Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act

Any foreign national who is a resident under a status of residence set forth in the left-hand column of the Appended Table I must not engage in the activities set forth in the following items in accordance with the categories identified therein, except for cases in which they engage in the activities with permission prescribed in paragraph (2) of this Article:

a foreign national who is a resident with a status of residence set forth in the left-hand column of the Appended Tables I (1), I (2) and I (5):activities of managing a business involving income not included in those activities set forth in the right-hand column of those tables in accordance with the status of residence or activities for which they receive remuneration (excluding fees for lectures not given on a regular basis, incidental remuneration received in the course of everyday life and other remuneration provided for by Ministry of Justice Order; the same applies hereinafter); or

a foreign national who is a resident with a status of residence set forth in the left-hand column of the Appended Tables I (3) and I (4):activities of managing a business involving income or activities for which they receive remuneration.

If an application has been submitted by a foreign national who is a resident with a status of residence set forth in the left-hand column of the Appended Table I, in accordance with the procedures provided for by Ministry of Justice Order, to engage in activities of managing business involving income or activities for which they receive remuneration to the extent that there is no impediment to the original activities under the status of residence, the Commissioner of the Immigration Services Agency may grant permission if the Commissioner finds reasonable grounds to do so. In this case, the Commissioner of the Immigration Services Agency may impose conditions necessary for the permission.

The Commissioner of the Immigration Services Agency may cancel the permission in accordance with the procedures provided for by Ministry of Justice Order if a foreign national, to whom permission was granted based on the preceding paragraph, violates conditions imposed on the foreign national pursuant to the provisions of the same paragraph, or in the event that it is found to be inappropriate to continue granting permission to the foreign national.

A foreign crew member who has been granted permission for landing pursuant to the provisions of Articles 16 through 18 continues to be regarded as a crew member, even after ceasing to be a crew member through dismissal, as long as they remain in Japan.

If an application has been submitted by a foreign national residing in Japan, the Commissioner of the Immigration Services Agency may issue a document which certifies the eligibility of the applicant for activities of managing business involving income or activities for which the foreign national receives remuneration, pursuant to the provisions of Ministry of Justice Order.

No one may give disadvantageous treatment to a foreign national for failure to show or submit the certificate set forth in the preceding paragraph in employing the foreign national, if the activities of managing business involving income or activities for which the foreign national receives remuneration that can be conducted by the foreign national is obvious.

The Commissioner of the Immigration Services Agency is to issue a residence card to foreign nationals who are residing with a status of residence in Japan (hereinafter referred to as "mid- to long-term residents"), which by definition does not include:

a person who has been granted a period of stay of not more than 3 months;

a person who has been granted the status of residence of "Temporary Visitor";

a person who has been granted the status of residence of "Diplomat" or "Official"; or

a person provided for by Ministry of Justice Order as equivalent to a person set forth in any of the preceding three items.

The required information on the residence card is the following particulars:

place of residence (meaning the location of the main place of residence in Japan; the same applies hereinafter);

status of residence and expiration date of the period of stay;

number and expiration date of the validity period of the residence card;

whether or not there are any restrictions on work; and

if the permission pursuant to the provisions of Article 19, paragraph (2) has been granted to that effect.

other particulars provided for by Ministry of Justice Order.

The number of the residence card set forth in item (iv) of the preceding paragraph is to be established as a different number for each residence card issued (including reissuance), pursuant to the provisions of Ministry of Justice Order.

Except where the age of the person on the date of issuance is under the age provided for by Ministry of Justice Order, the residence card is to display a photograph of the mid- to long-term resident pursuant to the provisions of Ministry of Justice Order. In this case, the Commissioner of the Immigration Services Agency may use the photograph that was provided by the mid- to long-term resident pursuant to the provisions of Article 6, paragraph (3) and other provisions of the laws and regulations prescribed by Ministry of Justice Order.

The method of entering the particulars to be entered pursuant to the provisions of paragraph (1), the method of displaying the photograph to be displayed pursuant to the provisions of the preceding paragraph, the form of the residence card and other necessary particulars concerning the residence card are provided for by Ministry of Justice Order.

The Commissioner of the Immigration Services Agency is to record the following particulars on the residence card in an electronic or magnetic means pursuant to the provisions of Ministry of Justice Order, in addition to the particulars set forth in the items of paragraph (1) and the particulars pertaining to the photograph displayed pursuant to the provisions of paragraph (3):

period of stay;

type and date of permission;

date of issuance of the residence card;

beyond what is set forth in the preceding three items, particulars provided for by Ministry of Justice Order; and

the fact that the Commissioner of the Immigration Services Agency has recorded the particulars set forth in the items of paragraph (1), the particulars pertaining to the photograph displayed pursuant to the provisions of paragraph (3) and the particulars set forth in the preceding items.

The validity period of the residence card is to last until the end of the last day prescribed in the respective item in accordance with the categories set forth in the following items pertaining to the mid- to long-term resident who is to be issued the residence card:

a person residing with the status of residence of "Permanent Resident" (excluding a person set forth in the following item) or "Highly Skilled Professional" (limited to that pertaining to item (ii) of the right-hand column under "Highly Skilled Professional" of Appended Table I (2)):the tenth birthday after the date of issuance of the residence card (if an application pursuant to the provisions of Article 19-11, paragraph (1) has been filed, the expiration date of the validity period of the residence card that the person who filed the application possessed at that time (referred to as the "old card" in the following item and Article 19-15-3)) (if the birthday of the foreign national is February 29, the birthday of the foreign national in a year other than a leap year is deemed to be February 28; the same applies hereinafter);

a permanent resident who is under 18 years of age on the date of issuance of the residence card (with regard to an application pursuant to the provisions of Article 19-11, paragraph (1), excluding a person for whom the expiration date of the validity period of the old card is their eighteenth birthday):the fifth birthday after the date of issuance of the residence card (if an application pursuant to the provisions of the same paragraph has been filed, the expiration date of the validity period of the old card); or

a person other than the foreign nationals set forth in the preceding two items:the expiration date of the period of stay.

