RetireJapan

Perhaps an odd question, but here goes:

An elderly parent (70+ years) and/or a sibling comes to live with us here in Japan for the purposes of supporting child raising for a few years (or longer). Are there options whereby they could enroll into some kind of health insurance for the duration they are here? Could they enroll in the national health insurance if they become dependents on my visa?

If not, any other options for family coming to co-support the raising of children? I've heard in other countries where a person's mom came for like 3 years to help the family out. I could see that happening, but without any type of health insurance....that would be, not good.

Thoughts? Thanks,

Employees’ Health Insurance / Employees’ Pension Insurance:

https://www.nenkin.go.jp/international/ ... loyee.html

Check the ‘Coverage of Your Dependents’ section for details and a chart of all possible dependents and whether or not they need to be living with you to qualify.

Good stuff, I've bookmarked that site and will be getting to studying.

Much thanks again!

Everyone living in Japan needs to enrol in health insurance, either shakai hoken through an employer or as a dependent, or kokumin kenko hoken if ineligible for shakai hoken.

Premiums are based on the previous year's income in Japan, so very cheap for at least the first year.

The OP’s question got me thinking how a permanent resident could bring their parents over to Japan to live for whatever reason. I don’t think they would be considered dependents, so I wonder what kind of visa they would need to apply for and how difficult it would be.

solo7100 wrote: ↑Tue Apr 11, 2023 5:42 am Perhaps an odd question, but here goes:

An elderly parent (70+ years) and/or a sibling comes to live with us here in Japan for the purposes of supporting child raising for a few years (or longer). Are there options whereby they could enroll into some kind of health insurance for the duration they are here? Could they enroll in the national health insurance if they become dependents on my visa?

If not, any other options for family coming to co-support the raising of children? I've heard in other countries where a person's mom came for like 3 years to help the family out. I could see that happening, but without any type of health insurance....that would be, not good.

Thoughts? Thanks,

If they are living with you, and dependent on you, then you can claim a Tax Deduction of Y380,000 per dependent.

Are you using National Health Insurance Kokumin Kenko Hoken or Private though your company?

If Kokumin Kenko Hoken, go to the Kuyakusho and ask if it is possible to put them on your Health Insurance.

If Private though your company, contact your HR Department and ask if it possible to put them on your Health Insurance.

There will be an increase in premiums, depending on previous year's earnings to the Maximum Premium per household.

Gulliver wrote: ↑Tue Apr 11, 2023 12:03 pm The OP’s question got me thinking how a permanent resident could bring their parents over to Japan to live for whatever reason. I don’t think they would be considered dependents, so I wonder what kind of visa they would need to apply for and how difficult it would be.

Parents definitely count as dependents if you can prove you are supporting them financially, even if they are not in Japan.
Then you can claim the Y380,000 Tax Deduction.
There is no hard rule, as far as I know, but there is an expectation that the financial support would be in excess of Y380,000 in the year...

You can support them for a VIsa as a Family Member of a PR.

Excellent guidance, thank you so much.

Tkydon wrote: ↑Thu Apr 13, 2023 2:38 am .....

Gulliver wrote: ↑Tue Apr 11, 2023 12:03 pm The OP’s question got me thinking how a permanent resident could bring their parents over to Japan to live for whatever reason. I don’t think they would be considered dependents, so I wonder what kind of visa they would need to apply for and how difficult it would be.

Parents definitely count as dependents if you can prove you are supporting them financially, even if they are not in Japan.
Then you can claim the Y380,000 Tax Deduction.
There is no hard rule, as far as I know, but there is an expectation that the financial support would be in excess of Y380,000 in the year...

You can support them for a VIsa as a Family Member of a PR.

Does this work? I heard, completely anecdotal, that absence of siblings is a mandatory requirement for something like this. And also that if two living parents are there, high chance of rejection.

goran wrote: ↑Fri Jul 21, 2023 4:04 am

Tkydon wrote: ↑Thu Apr 13, 2023 2:38 am .....

Gulliver wrote: ↑Tue Apr 11, 2023 12:03 pm The OP’s question got me thinking how a permanent resident could bring their parents over to Japan to live for whatever reason. I don’t think they would be considered dependents, so I wonder what kind of visa they would need to apply for and how difficult it would be.

Parents definitely count as dependents if you can prove you are supporting them financially, even if they are not in Japan.
Then you can claim the Y380,000 Tax Deduction.
There is no hard rule, as far as I know, but there is an expectation that the financial support would be in excess of Y380,000 in the year...

You can support them for a VIsa as a Family Member of a PR.

Does this work? I heard, completely anecdotal, that absence of siblings is a mandatory requirement for something like this. And also that if two living parents are there, high chance of rejection.

You have to prove that you are sending the money, so the paper trail is necessary.
They are supposed to have less than a certain level of income.
There is an unwritten rule that you are supposed to send more than the deductable allowance, which is Y380,000 per dependent.

There were some cases of people charging for many dependents, and abusing the system, so the documentation requirement was tightened, but if you have legitimate dependents and you are sending more than Y380,000 per dependent (about US$2,700 at current exchange rates), then you get to pay that Pre-Tax, so you would deduct that Y380,000 per dependent from your Taxable income, thereby saving National Income Tax at your marginal rate and 10% Residents' Taxes on that amount; probably total 33.483% or 43.693%, so the government effectively pays 1/3 to 2/5 of the Y380,000 per dependent.(about $900 or $1,150).

RetireJapan wrote: ↑Tue Apr 11, 2023 11:28 am Everyone living in Japan needs to enrol in health insurance, either shakai hoken through an employer or as a dependent, or kokumin kenko hoken if ineligible for shakai hoken.

Premiums are based on the previous year's income in Japan, so very cheap for at least the first year.

I really like how to Japan does not use health insurance premiums to price gouge its migrants. The British government are using the doubling of the health insurance surcharge this year to migrants to pay for the increase in the salaries of doctors and nurses.