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- Visa and Immigration Procedure in Japan
- Different types of visa (status of residence) in Japan
- How to obtain a visa for Japan
- Renewal of your visa in Japan
- Where to apply for a visa for Japan
- Required documents
- Travelling outside of Japan and re-entry permit
- Foreign Resident Registration
- Getting a new passport
- Changing jobs in Japan
- Self sponsorship
- Your company is sending you to Japan without a local hosting structure
- Student and "dependent" visa holders wishing to work
- Working holiday visa in Japan
- Getting married in Japan
- Permanent resident
- Certificate of Eligibility (COE) rejected
- Overstay in Japan
- Case studies:
- entrepreneur wishing to start a business in Japan- - expatriate
- - person looking for a job in Japan
- - employment of a person of foreign national
- - person married to a Japanese national
- - spouse and child of those with work visa, student visa or cultural activities visa
- - descendants of Japanese national (nikkei)
- - what to do when eligible for more than one visa (status of residence) ?
- Make a plan of your stay in Japan
- Setting up business in Japan
- Incorporation, setting up an office/company in Japan
- Business Licenses
- Certain types of business require business licenses in Japan
Visa & Immigration procedure in Japan
Different types of visa (status of residence) in Japan
There are 27 different
The definition and the types of activities allowed with each visa type are described as below. this means that your future activities in Japan will have to fall into one of those categories, and if you don't find one that fits you, you will then not be able to obtain a visa for Japan.
For example, you can't get a working visa as a construction worker or a waiter/waitress.
There are also requirements to meet as to obtain a visa. So even if you find a Japanese employer, you will not be able to come to work in Japan if you don't meet these requirements.
For example, you can't work as a language teacher if you don't have a degree or 3 years working experience.
The status of residence can be devided into 3 main groups:
1. Working visa: those which allow you to work
2. Non-working visa: those which don't allow you to work
3. Family related visa: those granted according to the family status
It is first necessary to determine the type of visa that you qualify for. One person can get only one type of visa, so if you are eligible for more than one (engineer visa and spouse visa for example), you will need to choose one among them.
Now let's see the definition of each type of visa and its requirements that will allow you to determine the type of visa that you qualify for.
>> How to obtain and renew your visa in Japan
>> Required documents for visa applications in Japan
>> Ask for personalized advise
Working visa
The type of work that foreigners are allowed to engage in is limited to what requires high level of professional knowledge or skills. It is therefore not allowed to engage in manual labour unless you have the visa granted according to the family status (spouse/child of Japanese national, long term resident, etc.), the trainee visa or are part-time workers on student or dependent visas.
For instance, there is no work visa for hair-dressing, massage, waiter/waitress, salesclerk, construction workers, etc.
Those who work in private companies fall in most cases under one of the following 5 types of visa (status of residence).
| *Specialist in Humanities / International Services (3 years or 1 year) |
People whose activities are in the legal, economic, social fields or in the human science. University Degree or professional experience of 10 year or more required. People whose activities are in the translation, interpretation, instruction in languages, public relations, international trade, fashion design, interior design, product development. In this case, it is necessary to have professional experience of more than 3 years except for the interpretation and the translation or the language instruction that only require a university degree. |
| *Engineer (3 years or 1 year) | Engineers whose activities are in the fields of physical science, engineering or other natural science. Degree in the corresponding field or professional experience of 10 years or more required. |
| *Intra-company Transferee (3 years or 1 year) | Expats of the foreign companies or the subsidiary companies of Japanese firms located in overseas. Is is necessary to have worked more than one year in the said office in overseas, and to prove the relation between the office in overseas and the hosting organization in Japan. |
| *Skilled Labor (3 years or 1 year) | Foreign cooking, architecture or civil engineering characteristic to foreign countries, processing precious stones, metals or fur, training animals, piloting aircrafts, instructing sports, sommeliers... It is necessary to have a professional experience of 10 years or more in the corresponding fields (including the period of training). |
| *Investor / Business Manager (3 years or 1 year) | This status is granted to those who start or invest in the management of business in Japan, as well as to those who do it on behalf of foreign investors. Conditions : - to have an office in Japan - employment of 2 people living in Japan on full-time basis or investment of more than 5 million yen into the business |
>> How to obtain and renew your visa in Japan
>> Required documents for visa applications in Japan
>> Ask for personalized advise
Further more, there are status of residence granted to those who have certain positions, knowledge, or know-how.
