2025-04-21

When applying for “permanent residence,” a “Letter of Guarantee” must be submitted. This document must be signed by someone who can act as the applicant’s “guarantor. This is fine if there is someone close to you, such as a person married to a Japanese national, who would be willing to be the guarantor, but if not, how should you handle the situation?

What is a permanent residence?

Permanent residency is a status of residence that allows

Suppose there is a foreigner, Mr. A, who works for a Japanese company with a work visa. When Mr. A marries Ms. B, he can change his status of residence from a working visa to that of “spouse, etc.”. This status of residence is generally called “permanent residence.

Permanent residence can be obtained by a spouse of a Japanese national, a spouse of a permanent resident, a spouse of a special permanent resident, a biological child of a Japanese national (including special adoption), a biological child of a permanent resident, or a biological child of a special permanent resident.

Once a permanent resident status is obtained, there are no restrictions on the period of stay in Japan, and there are basically no restrictions on the type of work one may engage in. In other words, they can lead a life similar to that of a Japanese national.

What is a guarantor?

To obtain “Permanent Resident” status, you must submit an application and other necessary documents to the Immigration and Residence Office, and after an examination, you must obtain permission. Among these required documents, the “Letter of Guarantee” is a major point.

The ability to submit this “Letter of Guarantee” indicates that the foreigner applying for the visa has a person who can guarantee the applicant’s identity (guarantor). The guarantor must be a Japanese national or a foreigner with permanent resident status.

The fact that a guarantor can be a guarantor for a foreigner indicates that there is a big “guarantee” that the applicant will be able to live in Japan as a permanent resident in the future. On the other hand, if a foreigner does not have a guarantor, cannot find one, or will not become one even if you ask him or her, it is logically impossible for him or her to permanently reside in Japan in the future.

In most cases, the guarantor will be the spouse if the person is married to a Japanese national, or the adoptive parent if the person is adopted by a Japanese national. If you do not have such a person, you can ask your boss at the company where you are currently working, your former teacher from school, a friend who has a permanent residence visa before you, or an acquaintance’s lawyer, etc.

What if there is no guarantor?

If you still cannot find a guarantor, what should you do?

Unfortunately, you have no choice but to desperately look for someone who can be your guarantor and ask him or her to be your guarantor. When Japanese people hear the word “guarantor,” they have a negative image of “risk of getting into debt” or “being asked to do something unreasonable.

However, in the case of a guarantor for permanent residence, the role of the guarantor is only to guarantee that there will be no problem with the foreigner applying for permanent residence, and no financial guarantee or burden is required.

Therefore, even if you are thinking of applying for permanent residence and there is no one who can take on the role of guarantor right away, you should explain to your boss at work or an acquaintance who has a socially reputable job, etc., and ask them to take on the role of guarantor.

Conclusion

In order for a foreigner to obtain permanent resident status, a guarantor is a must. If you do not have a guarantor, it will be difficult to obtain permanent resident status. Even if you do not have a guarantor close by, ask your boss or an acquaintance at work and explain that you will not be financially burdened by the guarantor.