Family-based residence in Japan splits into two statuses that sound similar and behave very differently. Which one applies depends on who your family member is, not on how the family sees itself.
Spouse or Child of Japanese National
This covers the spouse of a Japanese citizen, a biological child of a Japanese citizen, and a child adopted by a Japanese citizen under the special adoption rules.
The status carries no work restrictions at all. You can take any job, work any hours, start a business, or not work. In practical terms it is the most flexible status short of permanent residency, and it is not tied to an employer.
A parallel status, Spouse or Child of Permanent Resident, works the same way for families of permanent residents.
The route to permanent residency is also much shorter: currently three years of genuine marriage plus one year of residence in Japan, though announced reforms move this to five years of marriage and three years of residence.
Dependent status
This covers the spouse and children of someone holding a work or student status: the family of an Engineer/Specialist holder, an HSP holder, a student, and so on.
The work rules are the important difference. Dependent status carries no work rights by default. To work at all you apply for the same permission students use, and the same 28-hour weekly cap applies. Someone who wants to work full-time in Japan has to change to a status of their own rather than relying on Dependent.
Dependent status also does not extend to parents. Japan has no general route for bringing a parent to live with you, which surprises many people. The narrow exceptions run through HSP status, where a parent can come to help with a child under seven or with a pregnancy subject to a household income test, and through case-by-case Designated Activities permission for an elderly parent with no one to care for them abroad, which is granted rarely and on humanitarian grounds.
SSW (i) holders cannot bring family at all. SSW (ii) holders can. That distinction is covered on the Specified Skilled Worker page.
Proving the marriage is real
Marriage-based applications get more scrutiny than any other family category, because the status is valuable and the incentive to fake it is obvious. Expect to provide:
- The marriage certificate, and the Japanese family register entry where a Japanese spouse is involved
- A written statement of how you met, in some detail, including dates and places
- Photographs together across the span of the relationship, not just from the wedding
- Evidence of communication: message logs, call records, travel between countries
- Proof that you live together, or an explanation if you do not
- The Japanese spouse's income and tax documents
The statement of how you met is not a formality. Thin, vague or inconsistent accounts are the most common reason these applications are refused, and inconsistencies between the two spouses' versions are noticed.
What happens if the marriage ends
Spouse status depends on the marriage continuing. If you divorce, you must notify immigration within 14 days, and the status no longer has a basis. In principle you have six months before it can be revoked, and in practice you should be applying to change to another status immediately.
The common landing places are a work status if you have qualifying employment, or Long-Term Resident status, which immigration grants in some cases to a former spouse with a long marriage, children in Japan, or a settled life here. Long-Term Resident carries unrestricted work rights like the spouse status does. It is discretionary rather than guaranteed, and cases where children are involved are treated most favourably.
Widowhood is handled the same way procedurally, with the same 14-day notification.
Common ground
Whichever status applies, family members joining you go through a Certificate of Eligibility application filed in Japan, usually by the resident family member. Children born in Japan need an application for a status of residence within 30 days of birth, which is a deadline people miss.
Where to go next
For work rights in detail, see Work Visas. For the application steps, see How to Apply and Required Documents.
Back to Visa Types.