I understand the following:
- these could be useful to protect and preserve PR status in both foreseen and unforeseen circumstances.
- the re-entry permit would be valid for 5 years from date of issue or until date of expiry of residence card, whichever is earliest.
- permanent residents need to renew their resident cards every 7 years and that passports generally need renewing every 10 years.
- A renewed passport requires a trip to immigration to stamp in your permission to reside in Japan.
Questions:
1. What physical form does the re-entry permit take?
2. What is the procedure when leaving/re-entering Japan with the re-entry permit?
3. What happens if you renew your passport during the validity of the re-entry permit?
4. What happens if you plan to move abroad for a couple of years? Presumably you need to submit Notice of Moving Out (転出届), and state that you will be residing outside of Japan. A change of address ordinarily triggers an updated address being entered on the reverse of the zairyu card. If that address is outside of Japan, would the Japanese residence card paradoxically state ‘not resident in Japan’ on the reverse? Or do you retain PR status but lose your zairyu card... and if so, how does that work?
