A Long Term Resident visa (teijusha visa) is a visa provided to foreign nationals who are granted special permission to stay in Japan by the Minister of Justice. The requirements for this visa are not as clearly defined as other Japanese visas but it was designed to meet a very specific purpose. Basically the long term resident visa is granted to foreign nationals who should be allowed to stay in Japan for a special humanitarian reason.
Foreign nationals who hold long term resident visas are allowed to work without restriction in Japan in a manner similar to permanent residents. However, the long term resident visa is only granted for a set period of time and it must be either renewed by the foreign national upon expiration or the foreign national must transfer to a new type of visa.
While not applicable to everyone’s situation, the long term resident visa is a very powerful tool for foreign nationals who find themselves without a visa but with a very strong connection to Japan.
If you have a question about visas in Japan, please contact our office for a legal consultation.