Since 15 April 2026: if the employer is in Category 3 or 4 and you will mainly use language skills with people (translation, interpretation, front desk…), you must show CEFR B2 in the working language (JLPT N2 or equivalent for Japanese). See the Japanese requirement
Overview
Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services (技術・人文知識・国際業務, often shortened to "gijinkoku") is the status most foreigners use for professional work at a Japanese company. At the end of 2025, 475,790 people lived in Japan on it — 57,084 more than a year earlier, second only to permanent residents (Immigration Services Agency).
It covers three kinds of work under one status — you don't choose one when applying:
- Engineer: work that needs natural-science knowledge, such as software development, mechanical design, electrical engineering, R&D
- Specialist in humanities: work that needs law, economics, sociology or other social-science knowledge, such as accounting, legal, marketing, planning
- International services: work that needs a foreign cultural background, such as translation, interpretation, language teaching, overseas trade, public relations, fashion or interior design
The review comes down to one question: does the work you will actually do each day need the specialist knowledge you gained at university or similar (for international services, a foreign cultural background)? Simple labour and front-line service work do not qualify.
Who Is This For
- ✓Engineer roles: software and systems engineers, mechanical or electrical engineers, R&D staff
- ✓Specialist in humanities roles: accounting, finance, legal, marketing, planning, HR and other jobs that need social-science knowledge
- ✓International services roles: translators, interpreters, language teachers at private companies, overseas trade, public relations, fashion or interior design
- ✓International students who graduated from a Japanese university or vocational school and found a job in Japan
- ✓Professionals hired from abroad by a Japanese company
Validity Periods
5 years3 years1 year3 months
Single Residence Period: Up to 5 years
Official approved and refused cases
The Immigration Services Agency publishes real cases in Annex 3 of its clarification of this status (PDF, Japanese). A representative selection, with the monthly pay given in each case:
Approved
- An engineering graduate from their home country who had worked for a software company, hired by a Japanese software company as a software engineer at about ¥350,000 a month.
- A university graduate from their home country, hired by a Japanese language school as a language teacher at about ¥250,000 a month.
- A business graduate from their home country, hired by a Japanese food and household-goods importer to interpret and translate in trade with their home country, at about ¥300,000 a month.
- An economics graduate of a Japanese university, hired as a systems engineer by a software developer.
- A literature graduate of a Japanese university hired on the management track by a food retailer: two years of in-store training at a supermarket, the same as Japanese graduates, then sales or overseas work at head office. The training matched what Japanese staff do and was part of a career plan, so it was approved.
Refused
- No specialist knowledge needed: an education graduate hired to pack boxed lunches at a factory.
- Pay below Japanese staff: an engineering graduate hired as an engineer at ¥135,000 a month, while the Japanese new hire doing the same job got ¥180,000.
- Overwork as a student: more than 200 hours of part-time work a month for over a year on a Student visa — a poor residence record.
- No real business: the accounting office in the application turned out to be a restaurant, with no clear explanation.
- "Training" that was really service work: a restaurant chain hired a "store manager candidate" who would spend years serving and cooking, with only selected staff moving on to qualifying work.
- Not enough work: a 12-person restaurant company hiring someone for accounting and staff management did not have enough of that work; taking phone reservations needs no specialist knowledge.
- Dispatch contract said "shop staff": a staffing agency applied for translation work, but the dispatch contract listed retail shop staff.
Requirements
- •A contract with a company or organisation in Japan (usually an employment contract) for work that needs specialist knowledge — simple labour and front-line service work do not qualify
- •Education or experience (engineer and humanities roles): a degree in a field related to the job from a university (including junior colleges, graduate schools and equivalent foreign degrees), or graduation from a Japanese vocational school with the title "Senmonshi" or "Kodo Senmonshi"; without such a degree, 10 or more years of related work experience (time spent studying the subject at a university, technical college, high school or vocational school counts)
- •IT engineers: passing an IT exam or holding a qualification on the Minister of Justice's list removes the education and experience requirement
- •International services roles (translation, interpretation, language teaching, PR, overseas trade, fashion or interior design, product development…): 3 or more years of related experience — not required for university graduates who will translate, interpret or teach languages
- •Pay: at least what a Japanese employee would receive for the same work
- •Language: since 15 April 2026, applicants of Category 3 or 4 employers who will mainly use language skills with people must show CEFR B2 in the working language (Japanese requirement)
Japanese requirement (from 15 April 2026)
On 15 April 2026 the Immigration Services Agency published Annex 4: if you will mainly use language skills in work with people (translation, interpretation, hotel front desk and similar reception work, sales that depends on communication…), you must have CEFR B2 in the working language — otherwise the job is not treated as the "work above a certain level" this status requires (Annex 4 PDF, Japanese).
