ALT to Permanent Resident

Hi. Is it possible for an ALT to be granted permanent residence? I\`m not married to a Japanese. I have a son who\`s now going to a Japanese preschool. My husband is on a dependent visa. You might probably think I\`m naive or too ambitious for wanting PR. If you\`re just going to criticize me for choosing to stay as an ALT, just save your time and energy. I\`ve been working as an ALT for more than 6 years. I was a JET for 6 years and now I\`m working as a direct-hire ALT. I have a teaching license and 2 years of teaching experience in my home country. Before I came to Japan, I was overworked and barely had enough time to socialize. Doing ALT work can sometimes feel frustrating due to the lack of professional development but I prefer to look at the bright side. I have lots of free time and don\`t have too many responsibilities. I can go home early and spend time with my son. Although it\`s not the most rewarding and fulfilling job, I plan to do it long-term. I\`m aware that Japanese PR requires residents to have stayed in Japan for 10 years so I\`d be eligible after 4 years. I\`m not sure though if my income or being “just” an ALT would hurt my application. Have you heard of an ALT (who\`s not married to a Japanese) who successfully got Japanese PR? My salary isn\`t that high but saving money has never been an issue. I tried to look up ALTs who successfully got PR on the internet but I couldn\`t find any. Any input would be much appreciated.

10 comments
  1. Are both your son and husband your dependents? You ought to talk to a lawyer or immigration consultant to see if that and your low income are factors.

  2. Generally, as long as you meet the requirements, your job title is unlikely to cause issue.

    The general advice offered by most immigration sepcialists is that a salary of ¥3,000,000 is the base requirement for individuals, with an additional ¥700,000~800,000 required per dependant.

    Edit: worth noting that you should be thinking about household income here

  3. I am not an ALT, but I am single and I received PR last year.

    They want stability and proof you can support yourself and your dependents. It’s absolutely essential that you keep track of your residence tax payments and payments into the national insurance. Most municipalities only keep these records for ~~five~~ three years, and you’ll need to prove ~~eight~~ five years of payments to qualify for PR.

    Most importantly, you’ll need a sponsor for PR. If I recall correctly, your work doesn’t qualify, so you need a close friend who’s either Japanese or a current PR holder.

    The process for a PR application is online in English, so start by looking at the current requirements so you can keep track of the necessary things.

    Edit for corrected amounts of time necessary to show tax payment.

  4. There’s some great advice on this thread but you really need to talk to a lawyer. Good luck IP

  5. Being “just” an ALT won’t really be an issue and you will also be able to submit evidence of savings (eg bank statements) and your husband’s income. Another important factor is stability of income so being employed full-time at the same school for a number of years looks better than juggling multiple short-term jobs.

  6. Alt here, as long as you have been here the required amount of time – 10 years – pay all hour taxes etc and have a stable job then it’s not a problem. I got mine a few years back.
    The application process, looks difficult but it’s not as bad as it looks, save yourself 10man for a lawyer and apply yourself

  7. >Have you heard of an ALT (who`s not married to a Japanese) who successfully got Japanese PR?

    Yes. I have met, I think, two people who have.

    The most important points seem to be:

    * that you make enough money to support yourself and your dependents
    * that you have a stable life and employment
    * that you pay all taxes, health insurance, and pension payments on time
    * that you have no criminal record and no major traffic violations

    The “word on the street” that I have heard from other people who have applied is that they have become stricter recently. Whereas before, it was quite common for people with delinquent pension payments to get accepted if they were married and things like that, such things are now much more important. Again, this is what I have heard in online and real-life discussions, rather than in official sources.

  8. There’s a point system we’re you can apply after 1 year or more being in Japan depending on how many points you have.

    It’s not about the job title but rather the age, salary, education level. I got PR after 5 years here (not married).

    I suggest instead of asking Reddit just google it, that’s where you will find the most accurate data

  9. Putting aside the PR question, how do you intend to retire on an ALT salary?

  10. Damn I came in here wanting to read a post about OP’s specific situation and got ranted at instead about their life choices. JFC

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