Guideline: Types of Working Visa in Japan | Guidable - Your Guide to a Sustainable, Wellbeing-centred Life in Japan

Guideline: Types of Working Visa in Japan

By Tony Tao Sep 23, 2020

Working Visa in Japan 

In general, Working visa in Japan that allow paid work to require a Japanese company, school, university, or individual to sponsor.

Applicants for a working visa would need to fill out an application form from the Japanese embassy or consulate in their own country after finding employment at a school, university, or Japanese company.

The typical requirements for acquiring a working visa for Japan are as follows: a valid passport, a recent photograph, a letter from your hiring manager (or sponsor) specifying your position and estimated future salary, a certificate of eligibility (the application for which your prospective employer demands documentation), a curriculum vitae and copies of any essential certificates of graduation.

Working visas are typically issued for terms of 1 year or 3 years, except for entertainers for periods of 3 months, 6 months, and 1 year, ordinarily extendable.

Type of Working Visa

就労ビザShuurou biza: Labor/Working Visa

投資経営ビザToushi keiei biza: Investor/Business Manager Visa

高度外国人材Kōdo gaikoku jinzai: Highly Skilled Professional Visa

特定技能Tokutei Gnou: Specified Skilled Worker Visa

Employment/Working Visas

Source: Embassy of Japan in the Australia

1. Professor

Activities authorized to engage in: Activities for research, the direction of research or education at colleges, equivalent educational institutions, or Koto senmon gakko (Colleges of Technology in Japan).

Period of stay: 5 years, 3 years, 1 year or 3 months

2. Artist

Activities authorized to engage in: Activities for the arts that provide income, including music, the fine arts, literature, etc. (excluding the activities described under Entertainer Visas).

Period of stay: 5 years, 3 years, 1 year or 3 months

3. Religious Activities

Activities authorized to engage in Missionary and other religious activities conducted by members of foreign religious organizations. Activities for research, the direction of research or education at colleges, equivalent educational.

Period of stay: 5 years, 3 years, 1 year or 3 months

4. Journalist

Activities authorized to engage in News coverage and other journalistic activities conducted based on a contract with a foreign journalistic organization, such as a foreign newspaper company, news agency, broadcasting station, documentary movie company, etc. (Specifically, activities carried out by newspaper journalists, magazine journalists, report writers, editorial chiefs, editors, media photographers, television and radio announcers, etc., including freelancers.)

Period of stay: 5 years, 3 years, 1 year or 3 months

5. Investor/Business Manager

Activities authorized to engage in: The operation of international trade or other business, to invest in international trade or other business and to operate or manage that business, or to operate or manage international trade or different location on behalf of foreign nationals (including foreign corporations) who have begun such an operation or have invested in such a business (excluding engaging in the process or management of companies which are prohibited without the legal qualifications described in Legal/Accounting Services).

Period of stay: 5 years, 3 years, 1 year or 3 months

6. Legal/Accounting Services

Activities authorized to engage in: Engaging in legal or accounting businesses that require attorneys to be recognized as foreign law specialists under the foreign lawyer’s law (Gaikokuho-Jimubengoshi) or certified public accountants (Gaikokukoninkaikeishi) practicing foreign accounting as described in the accountant Law or those with other appropriate legal qualifications.

Period of stay: 5 years, 3 years, 1 year or 3 months

7. Medical Services

Activities authorized to engage in: Engaging in medical treatment services that may only be undertaken by physicians, dentists, or those with other appropriate legal qualifications.

Period of stay: 5 years, 3 years, 1 year or 3 months

8. Researcher

Activities authorized to engage in: Engaging in research based on a contract with public or private organizations in Japan (excluding the activities described under Professor visas).

Period of stay: 5 years, 3 years, 1 year or 3 months

9. Instructor

Activities authorized to engage in: Engaging in language instruction and other education at elementary schools, junior high schools, schools for the blind, disabled children’s schools, advanced vocational schools (Senshugakko), vocational school (Kakushugakko), or the other educational institutions equivalent to vocational schools in facilities and curriculum.

Period of stay: 5 years, 3 years, 1 year or 3 months

10. Engineer

Activities authorized to engage in: Engaging in services that require technology and /or knowledge pertinent to physical science, engineering, or other natural science fields, based on a contract with public or private organizations in Japan (excluding the activities under Professor, Investor/Business Manager, Medical Services, Researcher, Instructor, Intra-CompanyTransferee and Entertainer visas).

Period of stay: 5 years, 3 years, 1 year or 3 months

11. Specialist in Humanities/International Services

Activities authorized to engage in: Engaging in services that require knowledge pertinent to jurisprudence, economics, sociology, or other human science fields or to engage in services that require specific ways of thought or sensitivity through the experience of foreign culture, based on a contract with public or private organizations in Japan (excluding the activities described under Professor, Artist, Journalist, Investor/Business Manager, Legal/Accounting Services, Medical Services, Researcher, Instructor, Intra-Company Transferee, and Entertainer visas).

Period of stay: 5 years, 3 years, 1 year or 3 months

12. Intra-Company Transferee

Activities authorized to engage in: Activities on the part of personnel who are transferred to business offices in Japan for a limited period from business offices which are established in foreign countries by public or private organizations that have head offices or branch offices in Japan and who engage at these business offices in the activities described under Engineer or Specialist in Humanities/ International Services visas. Applicants must have worked for their company for a minimum of one year.

Period of stay: 5 years, 3 years, 1 year or 3 months

13. Skilled Labour

Activities authorized to engage in: Engaging in services that require industrial techniques or skills belonging to particular fields, based on a contract with a public or private organization in Japan. Applicants must fulfill certain conditions concerning their personal history and work status.

Period of stay: 5 years, 3 years, 1 year or 3 months

14. Entertainer

Activities authorized to engage in: Engaging in theatrical performances, musical performances, sports, or any other show business (excluding the activities described under Investor/Business Manager visas).

Period of stay: 3 years, 1 year, 6 months, 3 months or 15 days

15. Performance / Entertainer Visa

Members of rock bands or similar groups, including non-performing members accompanying the group (e.g., tour managers, sound technicians, etc.), must obtain a Certificate of Eligibility to apply for a visa. Entertainers traveling to Japan to dance must also obtain a Certificate of Eligibility to apply for a visa. Classical musicians, members of symphony orchestras, theatre groups, opera singers, professional sportsmen or women (golfers, tennis players, surfers, etc.), professional car racers, and motorbike riders (including non-performing members accompanying the racers or riders such as car mechanics, trainers, etc.) who have been invited to Japan either to perform publicly for remuneration or to participate in a competition must also obtain visas. These applicants, however, may, in the place of a Certificate of Eligibility, present the following documents to apply for a visa.

Please note that if an applicant is unsure about what category he/she falls under, the applicant should contact the visa section directly to save time and avoid confusion.

Working Visa in Japan

Are you confusing about Working Visa in Japan? We do hope that this article could be a helpful piece of information to you. After all, all of our activities are aiming for a better life for foreigners in Japan! So, stay tuned and follow us!