Changed Jobs, Quit, Moved or Divorced While Your Japan PR Application Is Pending? What to Report to Immigration 【2026 Guide】

“I changed jobs after filing my Permanent Residence application. Will it affect the application?”

“I resigned while my PR application is still under review. Do I need to tell Immigration?”

“I moved after applying for PR. Is there anything else I need to do?”

“I applied for PR as the spouse of a Japanese national, but my spouse and I have separated while the application is pending.”

A Permanent Residence application is not necessarily assessed solely on the circumstances that existed on the day it was filed.

Applicants for Permanent Residence in Japan are currently required to submit a Letter of Understanding (了解書 / ryōkaisho).

The document states that if certain changes occur before you receive the result of your application—including changes to your employment, family circumstances, or payment of taxes, pension and other public obligations—you must promptly notify the Immigration office handling your application.

In other words,

filing your PR application does not mean that a later job change or divorce can simply be ignored.

This article explains what to consider if your circumstances change after applying for Permanent Residence in Japan, based on the Immigration Services Agency’s rules and guidance in effect in 2026.

A PR application is not assessed only on your circumstances at the time of filing

Since October 1, 2021, applicants for Permanent Residence have been required to submit the Letter of Understanding.

The document requires applicants to promptly contact the Immigration office handling the application if certain circumstances change before the final result is received.

These include:

1. A change in employment

2. A change in family circumstances

3. A change in the payment status of taxes, pension premiums or public health insurance premiums

4. Beginning to receive public assistance

5. A criminal sentence becoming final

Examples given for employment changes include resignation and changing jobs. Family changes include divorce, separation and beginning to live with someone new.

The Letter of Understanding also warns that if an applicant obtains Permanent Residence without reporting a relevant change, and that fact is later discovered, the Permanent Resident status may be subject to revocation.

For this reason, if an important change occurs while your application is pending,

keeping quiet until PR is approved is not an advisable approach.

What happens if you change jobs while your PR application is pending?

Job changes after filing a PR application are among the most common issues we are asked about.

The important starting point is:

there is no nationwide rule stating that changing jobs automatically results in the denial of a PR application.

However, one of the requirements for Permanent Residence is having sufficient assets or skills to maintain an independent livelihood and being expected to maintain a stable life in Japan.

After changing jobs, matters that may need to be reviewed include:

• your new employer;

• your type of employment;

• your salary;

• the duration of your employment contract;

• your actual job duties;

• enrollment in social insurance; and

• whether the new position is compatible with your current status of residence.

For example,

moving from a permanent position paying JPY 6 million a year to a fixed-term position paying JPY 3 million

is not the same situation as:

changing to another job in the same industry with comparable or better income and employment conditions.

The real question is therefore not simply whether you changed jobs.

It is:

whether you still satisfy the requirements for Permanent Residence after the job change.

Some work visa holders also have a separate 14-day notification requirement

Holders of certain statuses of residence, including Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services, generally need to submit a notification concerning their affiliated contracting organization within 14 days after leaving an employer or entering into a contract with a new employer.

This is separate from:

notifying the Immigration office handling your pending PR application of a change in circumstances.

A job change may therefore require you to consider both:

• reporting the change in relation to your PR application; and

• submitting the notification required under your current status of residence.

What if you resign and become temporarily unemployed?

If you resign without having another job lined up, the situation requires more careful review than an ordinary job change.

Permanent Residence screening considers whether an applicant is expected to maintain a stable life in Japan in the future.

Therefore,

losing your income while your application is under review

may represent a significant change from the circumstances that existed when you filed.

That does not mean:

“resignation automatically means PR denial.”

The circumstances vary from person to person.

For example:

• you may already have another job lined up;

• the gap between jobs may be short;

• your spouse may have stable income;

• your household may have sufficient assets; or

• there may be a reasonable explanation for the resignation.

On the other hand, additional issues may arise if:

• you remain unemployed for an extended period;

• you have no clear plan for re-employment;

• household income falls substantially;

• you fail to complete the necessary health insurance or pension procedures after leaving your employer; or

• unpaid pension or health insurance premiums arise after resignation.

For this reason, after resigning, it is important to check not only your income but also your immigration status, pension, health insurance and taxes as a whole.

Extra caution when using the 70-point or 80-point Highly Skilled Professional route

If you applied for Permanent Residence using the Highly Skilled Professional points system under the:

• 70-point / three-year route; or

• 80-point / one-year route,

you should be particularly careful when changing jobs.

