comment.e-gov.go.jp/pcm/download?seqNo=0000321729

The source documents are primarily in Japanese. This English article is an explanatory translation, not an official English version. Information checked October 1, 2026. Check current official guidance and individual circumstances before applying.