Guarantor for Permanent Residency Application
When an applicant applies for permanent residency in Japan, one of the most challenging tasks is to find a guarantor for the application. This guarantor should either be a Japanese national, or a foreign national who is a permanent resident of Japan. The guarantor for the permanent residency application has only a moral obligation, and no legal obligation. Therefore, the guarantor will not be held legally responsible for any of the applicant’s actions or fees. To put short, it is simply a way of Immigration to check whether an applicant has formed close ties with a person who is permanently based in Japan, i.e. a way of checking if an applicant has a good friend.
Guarantors for the permanent residency application, need to prepare the following documents:
- 1. Letter of Guarantee
- Please prepare one letter for each applicant (either the English or Japanese version). Please fill in and place your personal inkan. It does not need to be your registered inkan, it may be a casual inkan (mitome-in). In addition to this, please place your signature if using the English version. Please fill in the applicant’s details (name and application for “permanent residency”) on the upper section. Please fill in your details on the bottom half where marked “Guarantor:”.
- 2. Certificate of Employment (zaishoku-shomeisho) issued by your current employer, or other proof of occupation
- - If employed at a company, please ask your current employer to create a certificate stating that you are currently working there (stamped with company seal). This can be in any format provided by the company.
- - If a company officer, we will be able to obtain a company registry certificate so there is no need for you to prepare anything for this item #2.
- - If self-employed or investor etc., please provide a photocopy of your most recent tax return (with stamp of receipt by the tax office).
- - If currently not working, there is no need for you to prepare anything for this item #2.
- 3. Certificate of Resident Tax Taxation for the most recent one year: 1 Certificate（直近の年度（1年分）の住民税の課税証明書 １通）
- 4. Certificate of Resident Tax Payment for the most recent one year: 1 Certificate（直近の年度（1年分）の住民税の納税証明書 １通）
- - This is a certificate to be obtained at the local government office of residency, proving that you have been taxed for and have paid your residence tax.
- 5. Residence Certificate (juminhyo): 1 Certificate
- - Only required for the guarantor, and does not require information on other family members, registered domicile or relationship.
Furthermore, all certificates must have been issued within 3 months of the planned application date. If your guarantor is too busy to visit the ward office or city hall to pick up the necessary certificates, we will be able to go as their proxy, provided that they are able to issue a proxy letter.
update: 2015-03-23