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Spouse or Child of a Permanent Resident

Spouse of permanent resident status mirrors the spouse-of-Japanese status with one substitution: the sponsor holds PR instead of Japanese nationality.12 The rights look the same on paper, but grants run more conservative and your renewal rides on the sponsor keeping PR.3

Confirm current details with official sources

Procedures, fees, and requirements can change. Confirm current details at the Immigration Services Agency site. This article is general information, not legal or immigration advice; for your specific case, consult a licensed gyoseishoshi for an eligibility or filing read, or an immigration lawyer for a refusal or a sponsor-status problem.

Last verified: 2026-09.

Overview​

The 永住者の配偶者等 (eijūsha no haigūsha tō, "spouse or child of a permanent resident") sits beside Spouse of Japanese National in Appended Table 2 of the Immigration Control Act.14 It covers foreign spouses of permanent residents and biological children of PR holders born in Japan who keep residing here.12

This article owns the status mechanics. The marriage and divorce procedures belong to the family-children pillar; the 14-day and 6-month clocks have a dedicated companion in this subcategory on family life events.

Eligibility: the PR-spouse substitution​

Spouses of permanent residents​

The marriage must be legally registered, and the sponsor must hold PR (or special PR as a 特別永住者, tokubetsu eijūsha) at filing.152 The genuineness examination mirrors the spouse-of-Japanese file: interviews, records, and cohabitation evidence.3

Children born in Japan who keep residing here​

A biological child of a PR holder qualifies when born in Japan and continuously residing here afterward.12 A long departure breaks the chain, so this is a use-it-by-staying category rather than a portable one.2

Periods of stay and the conservative pattern​

Granted periods run on the same 5-year, 3-year, 1-year, or 6-month scale as spouse-of-Japanese.52 Practitioner sources describe typically more conservative grants at equal marriage length, reflecting that the sponsor's own stability is itself derived rather than citizenship-based.3 That pattern is examination practice, not a published rule, so treat it as a planning assumption and confirm expectations with a professional.3

Filing routeFee basisAs of
In-country permission (extension or change)Revised schedule effective 2026-10-01; filings by 2026-09-30 pay pre-revision fees2026-0967

The figures above follow the ISA fee leaflet as of the stated date; confirm current figures with ISA.6

Work rights: no activity restriction​

Holders may do any lawful work without a separate permit, exactly like spouse-of-Japanese holders.2 No hours cap and no venue restriction attach to the status itself.2

Renewal and what kills your renewal​

Renewal re-tests the genuine ongoing marriage plus the sponsor still holding PR.3 The two structural killers are personal and derivative.

What kills your renewal:

  • Divorce or bereavement left unaddressed. Notify within 14 days; 6 months or more without spousal activity exposes the status to Article 22-4 revocation, with the Article 22-5 change opportunity.189
  • The sponsor losing PR. Revocation, departure, or a failed renewal on the sponsor side collapses the derivation basis, and the dependent must change status or leave.1
  • Separate lives with no explanation. As with spouse-of-Japanese, unexplained non-cohabitation contradicts the status purpose.3
Check the sponsor's status before your renewal, not after

A sponsor whose own renewal is shaky puts the whole household at risk. Align timelines early so a sponsor problem does not surface inside your filing window.13

Path to permanent residence​

The guideline math matches the spouse-of-Japanese track: a genuine marriage of 3 years or more plus 1 year or more of continuous Japan residence.10 Sponsor stability underpins the household filing, covering taxes, conduct, and continued PR on the sponsor side.10

Good to know​

Your renewal rides on the sponsor keeping PR​

Track the sponsor's renewal, tax, and residence compliance as your own business. A sponsor-side failure cascades to the derived status with no grace period of its own.1

A Japan-born child who leaves long-term can fall out of scope​

The child category requires birth in Japan plus continued residence. Long study or work spells abroad need a status strategy before departure, not after return.2

File the 14-day divorce or bereavement notice before planning the next step​

The notice clock runs from the event date. Notify within days, then build the conversion filing toward Long-Term Resident or a work status.8

See also​

References​

Footnotes​

  1. e-Gov法令検索. 「出入国管理及び難民認定法」. https://laws.e-gov.go.jp/law/326CO0000000319 ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6 ↩7 ↩8 ↩9

  2. 出入国在留管理庁. 「2025-2026 出入国管理手続案内」. https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/content/001425124.pdf ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6 ↩7 ↩8 ↩9

  3. ACROSEED. "Spouse Visa Japan: Period of Stay (1/3/5 Years)." https://english.visajapan.jp/qa/qa_spouse7.html ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6 ↩7

  4. 出入国在留管理庁. 「在留資格から探す」. https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/applications/status/index.html ↩

  5. Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan. "Specified visa: Spouse of permanent resident." https://www.mofa.go.jp/j_info/visit/visa/long/visa11.html ↩ ↩2

  6. 出入国在留管理庁. 「外国人の在留手続に関する手数料」リーフレット. https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/content/001469200.pdf ↩ ↩2

  7. 出入国在留管理庁. 「令和8年10月1日付け在留許可手数料の額の改定等について」. https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/01_00644.html ↩

  8. 出入国在留管理庁. 「在留手続案内」 (Procedures for Entry/Residence). https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/content/001453431.pdf ↩ ↩2

  9. 法務省入国管理局. 「『日本人の配偶者等』の在留資格から『定住者』への変更許可事例」. https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/content/930002855.pdf ↩

  10. YOKOYAMA LEGAL SERVICE OFFICE. "Permanent Residency in Japan for Spouses, Children and Long-Term Residents." https://lawoffice-yokoyama.com/english/permanentresidence/spouse_children ↩ ↩2