A positive resist composition for immersion exposure comprising: a resin containing at least one repeating unit having a fluorine atom and increasing a solubility of the resin in an alkali developer by an action of an acid, and further containing at least one repeating unit selected from the group consisting of a repeating unit having a partial structure containing alicyclic hydrocarbon represented by any of the following formulae (pI) to (pVI); and a compound capable of generating an acid upon irradiation with one of an actinic ray and radiation, in formulae (pI) and (pVI), R 11 represents a methyl group, an ethyl group, an n-propyl group, an isopropyl group, an n-butyl group, an isobutyl group, or a sec-butyl group, and Z represents an atomic group necessary to form an alicyclic hydrocarbon group together with carbon atoms; in formulae (pII) and (pIII), R 12, R 13, R 14, R 15 and R 16 each independently represents a straight chain or branched alkyl group having from 1 to 4 carbon atoms, or an alicyclic hydrocarbon group, provided that at least one of R 12 to R 14, or either R 15 or R 16 represents an alicyclic hydrocarbon group; in formula (pIV), R 17, R 18, R 19, R 20 and R 21 each independently represents a hydrogen atom, a straight chain or branched alkyl group having from 1 to 4 carbon atoms or an alicyclic hydrocarbon group, provided that at least one of R 17 to R 21 represents an alicyclic hydrocarbon group, and either R 19 or R 21 represents a straight chain or branched alkyl group having from 1 to 4 carbon atoms or an alicyclic hydrocarbon; in formula (pV), R 22, R 23, R 24 and R 25 each independently represents a hydrogen atom, a straight chain or branched alkyl group having from 1 to 4 carbon atoms or an alicyclic hydrocarbon group, provided that at least one of R 22 to R 25 represents an alicyclic hydrocarbon group, and R 23 and R 24 may be bonded to each other to form a ring; characterized in that the repeating unit having a fluorine atom contained in resin is at least one repeating unit selected from the group consisting of formulae,,,, (VIII) and: wherein X 1 represents an oxygen atom or a sulfur atom; X 2 represents a methylene group, an oxygen atom or a sulfur atom; R x represents a hydrogen atom, a fluorine atom, a chlorine atom, a cyano group, an alkyl group, or -L 3 -Ra; L 3 represents an alkylene group, -CH 2 O- or -CH 2 O(C=O)-; Ra represents a hydroxyl group, a lactone group or a fluoroalkyl group; Rf, Rf 1 and Rf 2 each independently represents a group having at least one or more fluorine atoms, and Rf 1 and Rf 2 may be linked to each other to form a ring having -(CF 2)n 1 -; n 1 represents an integer of 1 or higher; and j represents an integer of from 1 to 3. a resin containing at least one repeating unit having a fluorine atom and increasing a solubility of the resin in an alkali developer by an action of an acid, and further containing at least one repeating unit selected from the group consisting of a repeating unit having a partial structure containing alicyclic hydrocarbon represented by any of the following formulae (pI) to (pVI); and a compound capable of generating an acid upon irradiation with one of an actinic ray and radiation, in formulae (pI) and (pVI), R 11 represents a methyl group, an ethyl group, an n-propyl group, an isopropyl group, an n-butyl group, an isobutyl group, or a sec-butyl group, and Z represents an atomic group necessary to form an alicyclic hydrocarbon group together with carbon atoms; in formulae (pII) and (pIII), R 12, R 13, R 14, R 15 and R 16 each independently represents a straight chain or branched alkyl group having from 1 to 4 carbon atoms, or an alicyclic hydrocarbon group, provided that at least one of R 12 to R 14, or either R 15 or R 16 represents an alicyclic hydrocarbon group; in formula (pIV), R 17, R 18, R 19, R 20 and R 21 each independently represents a hydrogen atom, a straight chain or branched alkyl group having from 1 to 4 carbon atoms or an alicyclic hydrocarbon group, provided that at least one of R 17 to R 21 represents an alicyclic hydrocarbon group, and either R 19 or R 21 represents a straight chain or branched alkyl group having from 1 to 4 carbon atoms or an alicyclic hydrocarbon; in formula (pV), R 22, R 23, R 24 and R 25 each independently represents a hydrogen atom, a straight chain or branched alkyl group having from 1 to 4 carbon atoms or an alicyclic hydrocarbon group, provided that at least one of R 22 to R 25 represents an alicyclic hydrocarbon group, and R 23 and R 24 may be bonded to each other to form a ring; characterized in that the repeating unit having a fluorine atom contained in resin is at least one repeating unit selected from the group consisting of formulae,,,, (VIII) and: wherein X 1 represents an oxygen atom or a sulfur atom; X 2 represents a methylene group, an oxygen atom or a sulfur atom; R x represents a hydrogen atom, a fluorine atom, a chlorine atom, a cyano group, an alkyl group, or -L 3 -Ra; L 3 represents an alkylene group, -CH 2 O- or -CH 2 O(C=O)-; Ra represents a hydroxyl group, a lactone group or a fluoroalkyl group; Rf, Rf 1 and Rf 2 each independently represents a group having at least one or more fluorine atoms, and Rf 1 and Rf 2 may be linked to each other to form a ring having -(CF 2)n 1 -; n 1 represents an integer of 1 or higher; and j represents an integer of from 1 to 3.