Will you need Japanese for permanent residency from April 2027?
From 1 April 2027 ISA will consider B1 Japanese in permanent residence applications. Who is exempt, which tests count, and what to do now.
Short answer
For permanent residence applications filed on or after 1 April 2027, the Immigration Services Agency of Japan (ISA) will consider whether you have Japanese at B1 level of the Reference Framework for Japanese Language Education; it is a factor in the decision, not a fixed pass mark. It is not considered in cases such as Highly Skilled Professionals on the 70- or 80-point fast routes and their families, people with six years or more of primary or secondary education under Japan's School Education Act, and children of permanent residents born in Japan whose parent has B1. ISA has not yet published which tests prove B1; it says it will do so before April 2027.
What changes on 1 April 2027
From 1 April 2027, Japanese ability becomes one of the things ISA weighs when it decides a permanent residence application. ISA revised its permanent residence guideline (永住許可に関するガイドライン) on 1 October 2026. Its final part says the revision applies to applications filed on or after 1 April 2027.
The guideline calls Japanese ability a 考慮要素 (kōryo yōso), "a factor considered". It is not written as a requirement with a pass mark. ISA asks whether you have Japanese at B1 or above at the time you apply. The level comes from 日本語教育の参照枠 (Nihongo kyōiku no sanshō waku), the Reference Framework for Japanese Language Education, a report of 12 October 2021.
That framework is based on the CEFR, the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages, according to the organisers of the Japanese-Language Proficiency Test (JLPT). The CEFR has six levels: A1, A2, B1, B2, C1 and C2, with C2 the highest. B1 is the third of the six, one level below the B2 that some work visa rules ask for.
The same revision adds a separate factor: whether you understand Japan's systems and rules, checked by a method the Commissioner of ISA will designate.
The dates
- 1 Oct 2026 ISA publishes the revised guideline and its answers to public comments.
- Until 31 Mar 2027 Applications are judged under the guideline of 24 February 2026; from 1 April 2026 only the income parts of the new text are added. No Japanese factor.
- Before Apr 2027 ISA says it will publish how Japanese is assessed and which tests it uses.
- From 1 Apr 2027 The revised guideline applies, including the B1 Japanese factor.
Sources: ISA permanent residence guideline and application page, as of 11 November 2026
Who the Japanese factor does not apply to
The guideline gives examples of applicants for whom B1 Japanese is not considered. The list ends with など (nado, "and so on"), so it is not closed.
| Your situation | Is B1 Japanese considered? |
|---|---|
| Most applicants filing on or after 1 April 2027 | Yes, as one factor among others |
| Highly Skilled Professional on a fast route | No. This covers 70 points or more with 3 years' stay, 80 points or more with 1 year's stay, and special highly skilled professionals (特別高度人材) with 1 year's stay |
| Family of such a Highly Skilled Professional | No |
| Six years or more of primary or secondary education | No, if the schooling counts under Japan's School Education Act (学校教育法) |
| Child of a permanent resident | No, if the child was born in Japan and the parent raising the child has B1 Japanese |
| Spouse of a Japanese national | Not on the exemption list; ISA said it does not consider an exemption appropriate |
Which tests will count
ISA has not published a list yet. In its answers to public comments, released with the guideline on 1 October 2026, it wrote: 「日本語能力の評価方法や、これに用いる試験等については、令和９年４月の運用開始までに適切に検討・公表してまいります。」 In English: ISA will consider and publish the method for assessing Japanese, and the tests used for it, before operation starts in April 2027.
So no JLPT level and no BJT score is officially linked to B1 for permanent residence today. Two facts are useful while you wait:
- JLPT score reports have shown a CEFR level for reference since the December 2025 JLPT, for passes only. An N3 pass with 104 points or more shows B1; an N2 pass shows B1 with 90–111 points and B2 with 112 or more. ISA has not said whether it will use these indications.
- BJT, the Business Japanese Proficiency Test, has no CEFR level on the Kanken pages we checked on 11 November 2026. Some visa rules count BJT 400 like JLPT N2, but none of them is the permanent residence rule. Which rules accept which score is in which Japanese tests count for a Japan visa.
What to do now
- If you plan to apply before 1 April 2027, ISA's application page says your application is judged under the guideline of 24 February 2026, plus the income parts of the new text, and that guideline has no Japanese-ability factor, so on our reading of these two ISA pages the B1 factor does not apply to them. Check its other conditions for your filing date.
- If you will apply later, check whether one of the exemptions fits you, and keep the documents that show it, such as school records from Japan. How Japanese adds to the 70 or 80 points of the fast routes is in how many Highly Skilled Professional points Japanese gives.
- Keep any Japanese test result you already have. ISA has not said which tests count, but a certificate costs nothing to keep. A BJT score certificate does not expire.
- Watch the ISA page for the test list. If you also need N2-level proof for a work visa, see your options after missing the JLPT.
This article is general information, not legal advice. A permanent residence decision depends on your whole application and on ISA's discretion. ISA has not published a test list; we will update this page when it does. We checked the ISA pages on 11 November 2026. Check the Immigration Services Agency pages below or ask an immigration specialist (gyōseishoshi).
Questions people ask
Do I need JLPT for permanent residency in Japan?
Not by name. For applications filed on or after 1 April 2027, ISA's guideline considers whether you have B1 Japanese of the Reference Framework for Japanese Language Education, but it does not name JLPT or any other test. ISA says it will publish the tests it uses before April 2027.
Which Japanese tests count as B1 for permanent residency?
None yet. In its answers to public comments on 1 October 2026, ISA wrote that it will consider and publish the assessment method and the tests before operation starts in April 2027. Until then, no test score is officially linked to B1 for permanent residence.
Does the B1 Japanese factor apply if I apply before April 2027?
No. ISA's permanent residence application page says applications filed up to 31 March 2027 are judged under the guideline of 24 February 2026, plus the income parts of the new text, and that guideline has no Japanese-ability factor, so on our reading of these two ISA pages the B1 factor does not apply to them. The revised guideline, with the B1 factor, applies to applications filed on or after 1 April 2027.
Are Highly Skilled Professionals exempt from the Japanese factor for permanent residency?
Those on the fast routes are. The guideline names people with 70 points or more who have stayed 3 years, people with 80 points or more who have stayed 1 year, special highly skilled professionals who have stayed 1 year, and their families. It says nothing about Highly Skilled Professionals who apply on the usual route.
Do spouses of Japanese nationals need B1 Japanese for permanent residency?
They are not on the exemption list. In its answers to public comments, ISA wrote that it does not consider it appropriate to exempt holders of the Spouse or Child of Japanese National status.
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