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Permanent residency points calculator

How many PR points do you have, and when can you apply for permanent residency? Scored on the official Highly Skilled Professional (高度専門職) table: 80+ means PR after 1 year, 70–79 after 3 years, under 70 the standard route. Nothing is sent anywhere; the answers ride in the link.

  • Official ISA table, checked 11 Nov 2026
  • No account, nothing stored
  • Works in English and Japanese
01Activity category

Which of the three activities describes the work you will do in Japan?

The category is the activity, not the employer. Pick the one that matches the work in the contract.

Which one fits me?
  • Research, research guidance or teaching under a contract with a Japanese public or private organization → (a) academic research.
  • Work that uses knowledge or skills in the natural sciences or humanities, employed by an organization → (b) specialized/technical. Most engineers, IT, finance, design and legal professionals are here.
  • Running or managing a business in Japan → (c) business management. This is the table for directors and managers, and it also has to meet the 経営・管理 permission criteria.

Choose a category, then answer the steps.

02Academic background

What is your highest degree?

The most recent qualification counts; a doctorate overrides a master's.

03Professional career

How many years of relevant work experience do you have?

Only experience in the work you intend to do counts.

04Annual salary

What annual salary will the organization pay you?

Annual remuneration from the accepting organization, including bonuses. Enter 万円.

A salary of at least ¥300万 is required to qualify in this category.

05Your age

How old will you be when you apply?

Age at the time of application. Age sets both the age points and the salary floor.

At your age, salary points start at ¥400万.

06Research and qualifications

Do any of these apply to you?

Each item needs evidence: a patent certificate, a funding notice, a paper, a licence.

Research achievements

Japanese national qualification or listed IT exam

Your position

07Japanese language

What is your Japanese level?

N1 and a Japanese university degree both count; N2 does not stack with a Japanese degree.

08Employer and other bonuses

Do any of these employer or personal bonuses apply?

These depend on the employer, your university and your qualifications. Open the list.

Show employer, university and other bonus items

Points are only one of the conditions for PR

The points set how long you must wait. They do not replace the legal requirements for permanent residency, which apply on every route.

When can you apply?

80+ points
After 1 year, if you have held 80+ points as a Highly Skilled Professional for that year, or can show you had 80 points one year before applying and have kept at least that since.
70–79 points
After 3 years, on the same terms: 70+ held for three years, or shown three years before applying and kept since.
Under 70
The standard route: generally 10 years' continuous residence, of which at least 5 on a work or residence status (technical intern and Specified Skilled Worker 1 do not count).
Other shorter routes
Spouse of a Japanese national or permanent resident: 3 years of marriage and 1 year in Japan. Long-term Resident (定住者): 5 years. A recognized contribution to Japan: 5 years. J-Skip (特別高度人材): 1 year.

How this is calculated

Every line below is a row of the Immigration Services Agency's points calculation table, in its April 2026 revision: academic background, professional career, annual salary, age, research achievements, position, and the special additions. The tool applies the row that gives you the most points where the table offers alternatives, and it applies the caps: in academic research, two or more research achievements are 25 points in total rather than 40.

The tables differ, and the difference matters. A patented invention is worth 20 points in academic research and 15 in specialized/technical, and nothing at all in business management. Business management has no age row and its own salary scale that starts at ¥10m. Only specialized/technical gives points for a Japanese national qualification. Only academic research pays for research funding and papers.

Annual salary is what the accepting organization will pay you for the work in question, including bonuses — not last year's pay. The salary bands are age-linked for academic research and specialized/technical: the older you are, the higher the salary you need before points begin. Specialized/technical and business management also require an annual salary of at least ¥3m to qualify at all; academic research has no such floor.

The total decides your permanent residency timeline: 80 or more points lets you apply after one year, 70 or more after three, and below 70 the standard route applies. The points also decide eligibility for the 高度専門職 status itself at 70. This calculator does not decide your case: documents, the activity's scope, and the ISA's examination do.

Table checked: 2026-11-11