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Types of Working Visas

If you are not sure which visa you need, please visit our Quiz page or contact us for a free consultation.

Business Manager

Business Manager

 

If one of the following descriptions matches you, the Business Manager Visa may be what you are looking for.

  1. You have some business experience and are looking to establish a new company in Japan.

  2. You are a senior manager (director level or higher) of your existing company and wish to come to Japan to setup and manage the Japanese branch of your company.

For a general list of the basic documents required for the Business Manager Visa, please click here.

Highly Skilled Professional

Highly Skilled Professional

The Highly Skilled Professional Visa is often the most sought-after visa due to the fact that it is the only status of residence which allows holders to bring their parents to Japan or to hire domestic help. Additionally, this visa features a point-based system of eligibility. 70 points are required to qualify for the basic visa, and 80 points for the more presitigious one. With 70 points, you can apply for Permanent Residence after 3 years in Japan. If you score above 80 points, you can apply after living in Japan for just 1 year!


For more information (including the point table), please click here.
For a general list of the basic documents required for the Highly Skilled Professional Visa, please click here.

ESHIS

Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services (ESHIS)
 

This visa has arguably the broadest range of possible employment activities and is usually the recommended visa for applicants who do not fit the other, more specific visa categories.

If you fulfill the following criteria, this might be a suitable visa for you.

 

1. You are a university graduate

2. You will be engaging in work closely connected to your undergraduate degree

3. The work will consist of or be related to one or more of the following:

- Engineering

- Languages (interpreting, translating, copywriting, teaching)

- Creative content (design, marketing, advertising, fashion)

- Business & Sociology (management and administration, HR, product development, public services)

For a general list of the basic documents required for the ESHIS Visa, please click here.

Transferee

Inter Company Transferee Visa    


This visa is one of the most straightforward Japanese employment visas and is for companies who wish to transfer one of their employees from an overseas branch to a Japanese one.
 

The requirements are relatively simple:

1. The applicant must be employed in a non-Japanese branch of the company for at least 1 year, during which
2. The applicant must be engaged in activities which would be covered under the ESHIS Visa, i.e.,
 related to one or more of the following:

- Engineering

- Languages (interpreting, translating, copywriting, teaching)

- Creative content (design, marketing, advertising, fashion)

- Business & Sociology (management and administration, HR, product development, public services)

For a general list of the basic documents required for the Transferee Visa, please click here.

Skilled Labour

Skilled Labour Visa


This visa is like the more blue/grey collar version of the ESHIS visa. In other words, it features a broad range of possible employment activities that require highly specialized skills that are rare in Japan.
 

Examples:

- F&B: Chef, sommelier, cheesemaker

- Engineering: Mining engineer, processing engineer

- Training/Coaching: Animal trainer, sports coach

- Others: Aircraft pilot

For a general list of the basic documents required for the Skilled Labour Visa, please click here.

Instructor

Instructor Visa    


The Instructor Visa allows you to teach (mainly English) in recognized, full-time educational institutions, e.g. high schools, elementary schools etc. If you are planning to teach in a private Business English school or eikaiwa school, please refer to the ESHIS Visa.

For a general list of the basic documents required for the Instructor Visa, please click here.

Professor

Professor Visa


The higher education counterpart of the Instructor Visa, the Professor Visa is for individuals who will be engaged in performing and/or supervising research and lecturing at recognised Japanese educational institutions of higher learning, such as the following:

- Four-year universities

- Junior colleges

- Graduate schools

- Technical colleges

For a general list of the basic documents required for the Professor Visa, please click here.

Researcher

Researcher Visa


This is a working visa intended for persons who are engaged in full-time, remunerated research work at a public or private institution. If you are a PhD student, please refer to the Student Visa.
Minimum requirements:

- A Master's degree

- Post-graduate research experience of min. 3 years (including post-graduate study research) OR

- Combined research experience of min. 10 years (including under-graduate, graduate and post-graduate study research) 

For a general list of the basic documents required for the Researcher Visa, please click here.

Entertainer Visa


Due to the extreme variety of activities covered by this visa, the requirements depend heavily on the applicant's proposed activity. These include the following:

- Show Business and the Arts (singer, actor, model, band, musician, dancer, choreographer, production crew)

- Sports (trainer, coach, athlete, manager, promoters) 

To find out if you fit the requirements for an Entertainer Visa, please contact us for your free consultation.

Entertainer
Religious

Religious Visa     


This visa covers religious work as performed by preachers and organisers of different faiths, including but not limited to: monks, imams, rabbis, bishops and priests.

 

For more information regarding the Religious Visa, please contact us for your free consultation.

Artist

Artist Visa


This is a visa for established artists who wish to create original art in Japan. Some possible activities permitted under this visa are: painting, sculpting, pottery, music composition, photography, choreography, digital art, literature.
You must be primarily engaged in the production of new, original artworks, and the income generated from this activity must be sufficient for you to remain financially independent in Japan.

For more information regarding the Artist Visa, please contact us for your free consultation.

Jornalist

Journalist Visa   
 

The Journalist Visa is for individuals employed by a foreign news organisation who have a specific contract to perform journalistic activities in Japan. Possible applicants may include the following:

- Foreign correspondents

- Investigative journalists

- Camera crew and photographers

- Filming and production crew of a documentary
 

For more information regarding the Journalist Visa, please contact us for your free consultation.

Diplomat

Diplomat/Official Visa
 

Only holders of diplomatic/official passports will be able to apply for this visa. Other than your diplomatic passport, you will need the following documents:
 

- Note verbal and/or similar documents issued by your state or organisation, certifying your identity and your official business in Japan.

- Passport photograph

- Visa application form

For more information regarding the Diplomat/Official Visa, please contact us for your free consultation.

Medical

Medical Visa    
 

Only persons with a valid medical license issued by Japanese authorities to practise medicine and/or nursing in Japan qualify for this visa.

For more information regarding the Medical Visa, please contact us for your free consultation.

Legal/Accounting

Legal/Accounting Visa
 

Only persons with a valid legal/accounting license issued by Japanese authorities to practise law or accounting in Japan qualify for this visa.

For more information regarding the Legal/Accounting Visa, please contact us for your free consultation.

Technical Intern

Technical Intern Visa    
 

The Technical Intern Visa is intended for individuals from an appropriate sending organisation to receive training for skills (which they would otherwise not be able to acquire in their home country) from an organisation in Japan. 
It has an unusually long list of requirements and documents which can vary greatly based on the applicant’s situation. 

For more information regarding the Technical Intern Visa, please contact us for your free consultation.

Designated Activities

Designated Activities Visa 
*Intern and Domestic Helper fall under Designated Activities
 

Think of this visa as the “odd one out” or “stop gap” visa. It covers a whole range of activities which seem to share only one common feature: not fitting into other visa categories. As such, although it is technically not classified as a working visa, certain paid jobs and positions (including interns and domestic helpers) are permitted.

The Designated Activities Visa has an unusually long list of requirements and documents which can vary greatly based on the applicant’s situation. 

For more information regarding the Designated Activities Visa, please contact us for your free consultation.

End of Working Visas Page


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