Sudden pension payment slips

[Moneymatters]

I have no experience of applying for exemption but I believe it is not automatic so it may well be worth your while to ask. I doubt with your income level that you would get a full exemption but a partial one is certainly possible and as you are credited with a greater proportion of pension entitlement than you actually pay, it may well be sensible to do that at this stage.

I would be cautious unless OP and his wife have PR. A partial exception to nenkin as a working adult could hurt future visa or PR applications.

Obviously, none of this is codified. However, as they do check nenkin payment history and financial stability, it is best to avoid the classic red flags.

Thanks for this. Is this really true? I’ve been 100% exempted for the last 2 years and literally just picked up my new 3 year visa yesterday.
I’ll still go and check the 区役所 to see if there’s any possibility of getting it reduced at the very least.

Having a partially/fully expempted pension should not harm a visa renewal. But there are minimum income thresholds that could raise red flags. I know of one person this affected, ultimately their company had to pay them more.

If you received a 100% exemption then it seems like your gross income should be something under 1.55mil as a couple.
https://hoken-room.jp/money-life/7873
夫婦：155万円程度

Obviously the actual calculation is far more complex. Table in sectin 2. here offers some insight.
https://sure-i.co.jp/journal/pension/entry-98.html

Not a lawyer, but I didn't think new visa would normally be issued for such a low income unless there were some justification. Accomodation included for example. We can't see the inner workings of immigration but it's logical there will be some leeway when dealing with renewals rather than new visas.

It's probably worth noted that immigration likely have different guidelines during covid, especially considering many of the jobs foreign residents hold.

Also, whilst not your situation, but I know someone who has been rejected for PR twice due to not earning enough. Basically, hardly paid any income tax based on the level of his reported income.

[KCLenny]

Update.
Just finished at the ward office.
I just said I have a few questions, and they checked my situation and said I don’t qualify for 100% exemption anymore. But I do qualify for 50% exemption. So, got that instead. Definitely a positive experience. Very simple process. They even said I could reapply for my wife’s exemption at the same time (despite my wife not even being there at the time).