Japan PR Rules 2027: 5-Year Visa Requirement Explained
Nepal is one of the largest foreign communities in Japan, with roughly 300,000 residents, and many arrive on a student visa before moving to a work status. If you are still planning to study in Japan, the path to PR is now longer and more documented at every step. The choices you make early, such as which work visa you move into, whether you keep tax and pension payments current, and how far you get with Japanese, will decide whether you can meet the new tests later.
From April 1, 2027, people applying for permanent residency (PR) in Japan will generally need to hold a five-year period of stay. A three-year visa, which many applicants used until now, will no longer be enough for most new applications. The Immigration Services Agency (ISA) announced the change on February 24, 2026, and it is now part of a wider tightening of PR rules that the government is rolling out from October 2026.
What Is Changing
Japan's PR guidelines have long asked applicants to hold the "longest period of stay" allowed for their visa type. In practice, the Ministry of Justice accepted a three-year visa as meeting that test. That flexibility ends on April 1, 2027. After that date, applicants will need the five-year status itself, not a three-year one.
| Period | Visa length accepted for a PR application |
|---|---|
| Until March 31, 2027 | Three-year visa still accepted |
| From April 1, 2027 | Five-year visa generally required |
A five-year visa is not automatic. The ISA decides the length of each grant based on residence stability, employment history, tax and social insurance records, and general conduct.
The Transition Rule
Applicants who hold a three-year visa on March 31, 2027 will still be treated as holding the longest period of stay for their first PR decision within that visa's validity. In other words, if your current three-year visa runs past March 2027, the old standard should still cover your first application. Anyone who renews after that date will need to come out of the renewal with a five-year visa.
The Basic PR Requirements Stay the Same
The five-year rule changes the visa test only. The standard route to PR still asks for 10 years of continuous residence in Japan, including at least five years on a work-related or family-based status. Shorter routes exist for some groups, such as spouses of Japanese nationals and Long-Term Residents. Because the five years must be on a work or family status, years spent on a student visa count toward residence in Japan but generally not toward that five-year block.
Other Changes in the Pipeline
The visa-length rule is one piece of a larger package. On August 4, 2026, the ISA published a draft revision of its PR guidelines and took public comments until September 4. Reports on September 28 say the new system begins October 1. Based on the draft, the main changes are:
- Household income must stay above the average for Japanese households of the same size. Reports cite roughly 5.75 million yen as the reference figure for the average household.
- Projected pension benefits must reach the level a person would receive after 30 years in the employees' pension program.
- Japanese language ability at CEFR B1 level, plus a check of knowledge of Japanese rules and systems. The method for that check has not been announced.
- School attendance for applicants' children of compulsory education age.
- An application fee that reports say will rise from 10,000 yen to 200,000 yen.
Separately, an amendment to the Immigration Control Act lets authorities revoke PR for willful non-payment of taxes or social insurance premiums. That provision is widely reported to start in April 2027.
Japan had about 947,000 permanent residents at the end of 2025, the largest single residence category among foreign residents.
What This Means for Nepali Students and Workers
Nepal is one of the largest foreign communities in Japan, with roughly 300,000 residents, and many arrive on a student visa before moving to a work status. The path to PR is now longer and more documented at every step. The choices you make early, such as which work visa you move into, whether you keep tax and pension payments current, and how far you get with Japanese, will decide whether you can meet the new tests later.
What to Do Now
- Check the expiry date on your current visa. If it is a three-year visa that runs past March 31, 2027 and you already meet the residence requirements, ask an immigration lawyer whether applying under the transition rule makes sense.
- Pay all income tax, resident tax, pension and health insurance on time, and keep the records.
- Work toward a five-year visa at your next renewal by keeping your employment stable and your paperwork clean.
- Start Japanese study now if you have not, and aim for B1 or higher.
- Read the final ISA guidelines when they are published, since the draft figures may change.
