Designated Activities (1 Year) or Complementary Protection? The Status-of-Residence Procedures for Evacuees

For people who have evacuated to Japan following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, there are broadly two procedures for staying in Japan: changing to, and renewing, the status of residence “Designated Activities (1 year),” and the recognition of a “person eligible for complementary protection,” a system that began in December 2023. There is separate guidance for people who were already in Japan under a different status of residence before the invasion. What follows is based on official pages of the Immigration Services Agency (ISA) and the text of the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act, as read in September 2026.

This article does not determine which procedure applies to you, or whether your application will be approved. That decision is made by the ISA; where to get advice is summarized in the second half of this article.

“Ukrainian evacuee” is not the name of a status of residence

The ISA counts a “Ukrainian evacuee” as someone who entered Japan from Ukraine or a third country on or after 2 March 2022, for the purpose of evacuating Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Per the agency’s preliminary figures, as of 31 August 2026 the cumulative number of entrants is 2,902, of whom 1,931 remain in Japan.

This, however, is a category the ISA uses for counting purposes, not the name of a status of residence written on a residence card. What is written on your residence card or passport is a status of residence such as “Temporary Visitor,” “Designated Activities,” or “Long-Term Resident.” The difference between the terms “refugee,” “internally displaced person,” and “evacuee” is explained in the article the difference between a refugee, an internally displaced person, and an evacuee. When thinking through the procedures, start by checking your current status of residence and the expiration date of your period of stay on the residence card you have on hand (or, if you don’t have one, the landing permission stamp in your passport).

People who entered on Temporary Visitor status: moving to “Designated Activities (1 year)”

The ISA states that it accepts applications for permission to change status of residence to the employable “Designated Activities (1 year)” for the following people:

A person of Ukrainian nationality, or a foreign national whose habitual residence is in Ukraine, who entered Japan from Ukraine on the status of residence “Temporary Visitor” for the purpose of evacuating Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and whose intended activity in Japan does not correspond to any existing status of residence.

Immigration Services Agency, “On Applications for Permission to Change Status of Residence to ‘Designated Activities (1 Year)’”, “Eligible Persons” (confirmed September 2026)

The same page lists four documents to submit: an application for permission to change status of residence (or an application for extension of period of stay), materials showing you are an eligible person, such as a copy of your passport or entry/exit stamps, a written statement of reasons, and a letter of guarantee. The application form, and the statement of reasons with a sample entry, are also available on the same page in Ukrainian.

On photographs, this page states, “a photograph is also required for those aged 16 or over.” A separate procedure page from the ISA, however, explains that for residence cards issued from 14 June 2026, the age below which a photo is not required changed to under 1 year old. Check at the counter before applying whether a photo is required for a child.

Jobs not permitted under this status of residence

Changing to “Designated Activities (1 year)” allows you to work in Japan. However, the ISA lists restaurants and bars that entertain customers, amusement establishments such as mahjong parlors and pachinko halls, nightclubs open past midnight serving alcohol, and establishments providing sexual services, and warns that even cleaning, dishwashing, or reception work at such places is not permitted. It advises checking with your nearest regional immigration services bureau if you are unsure. How to look for work is covered in the article Hello Work offices with Ukrainian interpreters.

Renewal continues for as long as “the situation is recognized as not having improved”

The same page states, “where the situation in Ukraine is recognized as not having improved, an application for extension of period of stay is possible.” The renewal application form (Form U) can also be downloaded from this page.

Per the ISA’s guidance on applying for an extension of period of stay, you can apply up until the expiration date of your period of stay, and if your period of stay is 6 months or longer, you can apply from 3 months before the expiration date. The fee when granted is generally 6,000 yen (5,500 yen for an online application), paid with a revenue stamp.

For cases where a decision has not been made by the expiration date, Article 20, paragraph 6 of the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act, applied mutatis mutandis by Article 21, paragraph 4, provides that if you have applied by the expiration date, you may continue to stay in Japan under the same status of residence until whichever comes first: the decision on your application, or the end of the day 2 months after the expiration date (the ISA calls this the “special period”). That your application is pending is noted on the back of your residence card (except for online applications). This applies only if you apply by the expiration date. Do not assume you can apply after the expiration date has passed.

People who were already in Japan under a different status of residence

Some Ukrainians were in Japan before the full-scale invasion, for study, work, or life with family. Regarding these people, the ISA states, “For Ukrainian residents who are anxious about returning home, we will continue to make appropriate decisions on residence permission so that they can remain in Japan,” and that it will respond in the same way for as long as the situation in Ukraine is recognized as not having improved. It also states that it will not deport, against their will, people who have been issued a deportation order.

For people continuing the activity that underlies their current status of residence, it states that they can remain under that same status of residence. People who wish to continue residing in Japan because of the situation are advised to consult their nearest regional immigration services bureau.

