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I left Japan after 3 years as a 定住者. Can I be brought over again?

Foreigners Employment Support Organization (FESO)　／　Published 30 June 2026　／　Last updated 21 August 2026　／　Supervised by 佐藤拓行政書士

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）

Who this article is forAn enquiry about being brought over again, from a 3rd-generation descendant of Japanese emigrants who stayed in Japan for 3 years on a 定住者 visa and then returned home to nurse a family member.

Answer

Having held a 定住者 visa in the past does not mean that one is issued to you again automatically. But if you prove your blood relationship as a 3rd-generation descendant once more with official documents, and gather objective material explaining why things happened as they did, you can be brought over to Japan again.

What is this enquiry about?

An enquiry about being brought over again, from a 3rd-generation descendant of Japanese emigrants who stayed in Japan for 3 years on a 定住者 visa and then returned home to nurse a family member.

Subject: 定住者 visa (being brought over again where there is a previous stay in Japan)
Situation: the enquirer's grandfather is Japanese, so he is a 3rd-generation descendant of Japanese emigrants. From 2020 he worked for 3 years at a car parts factory in Japan on the 在留資格「定住者」 (Long-Term Resident). To nurse his father, who was ill in his home country, he simply left Japan without renewing the visa. His father's condition has now settled, and he wants to come back to Japan and build his life here again.
Question: even after a gap of several years, can he be brought over to Japan again through an application for a Certificate of Eligibility? What will the Regional Immigration Services Bureau check strictly, and what should he watch out for in the documents that a 3rd-generation descendant has to prepare?

If I held a 定住者 visa before, is one issued again automatically?

Not automatically, but if you put things in place you can be brought over again.

Having held a 定住者 visa once before does not mean that a visa is issued to you again automatically. But if you prove your blood relationship as a 3rd-generation descendant once more with official documents, and file a 在留資格認定証明書交付申請 (Application for Certificate of Eligibility) with objective evidence based on the facts, you can return to Japan. The most important points in this fresh application are to prove the blood relationship reliably, in a way that does not contradict the data from your earlier application, and to explain in writing why you went home once and why you now need to come back.

What does the Immigration Services Agency of Japan check strictly?

These 3 points: consistency with your earlier application, the reasons for going home, and your ability to make a living in Japan.

Complete consistency with the data from your earlier application: the Immigration Services Agency of Japan keeps every document from your earlier application as data. If the spelling of your name, your date of birth or your work history on the official documents from your home country contradicts that data by even 1 character, you may be suspected of a false application, and the screening may take far longer or end in a denial.
Why you went home, and why it makes sense to come back: the screening looks for lies or contradictions in the account of why you did not renew the earlier visa and why you now need to return. It matters to back up with objective documents that the circumstances were beyond your control.
Your ability to make a living in Japan, and who will receive you: so that you do not fall into hardship soon after arriving, the screening checks whether you have a job (a receiving company) lined up in Japan, or whether relatives or others can support you financially as your guarantor.

What extra documents are needed for a fresh application?

Evidence backing up why you went home, evidence of a clean record during your earlier stay, and evidence of who will receive you.

Objective evidence backing up the reason for going home and the gap: the medical certificate from the time, receipts for treatment costs, and a written statement from the doctor on the present state of recovery (with a Japanese translation). This proves that you left the country lawfully, for humanitarian reasons.
Evidence of a clean record during your earlier stay: a certificate of resignation from the company you worked for in Japan, a withholding tax statement, and tax payment certificates for resident tax at the time. This shows that you were a resident who worked honestly and met your tax obligations.
Evidence of your guarantor and who will receive you in Japan: a notice of intended employment (employment contract) in Japan, or tax assessment and tax payment certificates for a relative's resident tax, and a 身元保証書 (Letter of Guarantee).
A detailed written statement of the circumstances (理由書): why you went home once, and your wish and your reasons for building your life in Japan again for the long term, set out on about 1 to 2 sheets of A4 paper.

The fact that you lived in Japan for 3 years as a 3rd-generation descendant with no trouble is a strong point in your favour with the Regional Immigration Services Bureau. Since you left the country and there is a gap of several years, you do have to gather all the documents again. But if you prepare documents that match the earlier data exactly, it is said that there is nothing to fear in applying again.

Frequently Asked Questions

What happens if the spelling of my name differs between the earlier application and this one?

If it contradicts the data you submitted to the Regional Immigration Services Bureau before by even 1 character, you may be suspected of a false application, and the screening may take far longer or end in a denial.

How should I prove why I went home?

Objective evidence matters: the medical certificate from the time, receipts for treatment costs, and a written statement from the doctor on the present state of recovery, all backing up that you left for humanitarian reasons beyond your control.

How can I show who will receive me in Japan?

With a notice of intended employment (employment contract) in Japan, tax assessment and tax payment certificates for a relative's resident tax, or a 身元保証書.

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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. Because it is a translation, the meaning may differ from the original in places. Where something affects a decision you are making, please check the Japanese version or ask us. The supervision by a 行政書士 is of the Japanese version.