I am currently on a 1 year working visa. I entered Japan in 2021 on a special instructor visa and got another 1 year last summer. I work at a university and I’m from Europe, taxes, pension and health insurance are all OK.
Now my visa needs another extension and I will most likely get another year (contract is renewed yearly, so no way to ask for more than that).
I qualify for 85 points on the HSP schema (80 1 year ago), so I was thinking to try applying for PR via that route. According to some, it is impossible to apply if you come from a 1-year visa (you need at least 3). Others say it is OK if you are using the HSP-80points-1year route.
Should I:
1. apply now to both renew my current visa AND PR?
2. renew my current visa, then apply
3. apply now for a change to HSP, get 5 years, then apply for PR (but that would be doing the same documents retrieval job twice… does it make sense?)
4. wait because there is no way I would be considered for PR at this stage, despite the points
Anyone had a similar experience when applying for PR?
Thanks!
5 comments
AFAIK, the HSP PR without HSP SOR requires a residence status of 3 years or more.
Just because you have a 1 year contract, You can ask for a 3/5 year visa on the application form (of course no guarantee you’d get it though)
So my advice would be to go with option (3) if you’re employer is able to sponsor HSP(1). Because as you’re aware, that will give you an automatic 5 year. And then you can apply for PR.
I don’t think that you can do No. 1. You can’t have two separate visa applications pending at the same time.
ETA: Right, sorry. PR is not the same as a regular visa application. I got my wires crossed.
I would check the website or call immigration or an immigration scrivener. I seem to remember that one year of working and living in Japan while having > 80 points will allow you to apply and get accepted for PR. HSP is attached to one employer, so you must reapply for HSP each time you change jobs. PR is much safer and more valuable if you plan to stay here. Future employers would rather hire a PR than an HSP because it involves less paperwork, and if your HSP for employer A is not similar to employer B, it involves even more paperwork.
Just go and ask immigration directly, they are actually very helpful in my experience. It’s not like they don’t want to give people PR, you just need to tick all of their boxes.
(I got PR after 6 yrs and went the spousal route. Don’t know much about the HSP route. I also applied for a renewal at the same time I applied for PR, got my renewal, then my PR a few months later)