Recognition of a person eligible for complementary protection

On 1 December 2023, the system for recognizing a “person eligible for complementary protection” (補完的保護対象者) began. Article 2, item 3-2 of the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act defines a person eligible for complementary protection as “a person other than a refugee who meets all the requirements for a refugee under the Refugee Convention except that the ground for the well-founded fear of persecution is one other than those set out in Article 1A(2) of the Refugee Convention.” The ISA describes this as a system for reliably protecting people such as conflict evacuees who, while not a “refugee” under the Convention, ought to be protected in the same way as a refugee.

What changes once you are recognized

Per the ISA’s explanation, a person who is recognized gains the following:

• As with a person recognized as a refugee, the status of residence “Long-Term Resident” is granted in principle
• Permanent residence can be granted at the Minister of Justice’s discretion, even without meeting the permanent-residence requirement of “having sufficient assets or skills to support an independent livelihood”
• If they wish, they may in some cases take part in the “Settlement Support Program” (定住支援プログラム) for building an independent life in Japan (applications are accepted by the Refugee Assistance Headquarters, RHQ, of the Foundation for the Welfare and Education of the Asian People)
• A refugee travel document is not available, but a re-entry permit is

“Long-Term Resident” is classified, in the ISA’s Guidebook on Living and Working, as a “status of residence with no restriction on work activity.”

How to apply

Per the ISA’s procedural guidance, you apply at the regional immigration services bureau with jurisdiction over where you live, and in principle you must go to the counter in person. A parent, spouse, child, or other relative may apply on behalf of someone under 16, or someone unable to go in person due to illness or similar. There is no fee. There is no rule limiting the period in which you can apply, and the standard processing time is stated as 6 months.

What you need is an application for recognition as a refugee/person eligible for complementary protection (available in various languages), a photograph, and materials proving, or a written statement asserting, that you are a person eligible for complementary protection; you show your passport and residence card at the counter. The ISA states that recognition is based on the materials and statements the applicant submits, and that the applicant is expected to provide their own proof. If not recognized, you can file an administrative appeal with the Minister of Justice within 7 days of being notified.

The agency also explains that someone who applies for recognition as a person eligible for complementary protection is judged only on whether they meet that status, while someone who applies for recognition as a refugee is judged on both refugee status and complementary protection status.

The first two years, in numbers

According to ISA press releases, 1,273 people applied for recognition as a person eligible for complementary protection in 2024, with Ukraine as the main nationality. That year, 1,616 people were recognized as eligible for complementary protection, and a further 45 people who had applied for refugee recognition but were not recognized as refugees were instead recognized as eligible for complementary protection. In 2025, the number of applicants fell to 311 (again mainly Ukrainian), and 474 people were recognized as eligible for complementary protection. The press releases do not state how many of those recognized were Ukrainian nationals.

A system that has ended: the certificate of being a Ukrainian evacuee

The “Certificate of Being a Ukrainian Evacuee” that the ISA used to issue stopped being issued on 30 November 2023. The agency advises anyone without the certificate to show municipal or financial-institution staff the “Ukrainian evacuee” stamp in their passport. If you have no stamp either, it advises asking your nearest immigration office. Note that a residence card issued after changing to “Designated Activities (1 year)” does not state that the holder is a Ukrainian evacuee.

Where to get advice

• The Ukrainian evacuee support staff at a regional immigration services bureau: you can consult the immigration office nearest to where you live. How to find your local office is covered in the article where to ask first when you start living in Japan
• The General Information Center for Foreign Residents: 0570-013904, weekdays 8:30 a.m. to 5:15 p.m. (excluding weekends, holidays, and 29 December to 3 January). The ISA states it can give general procedural guidance but cannot answer questions about the likely outcome or progress of an individual case
• RHQ’s consultation line for persons eligible for complementary protection: 0120-400-250, weekdays 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 1:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. The languages listed on the ISA’s page are Japanese, English, Burmese, French, Ukrainian, and Russian
• Lawyers and immigration scriveners: per the ISA’s procedural guidance, a registered lawyer or immigration scrivener can submit an application on your behalf

Procedure	Main eligibility	Where to apply / fee	What you get
Change of status of residence (Designated Activities (1 year))	Ukrainian nationals and others who entered on “Temporary Visitor” status for the purpose of evacuation	Regional immigration services bureau. Fee when granted is generally 6,000 yen	The employable “Designated Activities (1 year)” status. Some types of work are not permitted
Renewal of period of stay (Designated Activities (1 year))	People who already hold the above status	Regional immigration services bureau. Apply by the expiration date	Renewed if the situation is recognized as not having improved
Recognition as a person eligible for complementary protection	People asserting they meet Article 2, item 3-2 of the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act	Regional immigration services bureau with jurisdiction over your residence. No fee. Standard processing time 6 months	In principle, “Long-Term Resident” status; some permanent-residence requirements relaxed
Consultation from a different status of residence	People who were in Japan before the full-scale invasion, etc.	Your nearest regional immigration services bureau	Decided case by case; you may continue to reside under your current status if still engaged in that activity

One last thing. Being even a single day past the expiration date of your status of residence can change how you are treated significantly. Write the expiration date in a notebook or on your phone, and start acting three months ahead of it. If you are not sure which procedure suits you, ask one of the consultation points above before deciding.