The Highly Skilled Professional points calculation includes factors such as:

• annual income;

• professional experience;

• age;

• academic qualifications;

• employer-related bonus points; and

• aspects related to your professional activities.

Japan Immigration sets specific requirements relating to the relevant point thresholds for applicants using these accelerated PR routes.

If you change jobs after filing your application, you should therefore confirm:

whether the change affects your points calculation or any of the circumstances on which your PR application was based.

Applicants who relied heavily on income or employer-related points should pay particular attention to the differences between their conditions before and after the job change.

What if you move while your PR application is pending?

A change of address itself is not expressly listed among the five categories of changes in the Letter of Understanding.

However, a mid- to long-term resident who changes their address is generally required to complete the residence address notification within 14 days of moving to the new address.

In most cases, if you bring your Residence Card and complete the appropriate move-in or address-change procedure at your new municipal office, you will also be treated as having completed the residence notification required under immigration law.

Your address is also stated on your Permanent Residence application, and Immigration may contact you during the review process regarding additional documents or other matters.

For this reason, if you move while your PR application is pending,

you should complete the required municipal address procedure and also confirm whether the Immigration office handling your application requires any additional action.

What if you marry, divorce or separate?

Changes in family circumstances are expressly covered by the Letter of Understanding.

Examples include:

• divorcing your spouse;

• beginning to live separately from family members who previously lived with you; and

• beginning to live with someone new.

If you applied as the spouse of a Japanese national or Permanent Resident

Particular care is required if you are using the special PR residence-period rule available to the spouse of a:

Japanese national, Permanent Resident or Special Permanent Resident.

Under the Permanent Residence Guidelines in effect in 2026, this exception generally requires:

a genuine marital relationship lasting at least three years and at least one continuous year of residence in Japan.

If you divorce while your application is pending, or the reality of your marital relationship changes substantially, the underlying basis of your PR application may be affected.

The issue is therefore not simply:

“Do I need to tell Immigration that I divorced?”

You also need to reassess:

which Permanent Residence requirements you currently satisfy after the change.

Spouse-based status holders may also have a separate 14-day notification

If your current status of residence is based on being a spouse—for example, Spouse or Child of Japanese National, Spouse or Child of Permanent Resident, or Dependent in relevant cases—you are generally required to notify Immigration within 14 days after divorce or the death of your spouse.

This is another procedure separate from the change-of-circumstances reporting associated with your pending PR application.

What if you pay taxes, pension or health insurance late while your application is pending?

Payment of taxes, pension premiums and public health insurance premiums is extremely important in Permanent Residence screening.

Under the Permanent Residence Guidelines revised on February 24, 2026, even if an obligation has already been paid by the time of application, failure to fulfill it within the original deadline is, in principle, evaluated negatively.

This is not only an issue for the period before you file your PR application.

The Letter of Understanding also requires applicants to contact Immigration if their payment status changes after applying, including situations where taxes, pension or health insurance premiums become delinquent.

For example, if you resign after applying for PR, you may need to transition from:

Employees’ Pension and employer-based health insurance
↓
National Pension and National Health Insurance

depending on your circumstances.

Failing to complete these procedures can result in:

unpaid pension or health insurance premiums arising while your PR application is under review.

Even if your payment history was perfect before filing, you should continue to manage your public obligations carefully throughout the review period.

You still need to renew your current status if it expires during PR screening

This is an especially important point:

filing a Permanent Residence application does not extend the period of stay under your current status of residence.

The Immigration Services Agency expressly states that if your current period of stay will expire while your Permanent Residence application is pending, you must separately submit an application for extension of your current period of stay before it expires.

For example:

Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services – 3 years
↓
Permanent Residence application
↓
current work status expires while PR is still under review

You must still:

apply to renew your Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services status.

A pending Permanent Residence application does not allow you to remain in Japan after your current period of stay expires without completing the appropriate procedure.

Because PR applications can take a considerable amount of time, always continue checking the expiration date shown on your Residence Card after filing.

Does a change in circumstances automatically mean your PR application will be denied?

No.

A job change, move or change in family circumstances does not automatically result in a PR denial simply because the event occurred.

The important question is:

whether you still satisfy the Permanent Residence requirements after the change.

For a job change, relevant factors may include:

• whether your income has been maintained;

• whether your employment remains stable;

• whether your work is compatible with your current status of residence; and

• whether you are properly enrolled in social insurance.

