Foreign nationals may only engage in the activities authorized for the specified period of time under their visa after obtaining the appropriate status of residence. Therefore, it is crucial that the applicant and their intended activities meet the criteria for at least one status of residence category and that they fulfill the criteria required specifically by the status of residence for which they are applying.
Among the 36 types of status of residence allowed in Japan, holders of 23 categories are allowed to engage in profit-making and paid activities. The four most common statuses of residence for employment are engineers, specialists in humanities or international services, intracompany transferees, and investors or business managers, as well as family members with dependent visa status.
This status of residence authorizes activities for personnel transferred to business offices in Japan for a limited period of time from business offices established in foreign countries by public organizations or private companies that have head offices, branch offices or other business offices in Japan, and where applicants' work at these business offices is encompassed by the activities described in the engineers/specialists in humanities/international services status.
The applicant must be transferred from a business office located overseas to a business office in Japan, with both offices being of the same company, to engage in a job requiring skills or knowledge pertinent to one of the following:
The main difference between the intracompany transferee and engineers/specialists in humanities/international services status of residence categories is that an intracompany transferee status does not require the applicant to have a contract with public organizations or private companies in Japan. Therefore, the applicant may receive their salary from business offices overseas.
Transfers between offices of the same company include transfers between the parent company and its subsidiary, and transfers between group companies that have a certain level of financial ties with each other. In addition, applicants for the intracompany transferee status of residence differ from applicants who are to operate or manage the operations of business offices located in Japan (who should apply for the business manager status).
Applicants must have been continuously employed at business offices outside of Japan for at least one year immediately prior to the transfer to Japan in a position that falls under the status of residence category of engineers/specialists in humanities/international services.
Furthermore, the applicant must receive a salary equal to that of a Japanese national for comparable work. The Immigration Services Agency does not announce the actual amount that satisfies this requirement; however, it is currently understood that a minimum of JPY 200,000 is to be paid as a monthly salary.
This status of residence covers both the former engineer and specialist in humanities/international services statuses of residence. No major changes have been made to the required qualifications for this category. It still targets applicants who intend to engage in services that require knowledge and/or skills relevant to one of the following:
The law requires the activities to be based on contracts with public organizations or private companies in Japan. Therefore, the applicant must enter into an employment agreement, service contract or consignment agreement. The applicant's employer must have an office located in Japan, and is, in many cases, required to arrange social and labor insurance for the applicant.
Applicants must meet one of the following requirements:
If the job requires specific training or sensitivity based on experience with foreign cultures, the applicant must have a minimum of three years of experience in the relevant field, except where the applicant will engage in a translation, interpretation or language-related role.
In addition, the applicant must be offered a salary equal to the salary a Japanese national would receive for comparable work. The Immigration Services Agency does not announce the actual amount that satisfies this requirement; however, it is currently understood that a minimum of JPY 200,000 is to be paid as monthly salary.
This status of residence authorizes foreign nationals to operate or manage international trade or other businesses.
Further, if the applicant is to operate or manage that business, the following conditions must be satisfied:
If the applicant is to engage in the management of international trade or other businesses in Japan, the applicant must meet the following requirements:
This status of residence targets applicants who will engage in one of the following activities designated by the relevant Ministry of Justice ordinances as those offered by highly skilled professionals who are expected to contribute to Japan's academic research and/or economic development:
Applicants for the highly skilled professional I category must first qualify for a status of residence other than diplomat, official or technical intern training. The applicant's intended activities in Japan must not be considered harmful to Japan's industries or the lives of its citizens.
A holder of highly skilled professional I status will be given preferential immigration treatment, including the following:
In addition, a qualified applicant must engage in activities categorized as academic research activities, advanced specialized/technical activities or business management activities and earn 70 points or more under the points-based system to be recognized as a highly skilled foreign professional.
This status of residence targets holders of highly skilled professional I status who have lived in Japan for three years or longer.
In addition to enjoying the above-listed types of preferential treatment granted to holders of highly skilled professional I status, holders of highly skilled professional II status will be allowed an infinite period of stay (as opposed to a maximum of five years for highly skilled professional I) and will be allowed to engage in a much wider variety of activities (practically any work activities authorized under any work-related status of residence).
This status of residence is for applicants whose daily activities are as the spouse or dependent children of foreign nationals who are staying in Japan with a status of residence other than diplomat, official, temporary visitor, precollege student or designated activities.
A dependent spouse must be legally and substantively married to the principal applicant. The Immigration Services Agency does not recognize common-law or same-sex marriages. Dependent children include adult children (age 20 or above) and adopted children.
Permissible daily activities include non-profit-making activities that family members are reasonably expected to be engaged in, such as household duties or attending elementary and high schools. Profit-making activities and paid activities are excluded. However, job hunting is considered to be within a dependent's authorized activities. Subject to obtaining special permission from the Immigration Services Bureau, a holder of the dependent visa status may engage in profit-making activities within the limit of 28 hours per week.