Can't you naturalize to Japan if you have a criminal record?Is it possible to be disapproved?

If you have been punished for a crime in the past and have a criminal record,"Can I apply for naturalization?" "Will my application be rejected?"We may receive inquiries such as:
From the conclusion,It is possible to apply for naturalization. But,If you have a criminal record or criminal record, it is unlikely that you will get a permit because it will be disadvantageous in the examination of the naturalization application.You should think that.
In this article, I will explain the application for naturalization when you have a criminal record or criminal record.

XNUMX. XNUMX.Can't you naturalize if you have a criminal record or criminal record?

▼ What are the conditions for naturalization?

Conditions for a naturalization application to be approvedArticle 5 of the Nationality Lawstipulated in.

1. ① Residence requirements: Must have continued residence in Japan for 5 years or more.
2. ② Competency requirements: Must be 20 years of age or older and have competency according to the laws of the home country.
3. ③ Conduct requirements: Good behavior.
4. ④ Livelihood requirements: Being able to earn a living from the assets or skills of oneself or a spouse or other relative with whom one makes the same living.
5. ⑤ Requirements for loss of nationality: Must not have nationality or must lose nationality by acquiring Japanese nationality.
6. ⑥ Ideological requirements: The applicant must not be affiliated with an organized crime group or have any ideology of plotting to destroy the Japanese government through violence.
7. ⑦ Japanese language ability: (although there are no explicit regulations), the applicant must have sufficient Japanese language ability to live in Japan.

▼ Does a criminal record/criminal history violate any conditions for naturalization?

One of the requirements for a naturalization permission application to be approved is the above ③.Action requirements.
The behavioral requirements are"Being good"Although it is defined by the abstract expression,Having a criminal record / criminal record is often evaluated as not good behaviorThere is a fact.As a result, it is often impossible to meet the conduct requirements and naturalization applications are rejected.

▼ Examination items for conduct requirements

The following items are listed as items when the behavioral requirements are examined.

• ・ Presence / absence of criminal record, content, criminal record
• ・ Bankruptcy history
• ・ Traffic accidents, presence or absence of violations, contents
• ・ Tax payment status
• ・ Pension payment status
• ・ Illegal acts under the Civil Code
• ・ Family behavior

In this way, there are several examination items for conduct requirements, and the existence and content of criminal records as well as criminal history are also examined, so if you have a criminal record or criminal history, your naturalization application will often be rejected.

XNUMX.What should I do if I have a criminal record and want to apply for naturalization?

Even if you say that you have a criminal record, the content varies.Some criminal records were convicted of imprisonment and sentenced to prison, while others were convicted of suspended sentence and did not serve prisons.
In the case of the former conviction of prison sentence, the possibility of permission is low,More than 10 years have passed since he was released from prison.If you apply for naturalization after that, there is a possibility that it will be granted.
In addition, there is a high possibility that the latter case of a conviction with a suspended sentence will not be granted.Approximately twice the period of suspended sentence passed has passed.If you apply for naturalization after that, there is a possibility that it will be granted.

When applying for naturalization if you have a criminal record or criminal record, there is a good chance that your application will be granted if you pay attention to the following points.

1. ① After a considerable number of years have passed since the execution of the sentenceTo apply for
2. ② When applying for naturalization,Don't hide about the criminal recordabout

In addition, In the text of the naturalization motive book, I regret that time and swear that I will never do it again.You may want to consider writing something like this.

If you have any questions about the naturalization application, or if you have any concerns about applying for naturalization, please contact us.Climb Immigration Lawyer Officeplease consult.