The Highly-Skilled Professional Visa is for foreigners with advanced skills that Japan is seeking. It is given preferential treatment compared to other visas. One of the main features of the Highly-Skilled Professional Visa is that it is assessed using a point system. Your skills and experience are quantified as points, and your visa application is approved or rejected based on the total number of points you have. On the other hand, if you change jobs, you will need to apply for a new visa.
Who is eligible?
The Highly-Skilled Professional Visa is mainly for people with advanced skills in the following three fields
Advanced academic research activities
researchers, university professors, etc.
Advanced specialised/technical activities
engineers, IT specialists, etc.
Advanced management/administrative activities
company executives, managers, etc.
If you meet the requirements for one of these fields and score 70 points or more under the point system, you can apply for a Highly-Skilled Professional Visa.
How the point system works
The following items are evaluated under the point system.
| Evaluation Item | Description |
|---|---|
| Academic background | final academic background and degrees |
| Work experience | number of years of work experience and positions held |
| Annual income | annual income |
| Japanese language ability | Japanese language level |
| Other | Qualifications, awards, etc. |
Points are awarded for each of these items, and a total of 70 points or more is required to be eligible for a Highly-Skilled Professional visa.
Benefits of a Highly-Skilled Professional visa
There are the following benefits to holding a Highly-Skilled Professional visa.
Preferential treatment for immigration and residency procedures
such as a shortened screening period and simplified required documents
Accompanying parents
you can invite your parents to Japan to help with child-rearing or if you are pregnant
Acquiring permanent residency
The period before you can apply for permanent residency is short. You can apply after 3 years with 70 points or 1 year with 80 points.
Company management
You can establish and manage a company related to your job.
Employment of spouse
There are no restrictions on the hours that your spouse can work.
Application method
As the advanced specialist visa is based on your connection with the affiliated organisation, you will apply after you have decided on an affiliated organisation.
Necessary documents
The following documents are required for application.
- Passport
- Application
- Documents proving your educational and employment history
- Documents proving your Japanese language ability
- Other: employment contracts, documents proving the size of the company, financial statements
Your Gateway to JAPAN
Ensure Japan Success !
―
Visa Japan Tokyo provides one-stop services for business setup, visa procedures, and more. Take the first step towards your Japanese venture—contact us today!