Latest Trends in Immigration Processing Times (as of November 2025)
Masakazu Sugita
Hello, this is Immigration Lawyer SUGITA International Office(SIO), an administrative scrivener (Gyoseishoshi) firm specializing in visas and residence status matters.
As of November 27, 2025, the Tokyo Immigration Bureau is experiencing a significant increase in visa-related applications, resulting in noticeably longer processing times than ever before.
In particular, for Permanent Resident (PR) applications, although results used to be issued roughly one year after filing, it has recently become common for applicants to receive the first contact from immigration only after nearly two years—whether it be a request for additional documents or notification of the result. In fact, among the PR applications handled by our office, there was a case in which the approval notice was finally received about 18 months after the application was submitted.
Cases in which PR applications tend to be processed relatively faster
- Applications using the Highly Skilled Professional (HSP) Point System
Foreign nationals with 70 points or more on the HSP system are eligible for preferential treatment when applying for PR.
Although immigration does not explicitly state that this preferential treatment includes a shorter review period, in practice, our office has handled cases in which PR approval was granted in approximately three months when applying under the HSP category. - Applications filed outside the Tokyo jurisdiction
Although immigration offices nationwide are currently handling an overwhelming number of applications and processing times are generally increasing everywhere, the workload at the Tokyo Immigration Bureau is exceptionally heavy. As a result, applications filed through Tokyo tend to take longer than those filed at other regional bureaus.
For example, among the PR cases we handled last year, one submitted under the Osaka Immigration Bureau received approval within six months of filing.
Therefore, if you wish to complete the PR process as quickly as possible and your work is fully remote such that moving will not negatively affect your income or employment, it may be worth considering relocating outside of the Tokyo area before submitting your application.
Delays affecting other immigration applications as well
The prolonged processing time is not limited to PR applications. Based on the cases we see, applications for:
- Certificate of Eligibility (COE)
- Extension of Period of Stay
- Change of Status of Residence
are also taking significantly longer than before. In some cases, even contact for additional documents is not made until very close to the expiration of the special grace period.
If you plan to file any visa-related applications in the near future, we strongly recommend submitting earlier than usual as a precaution.
Contact
You can contact us by E-mail or LINE 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
We do NOT send you sales E-mail / make sales call using your personal information provided through our contact form / LINE message.
24 hours a day / 365 days a year, we welcome your message