- Who submits proof: applicants whose employer is in Category 3 or 4, with the application; Category 1 and 2 employers normally need not, but may be asked during the review.
- Which applications: COE, change of status and acquisition applications; people already in Japan who start such work after changing jobs or roles submit it at their next extension. Extensions for the same continuing work need none.
- Counts as B2 in Japanese (any one):
- JLPT N2 or higher
- BJT Business Japanese Proficiency Test score of 400 or more
- 20 or more years in Japan as a mid- to long-term resident
- Graduation from a Japanese university, or completion of a Japanese technical college or vocational school (specialised course or advanced course) — in a field related to the job
- Japanese compulsory education plus a Japanese high-school diploma
- Other languages: your native or official language; a test result showing CEFR B2 or higher; or a reasonable explanation that you have the ability (for example, university study in a country where the language is official).
Technical, back-office and other jobs that are not mainly language work are not affected.
The four employer categories
The Immigration Services Agency sorts employers into four categories by size and tax filings, and the category decides how many documents you submit: Categories 1 and 2 normally submit only the form, a photo and proof of category (official page, Japanese).
| Category | Which employers | What to submit |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Companies listed on a Japanese stock exchange, mutual insurers, national and local governments, incorporated administrative agencies, special and public-interest corporations, and some government-certified companies | Proof of category (e.g. a copy of the Shikiho entry) — normally nothing else |
| 2 | Organisations or individuals whose income tax withheld from salaries was ¥10 million or more last year, or organisations approved to use the online residence application system with Category 2 documents | A copy of last year's statutory withholding summary — normally nothing else |
| 3 | Other organisations that filed last year's withholding summary (most small and medium firms) | The withholding summary plus terms of employment, CV, proof of education or experience, registry extract, company profile, latest financial statements and the representative declaration; B2 proof for customer-facing language roles |
| 4 | Anyone not in the categories above (e.g. a newly founded company) | The Category 3 documents (a business plan instead of financial statements) plus the notice opening a salary-payment office and the last 3 months of withholding-tax payment slips, or approval of the special payment schedule |
- Special rule for students: when changing from Student status, graduates (including expected graduates) of a Japanese university, graduate school or junior college, graduates of a foreign university ranked in the top 300 of at least two of three world rankings, and people joining an employer that already took on a former student who changed and extended status there, all apply with Category 2 documents.
- Since 15 April 2026, Categories 3 and 4 also submit a declaration about the organisation's representative.
Costs & Fees
First application (from abroad)
Certificate of Eligibility (COE) applicationFree
Visa (issued at an embassy or consulate)Single about ¥15,000 / multiple about ¥30,000 (from 2026-07-01, charged in local currency)
Extension (in Japan, from 2026-10-01)
3 months granted¥10,000 at the counter or online
1 year grantedCounter ¥33,000 / online ¥27,000
3 years grantedCounter ¥64,000 / online ¥56,000
5 years grantedCounter ¥75,000 / online ¥65,000
Changing to this status inside Japan (e.g. after graduating)Same as an extension; paid only when granted
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Visa fees
Full breakdown of Immigration fees, scrivener rates, and all other costs for this visa type.
Required Documents
- Application form for a Certificate of Eligibility (in Japan: the change-of-status or extension form) — 1 copy
- Photo, 4 cm high × 3 cm wide — 1
- Proof of the employer's category (e.g. a copy of the Shikiho company handbook entry, or last year's statutory withholding summary, 法定調書合計表)
- Return envelope with your address and registered-mail postage (COE applications)
- Categories 3 and 4 also: written terms of employment (or an employment contract stating duties, period and pay)
- Categories 3 and 4 also: CV, plus proof of education (diploma etc.) or of work experience; IT engineers may submit a pass certificate of a listed IT exam instead
- Categories 3 and 4 also: the company's certified registry extract, a company profile (history, organisation, business, main clients) and the latest financial statements (a business plan for a new company)
- Categories 3 and 4 also: a declaration about the organisation's representative (since 15 April 2026); proof of CEFR B2 for customer-facing language roles
- Category 4 also: a copy of the notice opening a salary-payment office, and income-tax withholding payment slips for the last 3 months (or approval of the special payment schedule)
- Dispatched (agency) workers: pledges from the dispatching agency and the client company, the terms of employment and the individual dispatch contract
- Documents in other languages need a Japanese translation; Japanese certificates must be issued within the last 3 months; in Japan, show your passport and residence card
Where to Apply
From abroad: your employer in Japan (or an administrative scrivener) applies to the regional immigration bureau for a Certificate of Eligibility (COE); you then apply for the visa at a Japanese embassy or consulate with the COE. In Japan: you apply yourself to the regional immigration bureau for your address — a change of status (e.g. after graduating) or an extension; online applications are accepted.
