1. Permanent residence requirements currently in force

The Immigration Services Agency of Japan currently organizes the statutory requirements for permanent residence around the following three broad points.

Pension payment history is already reviewed

The absence of the number “30 years” from the current guidelines does not mean pension records are irrelevant. Under the current document lists, many applicant categories must submit materials showing the payment status for the public pension system or systems in which they participated during the relevant review period, often the previous two years. The applicable period can differ by applicant category.

Applicants with National Pension periods, gaps caused by a change of job or retirement, or responsibilities as a company owner or employer may need to review both their personal enrollment record and, where applicable, the workplace’s social-insurance payment records.

2. The proposal reported in July 2026

On July 24 and 25, 2026, news organizations reported that the Immigration Services Agency had prepared a proposal to tighten the permanent residence guidelines and that the government intended to introduce new benchmarks. The principal reported points were as follows.

3. A “30-year Employees’ Pension level” is not the same as 30 actual years of enrollment

The reported wording appears to use the pension amount generated by 30 years of Employees’ Pension participation at a specified income as a comparison benchmark for expected future pension benefits. It does not establish that every applicant must already have completed 30 actual years of participation.

Why projected pension amounts differ between applicants

• The length of Employees’ Pension participation and the standard monthly remuneration and bonuses during that period
• National Pension contribution-paid periods, exemptions, postponements, and unpaid periods
• Changes between pension systems caused by employment changes, retirement, company formation, or dependent status
• The applicant’s age and assumptions about future continued participation

Japan Pension Service’s Nenkin Net can show monthly pension records, participation periods, and estimated benefit amounts. However, the Immigration Services Agency has not yet announced which screen, reference date, or projection assumptions would be used for a permanent residence assessment under any revised guideline.

4. Matters for which no official guideline or calculation method has been published

At this stage, the following points cannot be stated definitively.

• The statistics, household type, reference year, and specific amount used for an “average Japanese household”
• Whether the benchmark would use the applicant’s income alone or household income, and how dependants would be reflected
• The age and continued-participation assumptions used to calculate expected pension benefits
• The treatment of National Pension, mutual-aid pensions, foreign public pensions, corporate pensions, and iDeCo
• The eligible forms of savings or assets, the amount required, the conversion period, and acceptable ownership
• Special or transitional treatment for spouses of Japanese nationals or permanent residents, highly skilled professionals, younger applicants, and other groups
• The evidence, level, and possible exemptions for Japanese-language ability and understanding of Japanese systems

5. Four practical areas to review now

There is no need to conclude, before any formal decision, that an application is impossible. At the same time, pension records, public obligations, and income continuity already matter under the current rules and can be reviewed in advance.

7. Main official materials and reports reviewed

This article is based on official materials and news reports available as of July 26, 2026. The reported proposal is not identical to a formally adopted guideline. Results depend on individual circumstances and any future official announcement. This article provides general information and is not a guarantee of permission.