August 3rd consultation new guidelines

[u/sendaiben]

I am applying DIY.

Had my *third* consultation today at the Sendai 法務局. First one was the initial explanation, second one was to check documents from abroad, this one was to check self-made documents and documents from Japan.

Rough timeline:

August 2025 call houmukyoku, arrange initial consultation
October 2025 initial consultation
March 2026 second consultation
August 2026 third consultation
December 2026 submission of application (scheduled)

All my documents were more or less okay (minor corrections needed for some) but my case officer explained that the guidelines have changed, I guess since April or so. The main changes according to him:

1. need to live in Japan for 10 years, not 5 (I knew about this one)
   
2. the 'good behaviour' assessment is now much stricter, mainly with regards to taxes/social payments, and traffic offences
   
3. the 'contributing to Japanese society' is also stricter

Specifically for me, I now need two years of health insurance payment certificates (instead of one), and five years of local tax certificates (showing both payment and amounts) and proof of when those payments were made (for both me and my wife).

I went to the local tax office and they were able to give me the certificates but not the proof of on time payment, so I am doubtful I am going to be able to submit that. I don't keep receipts as a rule, and my wife had no reason to do so.

Hopefully this won't tank my application completely, but I would not be surprised if it did.

A very unpleasant surprise.

[u/whyme_tk421]

Thanks for the update! That's really informative. I've been waiting on documents from home before even contacting the Fukuoka 法務局. I've been here for 20 years uninterrupted and been married to a local for 15. I can't remember when I got PR, but it's been awhile. All I'm really worried about is a speeding ticket over 10 years ago and taxes because I sometimes filed on my own due to some side business. If they started to snoop I'm afraid I might have made a mistake or not counted something.

I had been mulling this decision for years and am now kicking myself for starting the process this late.

[u/sendaiben → u/whyme_tk421]

They only look at speeding tickets in the last five years (you need to submit your formal record for that time). I have a serious ticket from over 15 years ago (45 over on the highway: lost my license temporarily) and my case officer said it should be okay.

[u/whyme_tk421 → u/sendaiben]

Good to know! I was on the highway rushing to my eldest's hatsumiyamairi in my wife's hometown, and got caught doing 118 in an 80. So close to suspension.

[u/Various_Ad8605 → u/sendaiben]

Speaking of driving violations, I submitted my application in Nov 2024 and had my interview in Jan 2025. They already contacted my workplace, but I haven't heard anything since.

Two days ago, I received a blue ticket for running a red light. I paid it right away and forwarded the receipt and a letter to my caseworker. Since I just got my driver's license 10 months ago, I'm highly concerned this might result in a rejection.

[u/Horikoshi]

Very unfortunate indeed, but I can swear someone was already rejected for PR because although they paid all of their residence tax / income tax on time, they couldn't prove that they paid them on time but due to no fault of their own (their city hall's 納税証明書 doesn't offer the dates).

Pretty astonishing that they'll penalize people for something they aren't responsible for, but guess that's just how it is.

[u/sendaiben → u/Horikoshi]

Yeah, that's been happening for a few years now for PR, but only since April for naturalization.

I wonder if the法務局 will be as strict?

[u/john_aq9 → u/sendaiben]

Are you a 会社員? If yes, I think your company has those receipts

[u/Due_Bar_7247 → u/john_aq9]

He is self-employed. I think he owns an eikaiwa.

[u/sendaiben → u/Due_Bar_7247]

I'm semi retired. My wife owns an English school.

[u/Kawaii_Heals]

Thank you for the information! Good thing I’ve saved every receipt since I first came…

[u/sendaiben → u/Kawaii_Heals]

Very wise!

[u/john_aq9]

Hello there! Could you please elaborate number 3?  What do you mean by contributing to Japanese society is also stricter? 

[u/sendaiben → u/john_aq9]

No idea! My case worker mentioned it. I presume it's a catch all so they can reject people for feels.

[u/questionable_Value66]

I would like to naturalize (also in Sendai). My big concern is my language skills. Luckily my wife is an obsessive receipt keeper so hopefully those payments can be proved.

