Hi!
My widowed mother is 78yrs and is thinking about going back to live in Japan. I want to support whatever she wants to do, but I have some questions about the transition.
1) She became a US citizen. Can she live in Japan as an resident alien through an extended visa, or is there a way she can become a citizen again?
2) Will she be covered medically by the national health service? I heard that she may need to pay into it?
Thank you for your help!
2 comments
This is a copy of your post for archive/search purposes.
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**Elderly Japanese Mom wants to move back to Japan, but is no longer a Japanese Citizen**
Hi!
My widowed mother is 78yrs and is thinking about going back to live in Japan. I want to support whatever she wants to do, but I have some questions about the transition.
1) She became a US citizen. Can she live in Japan as an resident alien through an extended visa, or is there a way she can become a citizen again?
2) Will she be covered medically by the national health service? I heard that she may need to pay into it?
Thank you for your help!
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If your grandparents or great-grandparents still hold Japanese citizenship, your mother can apply for the Child of Japanese National or Long Term Resident visa by presenting a copy of the family register (koseki) showing her lineage. This grants long term residence without any employment requirements.
Since she’s 75 and older, your mother needs to enroll in the Advanced Elderly Medical Service Program. It depends on municipality but it’s a minimum of 40-50k yen a year plus a percentage of her previous year’s income (which would be 0 her first year back in Japan).