Elderly Parents Designated Activities Visa

My parents are sick, and there is a need to live and care for them in Japan! This is a common case that we receive at our office.

These are the following criteria for the approval of a "Designated Activities Visa" for the purpose of supporting an elderly parent.

Screening Criteria for Permission of Designated Activities Visa for Care of Elderly Parents

First of all, under the current Immigration Control Act, there is no visa for inviting parents residing abroad to live with you in Japan. Since it does not exist under the law, when you inquire at the Immigration Bureau, you are often told, "There is no such visa”. However, in reality, there are cases where a status of residence called "Designated Activities" can be obtained with has certain requirements and application procedures.

The above are guidelines for permission. However, these are only guidelines, not conditions for permission. Permission is granted only as a humanitarian measure. This is one of the most difficult applications to apply for because there are no clear criteria for granting or denying a permit.

Let us explain each of them in detail.

(1) Parents must be 70 years of age or older.

The parent's age is the most important factor in determining the likelihood of obtaining a Designated Activities Visa (for elderly parents). The required age is generally considered to be 70 years old or older. However, it is not necessarily true that you can obtain a visa if your parents are over 70 years old. On the other hand, there is a possibility for those aged between 65 and 69, depending on the degree of illness or disability.

(2) There must be no relatives in the home country who can take care of your parents.

The standard for obtaining permission is that there are no relatives in your home country who can take care of your aging parents. This applies if you are an only child and have come to Japan, if you have siblings who have also come to Japan, or if they live in another country. If the parent's siblings reside in the home country and are still alive and well, the permission rate will be reduced.

(3) The Japanese side must have sufficient financial resources to support the parent.

Since you are inviting your aging parents to Japan to support them, you must have the financial ability to do so. This means that you will have one more person to support. You must prove that you have a stable income, savings, real estate assets, etc. We are sometimes asked how much income is required, but there is no standard. It is a comprehensive judgment and will vary depending on the number of dependents and family relationships in Japan. In reality, if your annual income is not more than 5 million yen, it will be very difficult to qualify. (Five million yen is generally not enough.) Naturally, it is also required that you have no outstanding tax liabilities.

(4) Parents must be living alone in their home country.

We receive many requests to bring two parents to Japan, but we must say that, in reality, it is difficult. This is because it is very likely that if both parents are still alive (even if they are ill), they will be judged to be able to support each other and live together. If one parent has already died or divorced and is alone in the home country, it is possible to invite one parent to Japan. If both parents are invited to Japan at the same time, the rate of disapproval will increase considerably.

(5) Inviting a parent to Japan for the purpose of "support.”

The purpose of inviting a parent to Japan on a Designated Activities Visa (to support an elderly parent) is solely for the purpose of supporting the parent. In addition, it is necessary to prove the reason why you must support your parents in Japan and that you are an appropriate supporter.

(6) The child must reside in Japan

Naturally, the child must be living in Japan with a regular status of residence in Japan. Whether or not he/she has permanent residence or has been naturalized in Japan is considered to some extent but is not important. If the dependent's family members are both working and do not have time to take care of him or her, or if he or she is not in Japan very often due to overseas business trips, the possibility of disapproval will increase.

(7) Parents have an illness.

Naturally, there is no need to care for an elderly person if they are healthy and well. Proof of illness is provided by a doctor's certificate, so illnesses can't be fabricated.

The decision to grant or deny a Designated Activities Visa for elderly parents will be made based on a comprehensive judgment based on the above guidelines.

The flow of Application Support for Elderly Parents (Designated Activities Visa)

The "Designated Activities Visa" for elderly parents is not a systemically required visa, so it is impossible to invite them directly with a certificate of eligibility. After entering Japan as a temporary visitor, the applicant must apply for a change of status of residence.

We will apply for a short-stay visa after discussing your situation in detail. A short-stay visa is applied for at the Japanese embassy or consulate in your country. The reason for entering Japan for a short-stay visa will be judged when applying for a Designated Activities Visa for Elderly Relatives.

After entering Japan on a Temporary Visitor's Visa, an application to change the visa status from Temporary Visitor to Specially Designated Activities Visa must be submitted to the Immigration Bureau. The application for Designated Activities for Dependents of Elderly Parents is not a standardized visa application, so it is not accepted directly at the application counter. Once you have prepared the application materials, you need to go to the examination department for a preliminary consultation to check if it is acceptable to apply for the visa.

If it is determined that the applicant deserves a visa, the application will be approved, and the applicant will receive a residence card. 

Frequently Asked Questions about Dependent of Elderly Parents [Specially Designated Activities Visa

Reasons why it is difficult to obtain a "Dependent of Elderly Parents [Specially Designated Activities Visa]".

The reason is that there is no visa system in place to support elderly parents in the first place. Therefore, there is no clear application procedure, required documents, or criteria for approval for a specific activity visa to support an elderly parent. Therefore, when you contact the Immigration Bureau, you are often told that such an application itself does not exist.

Next is Japan's financial difficulties. If the "Specially Designated Activities Visa" is granted, elderly foreigners who are unable to work and whose medical expenses are increasing will be forced to live in Japan. If the visa is approved, they can enroll in the National Health Insurance system, so they pay 30% of their own medical expenses and 70% is paid by Japanese taxpayers. In addition, the illness is often not just a cold, but a serious illness that can easily lead to high medical costs. The government is reluctant to accept unproductive people from other countries when it is unable to provide even its own citizens (Japanese nationals) with satisfactory social security. Therefore, the visa is a humanitarian visa.