Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act

Except as otherwise provided in the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act and other laws, a foreign national is to reside in Japan under the status of residence (in the case of the status of residence of "Highly Skilled Professional", including the category of item (i), sub-items (a) through (c) or item (ii) set forth in the right-hand column under "Highly Skilled Professional" of the Appended Table I (2); in the case of the "Specified Skilled Worker" status of residence of "Intra-company Transferee", including the category of item (i) andor (ii) set forth in the right-hand column under "Specified Skilled WorkerIntra-company Transferee" of the same Table; in the case of the status of residence of "Technical Intern Training""Specified Skilled Worker" status of residence, including the category of item (i), sub-item (a) or (b), item and (ii), sub-item (a) or (b) or item (iii), sub-item (a) or (b) set forth in the right-hand column under "Technical Intern TrainingSpecified Skilled Worker" of the same Table; the same applies hereinafter) associated with that foreign national's permission for landing, under the status of residence that the foreign national has acquired, or under the status of residence following a change to either of these.

The categories of status of residence are to be as set forth in the left-hand column of Appended Table I (in the case of the status of residence of "Highly Skilled Professional", including the category of item (i), sub-items (a) through (c) or item (ii) set forth in the right-hand column under "Highly Skilled Professional" of the Appended Table I (2); in the case of the "Specified Skilled Worker" status of residence of "Intra-company Transferee", including the category of item (i) andor (ii) set forth in the right-hand column under "Specified Skilled WorkerIntra-company Transferee" of the same Table; in the case of the status of residence of "Technical Intern Training""Specified Skilled Worker" status of residence, including the category of item (i), sub-item (a) or (b), item and (ii), sub-item (a) or (b) or item (iii), sub-item (a) or (b) set forth in the right-hand column under "Technical Intern TrainingSpecified Skilled Worker" of the same Table; the same applies hereinafter) and the Appended Table II. A foreign national residing in Japan under a status of residence set forth in the left-hand column of Table I may engage in the activities set forth in the right-hand column corresponding to that status, while a foreign national residing under a status of residence set forth in the left-hand column of Table II may engage in the activities of a person with the status or position set forth in the right-hand column corresponding to that status.

The Minister of Justice is to consult with the heads of the related administrative organs in advance if the Minister seeks to establishestablishes the Ministry of Justice Order set forth under paragraph (1), paragraph (3), paragraph (6) and the preceding paragraph.

"Professor", "Highly Skilled Professional" (limited to those pertaining to item (i), sub-item (c) or item (ii) (limited to those engaging in the activities set forth in sub-item (c) of the same item) in the right-hand column under "Highly Skilled Professional" of the Appended Table I (2)), "Business Manager," "Legal/Accounting Services," "Medical Services," "Instructor," Intra-company Transferee" "Technical Intern TrainingEmployment for Skill Development," "Student," or "Trainee":change in the name or location, or extinction of the public or private organization in Japan at which the activities set forth respectively in the right-hand column of the Appended Table I with regard to the status of residence are being carried out, or if leaving or being transferred from the organization;

The organization of affiliation of the specified skilled worker may must not entrust the implementation of all or part of the support plan for specified skilled worker (i) to anothera person based onother than a contractregistered support organization prescribed in Article 19-27, paragraph (1).

A person who has been seeks to be entrusted to perform the work of implementation of all or part of the suitable support plans for specified skilled workers (i) (hereinafter referred to as "support work") based on a contract may register with the Commissioner of the Immigration Services Agency.

a person who has been sentenced to a fine pursuant to the provisions of the Immigration Control or Refugee Recognition Act or the Act on Proper Technical Intern Training Employment for Skill Development and Protection of Technical Intern Trainees Foreign Nationals in Employment for Skill Development (Act No. 89 of 2016; hereinafter referred to as the "Technical Intern TrainingEmployment for Skill Development Act") or the provisions of other laws and regulations relating to immigration or labor (except for the provisions prescribed in item (iv)), which are specified by Cabinet Order or the provisions of an order based on these provisions, and for whom five years have not yet passed since the date of having paid the fine or having ceased to be liable to pay the fine;

a person who has committed a wrongful or significantly unjustifiable act in relation to the laws and regulations relating to immigration or labor within five years prior to the day of applying for, and for whom five years have not yet passed since the registration set forth under Article 19-23, paragraph (1)day of committing that act;

