Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act

A mid- to long-term resident who is recorded in the Basic Resident Register may, when filing a notification or application set forth in any of the following items, file an application, together with the notification or application set forth in that item, with the Commissioner of the Immigration Services Agency in accordance with the procedures provided for by Order of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications and Ministry of Justice Order, requesting that the issuance of the residence card pertaining to the notification or application set forth in that item be effected by the issuance of a specified residence card (meaning a residence card for which measures have been taken to add the functions of an Individual Number Card (meaning an Individual Number Card as prescribed in Article 2, paragraph (7) of the Number Use Act; the same applies in Article 19-15-4) in accordance with the procedures prescribed by the provisions of this Article and of Article 18-5 of the Act on the Use of Numbers to Identify a Specific Individual in Administrative Procedures (Act No. 27 of 2013; hereinafter referred to as the "Number Use Act" in this Article and Article 19-15-4); the same applies hereinafter):

a notification pursuant to the provisions of Article 19-10, paragraph (1), or an application pursuant to the provisions of Article 19-11, paragraph (1) or Article 19-13, paragraph (1) or (3); or

an application pursuant to the provisions of Article 20, paragraph (2) (limited to an application pertaining to a change of status of residence (including the accompanying change of the period of stay) under which the person continues to fall under a mid- to long-term resident), or an application pursuant to the provisions of Article 21, paragraph (2) or Article 22, paragraph (1).

Beyond the case referred to in the preceding paragraph, if a mid- to long-term resident is newly recorded in the Basic Resident Register, or changes their domicile within the area of one municipality, by the notification set forth in Article 19-7, paragraph (3) that is deemed to be the notification pursuant to the provisions of paragraph (1) of the same Article pursuant to the provisions of paragraph (3) of that Article, the notification set forth in Article 19-8, paragraph (3) that is deemed to be the notification pursuant to the provisions of paragraph (1) of the same Article pursuant to the provisions of paragraph (3) of that Article, or the notification set forth in Article 19-9, paragraph (3) that is deemed to be the notification pursuant to the provisions of paragraph (1) of the same Article pursuant to the provisions of paragraph (3) of that Article, the mid- to long-term resident may, together with the notification, file an application with the Commissioner of the Immigration Services Agency through the mayor of the municipality of domicile (meaning the mayor of the municipality that maintains the Basic Resident Register in which the mid- to long-term resident filing the notification is recorded; the same applies hereinafter in this Article) in accordance with the procedures provided for by Order of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications and Ministry of Justice Order, requesting the issuance of a specified residence card through the mayor of the municipality of domicile.

A person filing an application pursuant to the provisions of the preceding paragraph (limited to a person for whom the mayor of the municipality of domicile has taken the measures prescribed in Article 18-5, paragraph (6) of the Act on the Use of Numbers to Identify a Specific Individual in Administrative Procedures at the time of the application) who falls under the persons provided for by Cabinet Order as persons who need to receive the issuance of a specified residence card promptly may, together with the application, make a request to the effect that they wish to have the specified residence card sent to them by the Commissioner of the Immigration Services Agency.

If an application pursuant to the provisions of paragraph (1) or (2) has been filed (with regard to an application pursuant to the provisions of paragraph (1) (limited to the part pertaining to item (ii)), limited to cases in which the Minister of Justice has decided to grant permission for the application set forth in that item), the Commissioner of the Immigration Services Agency is to prepare a specified residence card for the mid- to long-term resident, pursuant to the provisions of Cabinet Order.

If an application pursuant to the provisions of paragraph (1) has been filed (limited to cases in which a notice pursuant to the provisions of Article 18-5, paragraph (4) of the Act on the Use of Numbers to Identify a Specific Individual in Administrative Procedures has been given), the Commissioner of the Immigration Services Agency is to effect the issuance of a residence card pursuant to the provisions of Article 19-10, paragraph (2) (including as applied mutatis mutandis pursuant to Article 19-11, paragraph (3) and Article 19-13, paragraph (4)) pertaining to the notification or application set forth in paragraph (1), item (i), and the issuance of a residence card pursuant to the provisions of Article 20, paragraph (4), item (i) (including as applied mutatis mutandis pursuant to Article 21, paragraph (4)) or Article 22, paragraph (3) pertaining to the application set forth in paragraph (1), item (ii), by having an immigration inspector issue the specified residence card for the mid- to long-term resident prepared pursuant to the provisions of the preceding paragraph.

If an application pursuant to the provisions of paragraph (2) has been filed (limited to cases in which a notice pursuant to the provisions of Article 18-5, paragraph (4) of the Act on the Use of Numbers to Identify a Specific Individual in Administrative Procedures has been given), the Commissioner of the Immigration Services Agency is to issue the specified residence card for the mid- to long-term resident prepared pursuant to the provisions of paragraph (4) through the mayor of the municipality of domicile.

Notwithstanding the provisions of the preceding paragraph, the issuance of the specified residence card set forth in the preceding paragraph in cases in which a request pursuant to the provisions of paragraph (3) has been made together with an application pursuant to the provisions of paragraph (2) (limited to cases in which a notice pursuant to the provisions of Article 18-5, paragraph (4) of the Act on the Use of Numbers to Identify a Specific Individual in Administrative Procedures has been given) is effected by the Commissioner of the Immigration Services Agency sending the specified residence card to the mid- to long-term resident, pursuant to the provisions of Cabinet Order.

In the cases referred to in the preceding three paragraphs, if a change has occurred in the particulars set forth in Article 19-4, paragraph (1), item (i) after the application pursuant to the provisions of paragraph (1) or (2) or the request pursuant to the provisions of paragraph (3) made together with the application pursuant to the provisions of the same paragraph, or if the Commissioner of the Immigration Services Agency otherwise finds it inappropriate to issue a specified residence card to the foreign national, the Commissioner of the Immigration Services Agency may decide not to issue the specified residence card, notwithstanding the provisions of the preceding three paragraphs.

A person who receives a specified residence card issued pursuant to the provisions of paragraph (6) must do so by personally appearing at the office of the municipality that maintains the Basic Resident Register in which the person is recorded. In this case, the return, pursuant to the provisions of paragraph (2) of the preceding Article, of the residence card in the person's possession that has ceased to be effective by falling under Article 19-14, item (v) upon the receipt of the specified residence card must be made by immediately handing over the residence card to the mayor of the municipality of domicile and returning it to the Commissioner of the Immigration Services Agency through the mayor of the municipality of domicile.

The provisions of Article 61-8-3, paragraphs (2) and (3) apply mutatis mutandis to the receipt of a specified residence card pursuant to the provisions of the preceding paragraph. In this case, "an act set forth in item (i) or (ii) of the preceding paragraph" in paragraph (2) of the same Article and "the acts set forth in paragraph (1), items (i) and (ii)" in paragraph (3) of the same Article are deemed to be replaced with "an act pursuant to the provisions of the first sentence of Article 19-15-2, paragraph (9)".

With regard to the application of the provisions of paragraph (2) of the preceding Article in cases in which the Commissioner of the Immigration Services Agency has issued a specified residence card to the mid- to long-term resident by sending it pursuant to the provisions of paragraph (7), "return" in that paragraph is replaced with "return by sending".

Notwithstanding the provisions of Article 67-2, a foreign national who receives the issuance of a specified residence card pursuant to the provisions of paragraphs (5) through (7) based on an application pursuant to the provisions of paragraph (1) (limited to the part pertaining to item (i)) or (2) or a request pursuant to the provisions of paragraph (3) made together with an application pursuant to the provisions of the same paragraph must pay a fee in the amount specified by Cabinet Order, except in cases specified by Cabinet Order.

Notwithstanding the provisions of Article 19-5, paragraph (1), the validity period of the specified residence cards set forth in the following items is to last until the end of the day specified in the respective item in accordance with the categories set forth in those items:

a specified residence card pertaining to a notification or application set forth in paragraph (1), item (i) of the preceding Article or a notification prescribed in paragraph (2) of the same Article by a mid- to long-term resident set forth in Article 19-5, paragraph (1), items (i) and (ii) (excluding a person set forth in the following item):the tenth birthday after the date of the notification or application (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 old card); or

a specified residence card pertaining to a permanent resident who is under 18 years of age on the date of the notification or application set forth in paragraph (1), item (i) of the preceding Article or of the notification prescribed in paragraph (2) of the same Article (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 the notification or application (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 old card).

If an application pursuant to the provisions of paragraph (1) of the preceding Article (limited to one pertaining to an application pursuant to the provisions of Article 19-11, paragraph (1)) has been filed and a new specified residence card is not issued by the time the expiration date of the validity period of the old card has passed, notwithstanding the provisions of Article 19-5, paragraph (1) or the preceding paragraph, the validity period of the old card is to last until whichever of the following times comes earlier:

the time when the new specified residence card is issued; or

the time when the day on which 2 months have passed from the expiration date of the validity period of the old card ends.

If the Commissioner of the Immigration Services Agency finds that it is difficult to issue a new specified residence card by the time set forth in item (ii) of the preceding paragraph, the Commissioner is to have an immigration inspector issue a new residence card to the mid- to long-term resident by that time and, when it becomes possible to issue the new specified residence card, have the immigration inspector issue that specified residence card.

With regard to a specified residence card, the invalidation of the Individual Number Card pursuant to the provisions of Article 17, paragraph (10) of the Act on the Use of Numbers to Identify a Specific Individual in Administrative Procedures, as applied by deeming the specified residence card to be an Individual Number Card pursuant to the provisions of Article 18-5, paragraph (9) of the Act on the Use of Numbers to Identify a Specific Individual in Administrative Procedures, does not affect its effect as a residence card.

The return of a specified residence card pursuant to the provisions of Article 17, paragraph (11) of the Act on the Use of Numbers to Identify a Specific Individual in Administrative Procedures, as applied by deeming the specified residence card to be an Individual Number Card pursuant to the provisions of Article 18-5, paragraph (9) of the Act on the Use of Numbers to Identify a Specific Individual in Administrative Procedures, or pursuant to the provisions of a Cabinet Order based on the provisions of Article 47 of the Act on the Use of Numbers to Identify a Specific Individual in Administrative Procedures is, notwithstanding those provisions, to be made by returning it to the Commissioner of the Immigration Services Agency in accordance with the procedures provided for by Ministry of Justice Order.

In the case referred to in the preceding paragraph, if the person returning the specified residence card continues to fall under a mid- to long-term resident, the Commissioner of the Immigration Services Agency is to have an immigration inspector issue a new residence card to the mid- to long-term resident at the time of the return.

Beyond what is provided for in the preceding three Articles, the form of the specified residence card and other necessary particulars concerning specified residence cards are provided for by Order of the Digital Agency, Order of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications and Ministry of Justice Order.

If any ground provided for in the following items occurs in accordance with the category of the status of residence set forth therein, a mid- to long resident who is residing in Japan with a status of residence set forth in the respective items must notify the Commissioner of the Immigration Services Agency to that effect and of the particulars provided for in the Ministry of Justice Order, in accordance with the procedures provided for in Ministry of Justice Order, within 14 days of the date of the occurrence of the ground:

"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" "Employment 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;

"Highly Skilled Professional" (limited to those pertaining to item (i), sub-item (a) or (b) or item (ii) (limited to cases of engaging in the activities set forth in sub-item (a) or (b) of the same item) in the right-hand column under "Highly Skilled Professional" of the Appended Table I (2)), "Researcher," "Engineer /Specialist in Humanities/ International Services," "Nursing Care," "Entertainer" (limited to cases of engaging in the activities pertaining to the status of residence based on a contract with a public or private organization in Japan), "Skilled Labor" or "Specified Skilled Worker":change in the name or location, or extinction of the public or private organization in Japan which is the other party to the contract (with regard to the status of residence of "Highly Skilled Professional" (limited to those pertaining to item (i), sub-item (a) in the right-hand column under "Highly Skilled Professional" of the same Table), the public or private organization in Japan designated by the Minister of Justice), or the termination of the contract or conclusion of a new contract with the organization; or

"Dependent" (limited to those pertaining to persons who are able to engage in daily activities as a spouse), "Spouse or Child of Japanese National" (limited to those pertaining to persons with the status of the spouse of a Japanese national) or "Spouse or Child of Permanent Resident" (limited to those pertaining to persons with the status of the spouse of a person residing with the status of residence of "Permanent Resident" or "Special Permanent Resident" (hereinafter referred to as "Permanent Resident, etc.")):death of or divorce from the spouse.