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Applying for permanent residence on 高度専門職: should I add my spouse as a dependant and pay back pension contributions first?

Foreigners Employment Support Organization (FESO) / Published  / Last updated

This article is a translation of the Japanese original. Where the two differ, the Japanese version prevails. Read the Japanese original(日本語版を読む)

Answer

We recommend that you complete both adding your spouse as a dependant and the back-payment of pension contributions before you apply. This is because the 高度専門職 route needs a shorter period of residence, and in exchange the meeting of public obligations is looked at strictly for the household as a whole. It is said to be preferable to apply after the back-payment, once you have built up a record of payment of several months to about half a year.

What is this enquiry about?

An enquiry from someone on 高度専門職 with 80 points or more, asking whether to add his spouse as a dependant and pay back pension contributions before applying.

Do I need to add my spouse as a dependant?

If you are in fact supporting her, it is natural to have her as a dependant both for tax and for social insurance.

In screening for permanent residence, what is looked at is the economic stability of the household as a whole, and whether the proper procedures have been carried out.

If you plan to change from the working holiday status of residence to 「家族滞在」 (Dependent) or similar, please also complete, alongside that procedure, the notifications naming her as a dependant to your health insurance provider and to the tax office, without delay.

How is a "reduction or exemption" of pension contributions viewed in screening?

A reduction or exemption is not non-payment. But where the household is seen as able to pay, having a period of reduction or exemption may work against you.

This is the most important point. A reduction or exemption of pension contributions is a system recognised by law, and it is not "non-payment". In screening for permanent residence, however, it is said to be preferable that contributions have been paid in full.

Where, as in your case, the head of the household has a stable income as a 高度専門職, it is conceivable that he will be judged to have the ability to pay his spouse's pension contributions as well. On that basis, the fact that you "voluntarily paid back the amounts that had been reduced or exempted" is thought to lead to a degree of positive assessment, as an attitude of meeting your obligations.

What should I do, and in what order, before I apply?

Change the status of residence, pay back the pension contributions, complete the dependant procedures for tax and insurance, and apply once you have built up a normal record of payment.

  1. Change of status of residence
    Please consult the 地方出入国在留管理局 (Regional Immigration Services Bureau) with jurisdiction over your area about changing from the working holiday 「特定活動」 (Designated Activities) to 「家族滞在」.
  2. Back-payment of pension contributions
    Please complete, at the 年金事務所 (Japan Pension Service office), the procedure to pay back the contributions for the period that had been reduced or exempted. When you apply, you submit copies of all the receipts.
  3. Dependant procedures for tax and insurance
    If she was not included as a dependant in last year's final tax return or year-end adjustment, please make a 更正の請求 (request for correction), and complete the procedure to have her recognised as a dependant for health insurance as well.
  4. Thinking about when to apply
    Once these are in order, applying after you have built up a normal record of payment of at least several months to about half a year is said to be a guide in practice.

The route for 高度専門職 with 80 points or more needs a shorter period of residence, and in exchange the meeting of public obligations is checked carefully for the household as a whole. Getting your preparations in order before you apply leads, in the end, to permission coming sooner.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does having a period for which pension contributions were reduced or exempted count against me in screening for permanent residence?

A reduction or exemption is a system recognised by law and is not non-payment. But where the household is seen as able to pay, having a period of reduction or exemption may work against you. We recommend paying the contributions back.

If my spouse is not working, should I add her as a dependant?

If she in fact lives on your income, it is natural for her to be a dependant both for tax purposes and for social insurance. Adding her as a dependant also shows officially that you have the ability to support your family.

How do I prove that I have paid the contributions back?

You complete the back-payment procedure at the 年金事務所, and submit copies of all the receipts when you apply.

Can I apply as soon as the back-payment is finished?

Applying after you have built up a normal record of payment of at least several months to about half a year is said to be a guide in practice.

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This article provides general information. Immigration rules change, and outcomes depend on individual circumstances. Please check the Immigration Services Agency website or consult a qualified specialist.
This page is a translation of the Japanese original. Where the two differ, the Japanese version prevails.