The Commissioner of the Immigration Services Agency must organize information (in the case of specified skilled workers, including information on the status of support for specified skilled workers (i); hereinafter referred to as "information on mid-to mid- to long-term residents" in this Article and paragraph (1) of the following Article) on the name, date of birth, sex, country of nationality, place of residence and organization of affiliation of the mid- to long-term resident and other information necessary for residency management, which was acquired pursuant to the provisions of the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act and other laws and regulations, in order to continuously keep track of the family relationship, residence, state of activities and state of the organization of affiliation of mid- to long-term residents (including the status of support for specified skilled workers (i) (including the status of support for specified skilled workers (i) (including the status of entrustment to registered support organizations; hereinafter the same applies in this paragraph) with regard to the specified skilled workers (limited to persons engaged in the activities set forth in item (i) of the right-hand column of "Specified Skilled Worker" of the Appended Table I (2); hereinafter the same applies in this paragraph and Article 69-2-2)).

If an application as set forth in the preceding paragraph has been filed, the Minister of Justice may grant permission only if the Minister finds that the foreign national conforms to all of the following items and that , in light of compliance with the obligations prescribed in this Act, payment of taxes and public dues, and other matters, their permanent residence conforms to the interests of Japan; provided, however, that in the case of spouses or children of Japanese nationals, of residents with permanent residence status or of special permanent residents, they do not need to conform to any of the following items, and in the case of a person whose need for protection has been recognized by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugeesrefugees or any other international organization and who meets the requirements provided for by Ministry of Justice Order, they do not need to conform to item (ii):

a person who has newly become a mid- to long-term resident through receiving a seal of verification for landing or permission pursuant toresiding with the provisions of Section 1 or Section 2status of the preceding Chapter, or permission pursuant to the provisionsresidence of this Section, Article 50, paragraph (1) or Article 61-2-5, paragraph (1),"Permanent Resident" who has not notified the Commissioner offailed to comply with the Immigration Services Agency of the place of residenceobligations prescribed in this Act (except when there are legitimate grounds for not making a notification) within 90 days from the date of receiving the seal of verification for landing or permissionfalling under the facts set forth in items (xi) and (xii)) or who has intentionally failed to pay taxes and public dues;

a mid-to long-term resident person residing with the status of residence of "Permanent Resident" who has not notified the Commissioner been sentenced to imprisonment for a crime set forth in Part II, Chapter XII, Chapters XVI through XIX, Chapter XXIII, Chapter XXVI, Chapter XXVII, Chapter XXXI, Chapter XXXIII, Chapter XXXVI, Chapter XXXVII or Chapter XXXIX of the Immigration Services Agency Penal Code, a crime under Article 1, Article 1-2 or Article 1-3 of their new place the Act on Punishment of residence within 90 days Physical Violence and Other Related Matters (excluding the parts pertaining to Article 222 or Article 261 of leaving the Penal Code), a crime under the previous place Act on the Prevention and Disposition of residence, which had been previously notified to Robbery and Theft, a crime under Article 15 or Article 16 of the Commissioner (except when there are legitimate grounds for not making a notification); orAct on Prohibition of Possession of Special Picking Tools and Other Related Matters, a crime under Article 2 or Article 6, paragraph (1) of the Act on Punishment of Acts Inflicting Death or Injury on Others by Driving a Motor Vehicle, or a crime under Article 22 of the Act on the Prevention of Disposal of Stolen Specified Metal Articles and Other Related Matters;

a mid-to person who has newly become a mid- to long-term resident through receiving a seal of verification for landing or permission pursuant to the provisions of Section 1 or Section 2 of the preceding Chapter, or permission pursuant to the provisions of this Section, Article 50, paragraph (1) or Article 61-2-5, paragraph (1), who has not notified the Commissioner of the Immigration Services Agency of a falsethe place of residence. (except when there are legitimate grounds for not making a notification) within 90 days from the date of receiving the seal of verification for landing or permission;

a mid- to long-term resident who has not notified the Commissioner of the Immigration Services Agency of their new place of residence within 90 days of leaving the previous place of residence, which had been previously notified to the Commissioner (except when there are legitimate grounds for not making a notification); or

a mid- to long-term resident who has notified the Commissioner of the Immigration Services Agency of a false place of residence.