For a divorce, relevant questions may include:

• which PR exception or route you relied on;

• whether you may still qualify under another PR route;

• how your household income has changed; and

• whether your current status of residence is affected.

In other words, the key issue is not merely:

“Did something change?”

It is:

“How did the change affect the requirements underlying my PR application?”

Situations that require particular care

We recommend carefully reviewing your position if any of the following applies:

• you resigned shortly after applying for PR;

• your annual income dropped substantially after changing jobs;

• you moved from permanent employment to a fixed-term, part-time or similar arrangement;

• you are applying under the 70-point or 80-point Highly Skilled Professional route;

• you applied under the spouse exception and later divorced or separated;

• you did not complete the necessary pension or health insurance procedures after resignation;

• you paid resident tax, pension or health insurance premiums late after filing;

• your current period of stay is approaching its expiration date; or

• your household composition or number of dependents changed after filing.

In cases like these,

it is important to assess the impact on the PR application as a whole, rather than looking only at the individual change.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. If I change jobs after applying for PR, do I have to tell Immigration?

The Letter of Understanding submitted with a Permanent Residence application requires applicants to promptly contact the Immigration office handling the application if their employment circumstances change, including resignation or a job change.

Holders of certain statuses such as Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services may also have a separate obligation to submit an affiliated-organization notification within 14 days.

Q. Do I have to withdraw my PR application if I change jobs?

There is no general rule requiring you to withdraw your PR application simply because you changed jobs.

Your income, employment conditions, compatibility with your current immigration status and other factors should be reviewed to determine whether you continue to satisfy the relevant PR requirements.

Q. Do I need to contact Immigration if I only moved?

You must first complete the required residence address procedure within 14 days of moving to your new address.

Because the address on your pending PR application will also have changed, it is advisable to confirm whether the Immigration office handling the application requires any additional action.

Q. I forgot to pay resident tax on time once after applying. Is it fine if I pay it later?

Even if there is no outstanding amount now, the Permanent Residence Guidelines state that failure to fulfill public obligations within their original deadlines is, in principle, evaluated negatively.

The impact will depend on factors such as the type of payment, the timing of the delay and the circumstances, so an individual assessment is required.

Q. My current period of stay will expire while my PR application is still pending.

You need to apply separately for an extension of your current status of residence.

Submitting a Permanent Residence application does not automatically extend your current period of stay.

Managing changes after filing is an important part of a PR application

A Permanent Residence application does not end:

on the day you submit the documents.

Before the final decision is made, changes may occur in your:

• employment;

• income;

• marriage, divorce or separation;

• address;

• taxes, pension and health insurance;

• current period of stay; and

• family circumstances.

Because Permanent Residence applications can take time to process, even applicants who had no problems when they filed may experience a significant change while waiting for the result.

The important point is:

not to conceal a material change, but to confirm whether you still satisfy the PR requirements and complete any necessary notifications and explanations properly.

Enlight Administrative Scrivener Office assists not only with eligibility checks before a Permanent Residence application but also with changes that occur after an application has already been filed, including:

“I am changing jobs after applying for PR.”

“I resigned while my PR application is pending.”

“My spouse and I have separated.”

“I made a late tax payment while my application was under review.”

We review the effect of the change on the pending application and advise on the appropriate next steps.

Initial Permanent Residence eligibility checks are free of charge.

Enlight Administrative Scrivener Office
Administrative Scrivener: Shiki Miyajima

Tel: 03-5284-7981
Office hours: Weekdays 10:00–18:00

Online consultations are available throughout Japan, including consultations via WeChat.

References

• Immigration Services Agency of Japan, “Guidelines for Permanent Residence Permission” (revised February 24, 2026)

• Immigration Services Agency of Japan, “Application for Permanent Residence”

• Immigration Services Agency of Japan, “Letter of Understanding”

• Immigration Services Agency of Japan, “Notification Concerning Affiliated Contracting Organization”

• Immigration Services Agency of Japan, “Notification Concerning Affiliated Activity Organization”

• Immigration Services Agency of Japan, “Notification of Change of Place of Residence”

• Immigration Services Agency of Japan, “Highly Skilled Professional Points System Q&A”

※The assessment of a Permanent Residence application and any additional documents required will vary depending on the applicant’s current status of residence, application route, occupation, income, family situation and changes occurring after filing. Always check the latest Immigration Services Agency guidance together with the individual circumstances of the case.