If the validity period of the residence card lasts until the end of the last day of the person's period of stay pursuant to the provisions of item (iii) of the preceding paragraph, and if the mid- to long-term resident who was issued with the residence card is permitted to continue residing in Japan after the expiration of the period of stay pursuant to the provisions of Article 20, paragraph (6) (including as applied mutatis mutandis pursuant to the provisions of Article 21, paragraph (4); the same applies hereinafter in this paragraph, Article 24, item (iv), sub-item (b) and Article 26, paragraph (4)), the validity period of the residence card is to last until the end of the period during which the foreign national is permitted to reside in Japan pursuant to the provisions of Article 20, paragraph (6).

The Commissioner of the Immigration Services Agency is to have an immigration inspector issue a residence card pursuant to the provisions of Ministry of Justice Order to a person who has become a mid- to long-term resident who was granted a seal of verification for landing or permission (limited to those with a decision on the status of residence) pursuant to the provisions of Section 1 or Section 2 of the preceding Chapter.

The mid- to long-term resident provided for in the preceding Article must notify the Commissioner of the Immigration Services Agency of their place of residence though the mayor of the municipality upon submitting their residence card to the mayor of the municipalities (including special wards, and wards or administratively consolidated wards in the designated cities prescribed in Article 252-19, paragraph (1) of the Local Autonomy Act; the same applies hereinafter) in accordance with the procedures provided for in Ministry of Justice Order, within 14 days of the date of settling on a place of residence.

The mayor of the municipalities, if the residence card has been submitted pursuant to the provisions of the preceding paragraph, is to enter the place of residence onto the residence card (including the record pursuant to the provisions of Article 19-4, paragraph (5)) and is to return it to the mid- to long-term resident.

If the mid- to long-term resident referred to in paragraph (1) has filed a notification pursuant to the provisions of Article 30-46 of the Residential Basic Book Act (Act No. 81 of 1967) by submitting their residence card, the notification is deemed to be the notification pursuant to the provisions of the same paragraph.

A person who has newly become a mid- to long-term resident by being granted permission pursuant to the provisions of the main clause of Article 20, paragraph (3) (including as applied mutatis mutandis pursuant to the provisions of Article 22-2, paragraph (3) (including as applied mutatis mutandis pursuant to the provisions of Article 22-3)), Article 21, paragraph (3), Article 22, paragraph (2) (including as applied mutatis mutandis pursuant to the provisions of Article 22-2, paragraph (4) (including as applied mutatis mutandis pursuant to the provisions of Article 22-3)), Article 50, paragraph (1), Article 61-2-2, paragraph (1) or Article 61-2-5, paragraph (1) must notify the Commissioner of the Immigration Services Agency of their place of residence through the mayor of the municipality of the place of residence upon submitting their residence card to the mayor in accordance with the procedures provided for in Ministry of Justice Order within 14 days of the date of settling on a place of residence (with regard to persons who have already settled on a place of residence, the date of the respective permission).

The provisions of paragraph (2) of the preceding Article apply mutatis mutandis to cases in which the residence card is submitted pursuant to the provisions of the preceding paragraph.

Where the mid- to long-term resident provided for in paragraph (1) has filed a notification pursuant to the provisions of Article 30-46 or Article 30-47 of the Residential Basic Book Act by submitting their residence card, the notification is deemed to be the notification pursuant to the provisions of the same paragraph.

If the foreign national provided for in Article 22-2, paragraph (1) or Article 22-3 has submitted a copy of the certificate of residence or a certificate of items stated in resident register provided for in Article 12, paragraph (1) of the Residential Basic Book Act to the Minister of Justice when filing an application pursuant to the provisions of Article 22-2, paragraph (2) (including as applied mutatis mutandis pursuant to the provisions of Article 22-3), the notification provided for in paragraph (1) is deemed to have been filed at the time of the permission pursuant to the provisions of the main clause of Article 20, paragraph (3) as applied mutatis mutandis pursuant to Article 22-2, paragraph (3) (including as applied mutatis mutandis pursuant to the provisions of Article 22-3) or the permission provided for in Article 22, paragraph (2) as applied mutatis mutandis pursuant to Article 22-2, paragraph (4) (including as applied mutatis mutandis pursuant to the provisions of Article 22-3) being granted.

If the mid-to long-term resident has changed their place of residence, they must notify the Commissioner of the Immigration Services Agency of the new place of residence (meaning the place of residence following the change; the same applies hereinafter) through the mayor of the municipality of the new place of residence upon submitting their residence card to the mayor in accordance with the procedures provided for in Ministry of Justice Order within 14 days of the date of relocating to a new place of residence.

The provisions of Article 19-7, paragraph (2) apply mutatis mutandis to cases in which the residence card is submitted pursuant to the provisions of the preceding paragraph.

Where the mid- to long-term resident provided for in paragraph (1) has filed a notification pursuant to the provisions of Article 22, Article 23, or Article 30-46 of the Residential Basic Book Act by submitting their residence card, the notification is deemed to be the notification pursuant to the provisions of the same paragraph.