If the Minister of Justice seeks to revoke the status of residence of a foreign national residing with the status of residence of "Permanent Resident" because the facts set forth in Article 22-4, paragraph (1), item (viii) or (ix) have been found, the Minister is to grant ex officio permission for a change to a status of residence other than that of "Permanent Resident", notwithstanding the provisions of Article 20, except when the Minister finds it inappropriate for the foreign national to continue to reside in Japan.

If the Minister of Justice has decided to grant the permission pursuant to the provisions of the preceding paragraph, the Minister is to have the Commissioner of the Immigration Services Agency notify the foreign national to that effect. In this case, the notification is to be given by the Commissioner of the Immigration Services Agency having an immigration inspector take the measures specified in the following items according to the categories of cases set forth in those items:

if the foreign national will continue to be a mid- to long-term resident: issuance of a residence card to the foreign national;

in cases other than the case set forth in the preceding item: the measures specified in sub-item (a) or (b) below according to the categories of cases set forth in sub-item (a) or (b):

if the foreign national possesses a passport: entry of the new status of residence and period of stay in the foreign national's passport;

if the foreign national does not possess a passport: issuance to the foreign national of a certificate of status of residence stating the new status of residence and period of stay.

If necessary, the Minister of Justice or the Commissioner of the Immigration Services Agency may have an immigration inspector inquire into facts in order to conduct dispositions regarding the issuance of a certificate of eligibility, the registration set forth in pursuant to the provisions of Article 9, paragraph (8) (or Article 19-23, paragraph (1) (in the case of the registration pursuant to the provisions of Article 9, paragraph (8), limited to those pertaining to persons that fall under item (i), sub-item (c) of the same paragraph) or, permission pursuant to the provisions of Article 12, paragraph (1), Article 19, paragraph (2), the main clause of Article 20, paragraph (3) (including as applied mutatis mutandis pursuant to Article 22-2, paragraph (3) (including as applied mutatis mutandis pursuant to Article 22-3)), Article 21, paragraph (3), Article 22, paragraph (2) (including as applied mutatis mutandis pursuant to Article 22-2, paragraph (4) (including as applied mutatis mutandis pursuant to Article 22-3)), Article 26, paragraph (1), Article 61-2-5, paragraph (1), or Article 61-2-14, or cancellation of registration pursuant to the provisions of Article 19-32, paragraph (1), or have an immigration inspector or immigration control officer inquire into the facts in order to conduct dispositions regarding revocation of the status of residence pursuant to the provisions of Article 22-4, paragraph (1) or dispositions regarding permission pursuant to the provisions of Article 50, paragraph (1).

application pursuant to the provisions of Article 20, paragraph (2), Article 21, paragraph (2), Article 22, paragraph (1) (including as applied mutatis mutandis pursuant to Article 22-2, paragraph (4) (including as applied mutatis mutandis pursuant to Article 22-3)) or Article 22-2, paragraph (2) (including as applied mutatis mutandis pursuant to Article 22-3), or receipt of the residence card issued pursuant to the provisions of Article 20, paragraph (4), item (i) (including as applied mutatis mutandis pursuant to Article 21, paragraph (4), Article 22-2, paragraph (3) (including as applied mutatis mutandis pursuant to Article 22-3) and Article 61-2-5, paragraph (3)), Article 22, paragraph (3) (including as applied mutatis mutandis pursuant to Article 22-2, paragraph (4) (including as applied mutatis mutandis pursuant to Article 22-3)), Article 22-6, paragraph (2), item (i), Article 50, paragraph (7) or Article 61-2-2, paragraph (2), item (i): a regional immigration services bureau.

(Reporting Information) on Grounds for Deportation

An official of the national government or a local government who, in the performance of their duties, comes to know of a foreign national whom they consider to fall under any of the items of Article 22-4, paragraph (1) may report that information.

The provisions of paragraph (5) of the preceding Article apply mutatis mutandis to the report set forth in the preceding paragraph.

In addition to the work prescribed in Article 87, paragraph (1) of the Employment for Skill Development Act, the Organization for Employment for Skill Development is to perform the work of responding to consultations from specified skilled workers and providing necessary information, advice and other assistance, and work incidental to that work.

A person falling under any of the following items is punished with imprisonment for not more than 35 years or a fine not exceeding 35 million yen, or is to be subject to the cumulative imposition of imprisonment and a fine: