# 出入国管理及び難民認定法 / Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act — 第二十二条 (Article 22)

- Law: 出入国管理及び難民認定法 (Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act), 昭和二十六年政令第三百十九号
- English title "Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act": Ministry of Justice translation
- Kind: Act — the distinction between 法律 (Act), 政令 (Cabinet Order), 省令 (Ministerial Order) and 条例 (local ordinance) decides who may issue it and what it may say.
- Issued as a Cabinet Order and given the force of an Act, which is why its number says 政令: Some rules made during the Allied occupation were issued as Cabinet Orders, as orders implementing Japan's acceptance of the Potsdam Declaration, and an Act passed in 1952 gave them the force of an Act. They keep the Cabinet Order number they were issued under, which is why e-Gov lists the law as an Act while its number says 政令 (Cabinet Order). The Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act (出入国管理及び難民認定法) is one: it was promulgated in 1951 as the Immigration Control Order (出入国管理令), Cabinet Order No. 319 of 1951, has had the force of an Act under Article 4 of Act No. 126 of 1952, took its present title on 1 January 1982, and every amendment on e-Gov's record of it was made by an Act.
- Provision: 第二十二条 (Article 22)（永住許可） — address `art-22`
- Text in force since: 2026-10-01
- URL (the page that opens at this provision): https://japanlaw.org/en/immigration-control-act/art-22
- Permanent URL (e-Gov law ID, never renamed): https://japanlaw.org/l/326CO0000000319/art-22
- Every provision below carries its address and both URLs on the line under it.
- Japanese text: e-Gov 法令検索, Digital Agency (デジタル庁). English: as marked on each line below.

Only the Japanese as published by the government has legal effect; the text
below is a copy of it. Every English rendering below is a translation and
says which kind: the Ministry of Justice's translation, or this
site's machine translation, whose model and date the Sources list names.
They are never merged and never substituted for one another.

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### 第二十二条（永住許可） — (Permission for Permanent Residence)
<sup>caption: Ministry of Justice translation — Japanese Law Translation Database System</sup>
<sup>art-22 · https://japanlaw.org/en/immigration-control-act/art-22 · https://japanlaw.org/l/326CO0000000319/art-22</sup>

  **第一項**  在留資格を変更しようとする外国人で永住者の在留資格への変更を希望するものは、法務省令で定める手続により、法務大臣に対し永住許可を申請しなければならない。
  <sup>art-22/par-1 · https://japanlaw.org/en/immigration-control-act/art-22/par-1 · https://japanlaw.org/l/326CO0000000319/art-22/par-1</sup>
  A foreign national who seeks to change their status of residence to that of "Permanent Resident" must file an application to the Minister of Justice for permission for permanent residence by taking the procedures provided for by Ministry of Justice Order.
  <sup>Ministry of Justice translation — Japanese Law Translation Database System</sup>

  **第二項**  前項の申請があつた場合には、法務大臣は、その者が次の各号のいずれにも適合し、かつ、その者の永住が日本国の利益に合すると認めたときに限り、これを許可することができる。ただし、その者が日本人、永住許可を受けている者又は特別永住者の配偶者又は子である場合にあつては次の各号のいずれにも適合することを要せず、国際連合難民高等弁務官事務所その他の国際機関が保護の必要性を認めた者で法務省令で定める要件に該当するものである場合にあつては第二号に適合することを要しない。
  <sup>art-22/par-2 · https://japanlaw.org/en/immigration-control-act/art-22/par-2 · https://japanlaw.org/l/326CO0000000319/art-22/par-2</sup>
  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 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 Refugees 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):
  <sup>machine translation, not official</sup>

    **一**  素行が善良であること。
    <sup>art-22/par-2/item-1 · https://japanlaw.org/en/immigration-control-act/art-22/par-2/item-1 · https://japanlaw.org/l/326CO0000000319/art-22/par-2/item-1</sup>
    the foreign national's behavior is good; and
    <sup>Ministry of Justice translation — Japanese Law Translation Database System</sup>

    **二**  独立の生計を営むに足りる資産又は技能を有すること。
    <sup>art-22/par-2/item-2 · https://japanlaw.org/en/immigration-control-act/art-22/par-2/item-2 · https://japanlaw.org/l/326CO0000000319/art-22/par-2/item-2</sup>
    the foreign national has sufficient assets or skills to make an independent living.
    <sup>Ministry of Justice translation — Japanese Law Translation Database System</sup>

  **第三項**  法務大臣は、前項の規定による許可をすることとしたときは、出入国在留管理庁長官に、当該外国人に対し、その旨を通知させるものとする。この場合において、その通知は、出入国在留管理庁長官が、入国審査官に、当該許可に係る外国人に対し在留カードを交付させることにより行うものとする。
  <sup>art-22/par-3 · https://japanlaw.org/en/immigration-control-act/art-22/par-3 · https://japanlaw.org/l/326CO0000000319/art-22/par-3</sup>
  If the Minister of Justice decides to grant the permission provided for in the preceding paragraph, the Minister is to have the Commissioner of the Immigration Services Agency notify the foreign national to that effect. In that case, this notification is to be made by the Commissioner of the Immigration Services Agency by having an immigration officer issue a residence card to the foreign national pertaining to the permission.
  <sup>Ministry of Justice translation — Japanese Law Translation Database System</sup>

  **第四項**  第二項の規定による法務大臣の許可は、前項の規定による在留カードの交付があつた時に、その効力を生ずる。
  <sup>art-22/par-4 · https://japanlaw.org/en/immigration-control-act/art-22/par-4 · https://japanlaw.org/l/326CO0000000319/art-22/par-4</sup>
  The permission of the Minister of Justice pursuant to the provisions of paragraph (2) becomes effective when the residence card under the provisions of the preceding paragraph has been issued.
  <sup>Ministry of Justice translation — Japanese Law Translation Database System</sup>

---

## Cites
- art-22/par-2: 前項 → 出入国管理及び難民認定法 第二十二条第一項 (Article 22, paragraph (1)), art-22/par-1 — https://japanlaw.org/en/immigration-control-act/art-22/par-1 · https://japanlaw.org/l/326CO0000000319/art-22/par-1
- art-22/par-2: 第二号 → 出入国管理及び難民認定法 第二十二条第二項第二号 (Article 22, paragraph (2), item (ii)), art-22/par-2/item-2 — https://japanlaw.org/en/immigration-control-act/art-22/par-2/item-2 · https://japanlaw.org/l/326CO0000000319/art-22/par-2/item-2
- art-22/par-3: 前項 → 出入国管理及び難民認定法 第二十二条第二項 (Article 22, paragraph (2)), art-22/par-2 — https://japanlaw.org/en/immigration-control-act/art-22/par-2 · https://japanlaw.org/l/326CO0000000319/art-22/par-2
- art-22/par-4: 第二項 → 出入国管理及び難民認定法 第二十二条第二項 (Article 22, paragraph (2)), art-22/par-2 — https://japanlaw.org/en/immigration-control-act/art-22/par-2 · https://japanlaw.org/l/326CO0000000319/art-22/par-2
- art-22/par-4: 前項 → 出入国管理及び難民認定法 第二十二条第三項 (Article 22, paragraph (3)), art-22/par-3 — https://japanlaw.org/en/immigration-control-act/art-22/par-3 · https://japanlaw.org/l/326CO0000000319/art-22/par-3

## Cited by

40 provisions cite this one. No official source publishes this direction.

- 住民基本台帳法 別表第一 — https://japanlaw.org/en/residential-basic-book-act/appdx-1 · https://japanlaw.org/l/342AC0000000081/appdx-1
- 出入国管理及び難民認定法 第十九条の八第一項（在留資格変更等に伴う住居地届出） — https://japanlaw.org/en/immigration-control-act/art-19-8/par-1 · https://japanlaw.org/l/326CO0000000319/art-19-8/par-1
- 出入国管理及び難民認定法 第十九条の八第四項（在留資格変更等に伴う住居地届出） — https://japanlaw.org/en/immigration-control-act/art-19-8/par-4 · https://japanlaw.org/l/326CO0000000319/art-19-8/par-4
- 出入国管理及び難民認定法 第十九条の十五の二第一項第二号（特定在留カードの交付等） — https://japanlaw.org/en/immigration-control-act/art-19-15-2/par-1/item-2 · https://japanlaw.org/l/326CO0000000319/art-19-15-2/par-1/item-2
- 出入国管理及び難民認定法 第十九条の十五の二第五項（特定在留カードの交付等） — https://japanlaw.org/en/immigration-control-act/art-19-15-2/par-5 · https://japanlaw.org/l/326CO0000000319/art-19-15-2/par-5
- 出入国管理及び難民認定法 第二十条第二項（在留資格の変更） — https://japanlaw.org/en/immigration-control-act/art-20/par-2 · https://japanlaw.org/l/326CO0000000319/art-20/par-2
- 出入国管理及び難民認定法 第二十二条第二項（永住許可） — https://japanlaw.org/en/immigration-control-act/art-22/par-2 · https://japanlaw.org/l/326CO0000000319/art-22/par-2
- 出入国管理及び難民認定法 第二十二条第三項（永住許可） — https://japanlaw.org/en/immigration-control-act/art-22/par-3 · https://japanlaw.org/l/326CO0000000319/art-22/par-3
- 出入国管理及び難民認定法 第二十二条第四項（永住許可） — https://japanlaw.org/en/immigration-control-act/art-22/par-4 · https://japanlaw.org/l/326CO0000000319/art-22/par-4
- 出入国管理及び難民認定法 第二十二条の二第四項（在留資格の取得） — https://japanlaw.org/en/immigration-control-act/art-22-2/par-4 · https://japanlaw.org/l/326CO0000000319/art-22-2/par-4
- 出入国管理及び難民認定法 第二十二条の五第一項（在留資格の取消しの手続における配慮） — https://japanlaw.org/en/immigration-control-act/art-22-5/par-1 · https://japanlaw.org/l/326CO0000000319/art-22-5/par-1
- 出入国管理及び難民認定法 第二十四条第一項第七号（退去強制） — https://japanlaw.org/en/immigration-control-act/art-24/par-1/item-7 · https://japanlaw.org/l/326CO0000000319/art-24/par-1/item-7
- 出入国管理及び難民認定法 第五十九条の二第一項（事実の調査） — https://japanlaw.org/en/immigration-control-act/art-59-2/par-1 · https://japanlaw.org/l/326CO0000000319/art-59-2/par-1
- 出入国管理及び難民認定法 第六十一条の二の十四第一項（難民等に関する永住許可の特則） — https://japanlaw.org/en/immigration-control-act/art-61-2-14/par-1 · https://japanlaw.org/l/326CO0000000319/art-61-2-14/par-1
- 出入国管理及び難民認定法 第六十一条の八の三第一項第三号（本人の出頭義務と代理人による届出等） — https://japanlaw.org/en/immigration-control-act/art-61-8-3/par-1/item-3 · https://japanlaw.org/l/326CO0000000319/art-61-8-3/par-1/item-3
- 出入国管理及び難民認定法 第六十七条第一項第三号（手数料） — https://japanlaw.org/en/immigration-control-act/art-67/par-1/item-3 · https://japanlaw.org/l/326CO0000000319/art-67/par-1/item-3
- 出入国管理及び難民認定法 第六十七条第三項（手数料） — https://japanlaw.org/en/immigration-control-act/art-67/par-3 · https://japanlaw.org/l/326CO0000000319/art-67/par-3
- 出入国管理及び難民認定法 第七十条第一項第八号 — https://japanlaw.org/en/immigration-control-act/art-70/par-1/item-8 · https://japanlaw.org/l/326CO0000000319/art-70/par-1/item-8
- 出入国管理及び難民認定法 附則第九項 — https://japanlaw.org/en/immigration-control-act/suppl-4011-79/par-9 · https://japanlaw.org/l/326CO0000000319/suppl-4011-79/par-9
- 出入国管理及び難民認定法 附則第五条第一項第三号（手数料に関する経過措置） — https://japanlaw.org/en/immigration-control-act/suppl-5081-32/art-5/par-1/item-3 · https://japanlaw.org/l/326CO0000000319/suppl-5081-32/art-5/par-1/item-3
- 出入国管理及び難民認定法施行令 第二十五条第三項（在留資格の変更の許可等に係る手数料の納付） — https://japanlaw.org/en/immigration-control-act-enforcement-order/art-25/par-3 · https://japanlaw.org/l/410CO0000000178/art-25/par-3
- 出入国管理及び難民認定法施行令 第二十六条第一項第八号（権限の委任） — https://japanlaw.org/en/immigration-control-act-enforcement-order/art-26/par-1/item-8 · https://japanlaw.org/l/410CO0000000178/art-26/par-1/item-8
- 出入国管理及び難民認定法施行令 第二十六条第一項第九号（権限の委任） — https://japanlaw.org/en/immigration-control-act-enforcement-order/art-26/par-1/item-9 · https://japanlaw.org/l/410CO0000000178/art-26/par-1/item-9
- 出入国管理及び難民認定法施行令 第二十六条第一項第十号ハ（権限の委任） — https://japanlaw.org/en/immigration-control-act-enforcement-order/art-26/par-1/item-10/sub-3 · https://japanlaw.org/l/410CO0000000178/art-26/par-1/item-10/sub-3
- 出入国管理及び難民認定法施行令 附則第七条第一項第二号イ（特定在留カードの交付に係る手数料に係る特例） — https://japanlaw.org/en/immigration-control-act-enforcement-order/suppl-4102-178/art-7/par-1/item-2/sub-1 · https://japanlaw.org/l/410CO0000000178/suppl-4102-178/art-7/par-1/item-2/sub-1
- 出入国管理及び難民認定法施行令 附則第二項第三号 — https://japanlaw.org/en/immigration-control-act-enforcement-order/suppl-5072-27/par-2/item-3 · https://japanlaw.org/l/410CO0000000178/suppl-5072-27/par-2/item-3
- 出入国管理及び難民認定法施行規則 第四条の二第一項第一号ニ（上陸の拒否の特例） — https://japanlaw.org/en/immigration-control-act-enforcement-regulation/art-4-2/par-1/item-1/sub-4 · https://japanlaw.org/l/356M50000010054/art-4-2/par-1/item-1/sub-4
- 出入国管理及び難民認定法施行規則 第四条の二第一項第一号ヘ（上陸の拒否の特例） — https://japanlaw.org/en/immigration-control-act-enforcement-regulation/art-4-2/par-1/item-1/sub-6 · https://japanlaw.org/l/356M50000010054/art-4-2/par-1/item-1/sub-6
- 出入国管理及び難民認定法施行規則 第十九条の六第二項第六号（在留カードの記載事項等） — https://japanlaw.org/en/immigration-control-act-enforcement-regulation/art-19-6/par-2/item-6 · https://japanlaw.org/l/356M50000010054/art-19-6/par-2/item-6
- 出入国管理及び難民認定法施行規則 第十九条の七第一項 — https://japanlaw.org/en/immigration-control-act-enforcement-regulation/art-19-7/par-1 · https://japanlaw.org/l/356M50000010054/art-19-7/par-1
- 出入国管理及び難民認定法施行規則 第十九条の七第三項 — https://japanlaw.org/en/immigration-control-act-enforcement-regulation/art-19-7/par-3 · https://japanlaw.org/l/356M50000010054/art-19-7/par-3
- 出入国管理及び難民認定法施行規則 第二十二条第一項（永住許可） — https://japanlaw.org/en/immigration-control-act-enforcement-regulation/art-22/par-1 · https://japanlaw.org/l/356M50000010054/art-22/par-1
- 出入国管理及び難民認定法施行規則 第二十二条第四項（永住許可） — https://japanlaw.org/en/immigration-control-act-enforcement-regulation/art-22/par-4 · https://japanlaw.org/l/356M50000010054/art-22/par-4
- 出入国管理及び難民認定法施行規則 第六十三条第一項第七号（権限の委任） — https://japanlaw.org/en/immigration-control-act-enforcement-regulation/art-63/par-1/item-7 · https://japanlaw.org/l/356M50000010054/art-63/par-1/item-7
- 出入国管理及び難民認定法施行規則 第六十三条第一項第八号（権限の委任） — https://japanlaw.org/en/immigration-control-act-enforcement-regulation/art-63/par-1/item-8 · https://japanlaw.org/l/356M50000010054/art-63/par-1/item-8
- 出入国管理及び難民認定法施行規則 第六十三条第一項第九号ハ（権限の委任） — https://japanlaw.org/en/immigration-control-act-enforcement-regulation/art-63/par-1/item-9/sub-3 · https://japanlaw.org/l/356M50000010054/art-63/par-1/item-9/sub-3
- 出入国管理及び難民認定法施行規則 附則第二条第一項（第一条の規定による出入国管理及び難民認定法施行規則の一部改正に伴う経過措置） — https://japanlaw.org/en/immigration-control-act-enforcement-regulation/suppl-4239-43/art-2/par-1 · https://japanlaw.org/l/356M50000010054/suppl-4239-43/art-2/par-1
- 出入国管理及び難民認定法施行規則 別表第七 — https://japanlaw.org/en/immigration-control-act-enforcement-regulation/appdx-7 · https://japanlaw.org/l/356M50000010054/appdx-7
- 出入国管理及び難民認定法等の一部を改正する法律の施行に伴う関係政令の整備等及び経過措置に関する政令 第五条第一項第三号（出入国管理及び難民認定法の一部改正に伴う経過措置） — https://japanlaw.org/en/immigration-2024-amendment-transitional-order/art-5/par-1/item-3 · https://japanlaw.org/l/507CO0000000423/art-5/par-1/item-3
- 日本国との平和条約に基づき日本の国籍を離脱した者等の出入国管理に関する特例法 第二十一条第一項（在留できる期間等の特例） — https://japanlaw.org/en/special-act-on-immigration-control/art-21/par-1 · https://japanlaw.org/l/403AC0000000071/art-21/par-1

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## Sources

- e-Gov 法令検索, Digital Agency (デジタル庁) — 出入国管理及び難民認定法 — the text in force from 2026-10-01 (https://laws.e-gov.go.jp/law/326CO0000000319/20261001_508AC0000000032), retrieved 2026-10-05
- Japanese Law Translation Database System, Ministry of Justice (法務省) — Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act — Ministry of Justice translation (https://www.japaneselawtranslation.go.jp/en/laws/view/3624/tb), retrieved 2026-09-13
- claude-opus-5[1m] — Machine translation, batch immigration-control-act-20260913T134912-003, translated 2026-09-13
- This site's parser, version 211 — 出入国管理及び難民認定法 — structure, counts, cross-references and defined terms, computed 2026-10-05