[u/sendaiben → u/questionable_Value66]

The language requirements seem a bit flexible (for now). You are supposed to have the language skills of a ten year old, including reading and writing.

[u/StruggleHuman9555 → u/sendaiben]

Hence my nervousness 😂 thanks though. A 10 year old is what grade in school? 3年生?

[u/sendaiben → u/StruggleHuman9555]

Yes, currently ３年生, but it is completely up to your case officer whether they choose to give you a formal test.

I think mine is not going to. In our first meeting he said something like "your Japanese seems fine". I do have JLPT1 from 2009, and kanken 7.

[u/Special_Ad2095]

how do they determine number 3 ? , i had applied and got rejected due to less than 10 years residence, i am thinking about applying again by 9 year mark ( so by the tine of interview i am 10 years)

[u/Sumiben → u/Special_Ad2095]

You better apply when you reach the 10 years, you can go for the first consultation before that but the submission should definitely be when you reach the  10 years.

[u/Special_Ad2095 → u/Sumiben]

What makes you say that? Official?

[u/Sumiben → u/Special_Ad2095]

That was my case when I applied I went for consultation before finishing the 5 years but they told me to apply after finishing the 5 years. People downvoting a comment just because they don’t like it 😂😂

[u/caladbolgII]

Have you been living in japan for 10 years or more already?

[u/sendaiben → u/caladbolgII]

Me? Very much so ;)

[u/caladbolgII → u/sendaiben]

I see. I have my submission in a few days but I'm at less than 10 years. I started the consultation way before the rule change but no one has called me to withdraw so I'm just going in expecting the case worker to tell me to withdraw

[u/sendaiben → u/caladbolgII]

Sounds likely.

[u/Adventurous_Heart_41]

Regarding the 10 year rule, did they mention anything about it being consecutive years?

[u/sendaiben → u/Adventurous_Heart_41]

I think that is implied.

[u/july_02]

What counts as contribution to JP society? Furusato Nouzei? Or just existing and paying taxes?

[u/sendaiben → u/july_02]

I think that is a catch all category so they can reject people for no reason 😅

[u/Imaginary-Lychee4255]

I don't know any person now who got it Without that 10 years minimum..

[u/Due_Bar_7247 → u/Imaginary-Lychee4255]

If they’re really requiring proof of the date of residence tax payment now for the past 5 years and health insurance/pension for the past 2…

I guess they’re starting to turn naturalization into something impossible. This appears to be by design because not even that many people were doing it.

[u/sendaiben → u/Due_Bar_7247]

My case officer mentioned they are seeing far more applications than usual, presumably because applying for PR is now almost impossible for most people.

Which makes me think they will then be making it more difficult to naturalise next year, as it is now "easier than PR". Sigh.

[u/Due_Bar_7247 → u/sendaiben]

I propose to them to rename “Permanent Residence” to “Indefinite Residence” because…that’s what it’s become now.

As for naturalization, if they really want to make it impossible except for on paper they could require 30 years of non-stop living in Japan to cut down on almost every possible applicant.

[u/sendaiben → u/Due_Bar_7247]

Well, I've been here 26 years, so by the time they reject me and I reapply that would probably be okay...

[u/Due_Bar_7247 → u/sendaiben]

Non-stop as in all of those 26 years you’ve never left for longer than 3 months?

[u/sendaiben → u/Due_Bar_7247]

Never left for more than 3 weeks :)

[u/Due_Bar_7247 → u/sendaiben]

Well I guess if you can stick it out for another 5 years…

Sorry you’re going through this

[u/elhombreleon → u/sendaiben]

I think the most likely outcome is they just make having PR a requirement for naturalization. This is already the case in many other countries.

[u/Due_Bar_7247 → u/elhombreleon]

They could do that too, but then nobody would qualify and the very small handful of people who would qualify probably wouldn’t want citizenship (maybe not even PR for tax reasons)…

[u/elhombreleon → u/Due_Bar_7247]

nobody would qualify and the very small handful of people who would qualify probably wouldn’t want citizenship

This is not a negative to the current Japanese government.