| Diplomat / Official (during mission) | Personnel of the Embassies and consular offices, diplomatic missions, Government personnel and their families. The application goes through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and not the Immigration bureau. |
| Professor (3 years or 1 year) | Research and education at University or equivalent educational institutions. |
| *Instructor (3 years or 1 year) | Instruction of foreign languages or other education at elementary schools, junior high schools, high schools, etc. Conditions : Holders of University Degree or Teachers Licences The instructors in the private language schools have to apply for the status "Specialist in Humanities / International Services". |
| Artist (3 years or 1 year) | Artistic activities that generate income (music, art, literature...) It is necessary to prove that the applicant can make own living only by artistic activities. |
| Religious Activities (3 years or 1 year) | Missionnaries sent from foreign religious organizations. |
| Journalist (3 years or 1 year) | Journalists who signed the contracts with forgeign journalistic organizations, including freelance journalists. |
| *Legal / Accounting Services (3 years or 1 year) | Attorneys, certified public accountants or other specialists with legal qualifications. |
| *Medical Services (3 years or 1 year) | Physicians, dentists or other medical specialists with legal qualifications. |
| *Researcher (3 years or 1 year) | Researches engaged on the basis of a contract with public or private organizations in Japan. |
| *Entertainer (1 year, 6 months or 3 months) | Theatrical performances, musical performances, sports or any other show business. |
>> How to obtain and renew your visa in Japan
>> Required documents for visa applications in Japan
>> Ask for personalized advise
Non-working visa
It is however possible to work (or engage in other activities than those permitted by the status or residence already granted) within the limited hours (except for temporary visitors) if you obtain the permission from the immigration office.
| *College Student (2 years or 1 year) | University student or students at equivalent educational institutions. The visa application is submitted through the school and the time of application is limited. |
| *Pre-college Student (1 year or 6 months) | High school students (or students at eauivalent edncations institutions), students at Japanese language schools. The visa application is submitted through the school and the time of application is limited. |
| *Trainee (1 year or 6 months) | Training to lean and acquire technology, skills or knowledge at public or private organizations in Japan. This status is granted only if the candidate is to engage in a job requiring the technology, skills or knowledge obtained in Japan after returning to the home country. |
| *Dependent (3 years, 2 years, 1 year, 6 months or 3 months) | Spouses or children of people staying in Japan under the work visa and non-working visa (except for temporary visitors and trainees). |
| Cultural Activities (1 year or 6 months) | Cultural or artistic activities that provide no income. Studies or researches of Japanese cultural or artistic activities. |
| Temporary Visitor (90 days, 30 days or 15 days) | Tourism, vacation, sports, family visit, participation to seminars, conferences or reunions. It is possible also to have business meetings, sign the contracts, engage in PR activities and conduct market researches. |
The following status of residence is granted case by case, and the possibility or not to work is determined for each case.
| Designated Activities | Activities specifically designated for each case. Hosekeepers for diplomats, students on internship, working holiday |
* These visas (status of residence) are granted upon satisfaction of the criteria which are decided considering influences that entrants could have on the Japanese industries and its people's life. These criteria therefore serve to adjust the quality and/or quantity of the entrants with regard to such impact.
Family related visa
These status of residence don't have the limit in the activities you can engage in. It is therefore possible to work in any field of activities with these status. There is no restriction when you wish to change your job or to have more than one activity.
| Spouse or Child of Japanese National (3 years or 1 year) | Spouses and children of Japanese nationals. |
| Long Term Resident (3 years or 1 year) | Refugeess, descendants of Japanese nationals, people caring for their children with Japanese nationality, people divorced form Japanese nationals, etc. |
| Permanent Resident (Indefinite) *Note | People staying in Japan for more than 10 years in principle. More than 3 years of residence in Japan for the spouses of Japanese nationals, or more than one year of residence in Japan for those who married and lived togeather for more than 3 years in overseas. More than one year of residence for children (including adopted children) of Japanese nationals. |
| Spouse or Child of Permanent Resident (3 years or 1 year) | Spouses and children or people staying in Japan with the status of Permanent Resident. |
*Note : it is still necessary to obtain a Re-entry permit which needs to be renewed every 3 years, if you wish to travel outside of Japan.
>> How to obtain and renew your visa in Japan
>> Required documents for visa applications in Japan
>> Ask for personalized advise
Certified as an Immigration Lawyer by the immigration office, we can help you with obtaining an appropriate visa and with other immigration procedures.
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