Application Process
- 1Get a job offer from a Japanese company and sign a contract stating your duties and pay
- 2The employer (or an administrative scrivener it hires) applies to the regional immigration bureau for a Certificate of Eligibility (COE) — online applications are accepted
- 3Wait for the decision (see "Review time" below for the latest immigration average)
- 4The COE is sent to you. It is valid for 3 months: within that time, apply for the visa at a Japanese embassy or consulate with the COE and your passport (usually about 5–10 working days) and enter Japan
- 5Arrival: at New Chitose, Narita, Haneda, Chubu, Kansai, Hiroshima and Fukuoka airports you receive your residence card on the spot; at other ports it is mailed after you register your address
- 6Register your address at the city or ward office within 14 days of settling; health insurance and pension enrolment through your employer is handled by the company
Switching to this status inside Japan (e.g. after graduating)
People already in Japan — international students or Dependent visa holders, for instance — who find qualifying work do not need to leave: you apply yourself to the regional immigration bureau for your address for a change of status of residence (online applications are accepted). The bureau asks you to apply as soon as you plan to start the new activity: you cannot start full-time work before permission, and no longer doing the activity of your current status risks revocation.
- Graduating students: expected graduates of a Japanese university, junior college or graduate school can apply before graduation, with Category 2 documents (see the four categories).
- Review time: the latest immigration average for changes of status is in Review time on this page.
- Fee: from 1 October 2026 it depends on the period granted — at the counter ¥33,000 for 1 year, ¥64,000 for 3 years, ¥75,000 for 5 years (online ¥27,000 / ¥56,000 / ¥65,000), paid only when granted (fees in detail).
- No job yet after graduating: eligible graduates can apply for Designated Activities to keep job-hunting in Japan (details).
Official figures published in November 2025: in 2024 the bureau decided 41,142 applications from students changing status to work in Japan and approved 39,766; 31,393 of them (78.9%) moved to this status. Of those approved, 46.1% earned ¥200,000–250,000 a month and 25.7% less than ¥200,000; 40.9% joined companies with 49 or fewer employees (ISA PDF, Japanese).
Next step
Apply for the Certificate of Eligibility (COE)
Once you've chosen your visa, your Japan-side sponsor (employer / school / family) files the COE with Immigration — then you exchange it for a visa at the embassy.
Residence Status (COE) Review Time
Average processing days as of Jul 2026, based on official Ministry of Justice statistics.
COE (from overseas)
Certificate of Eligibility issuance, applied from outside Japan.
49.8days
31-mo avg: 62.3 days
Change of status
Switching from another residence status while in Japan.
72.9days
31-mo avg: 51.4 days
Renewal / Extension
Extending the same residence status in Japan.
40.8days
31-mo avg: 39.8 days
Figures include waiting time for supplementary documents. Denied and withdrawn applications are excluded.
Renewal and change-of-status 'notice' figures include the wait between review completion and pickup at Immigration Bureau.
Obligations & benefits
Obligations (what you must keep doing)
- Keep working — in work this status covers: the status is granted for professional work for an organisation in Japan. Not doing that work for 3 months or more without a good reason can lead to revocation; doing something else instead (only casual jobs, say) can lead to revocation without waiting 3 months. Actively looking for a new job after a dismissal is generally a good reason. When you change jobs, notify the immigration bureau within 14 days of leaving and of joining.
- Pay your taxes: income tax is withheld from your salary; resident tax starts in your second year in Japan, based on the previous year's income — while unemployed you pay it yourself.
- Join health insurance and the pension: employees are enrolled in the employer's health insurance and Employees' Pension, deducted from salary; between jobs you switch to National Health Insurance and the National Pension yourself.
- If you don't: employees of Category 3 and 4 employers submit resident-tax certificates at each extension, and a permanent residence application checks several years of payments — under the guideline revised on 1 October 2026, past arrears count against you even if paid later (Permanent Resident).
Benefits (what you get)
- Bring your family: your spouse and children can come on the Dependent (家族滞在) status; with permission, your spouse may work up to 28 hours a week.
- Public schools for your children: foreign children can attend public elementary and junior high schools like Japanese children — no tuition and free textbooks (lunch and other costs are paid).
- Health insurance for the family: with company health insurance, a spouse and children who live in Japan and earn little can join as dependants at no extra premium; patients pay 30% of medical costs (20% before primary school), and many cities subsidise children's care further.
- Child allowance: for children living in Japan — ¥15,000 a month under age 3, ¥10,000 a month from 3 through high-school age, ¥30,000 a month from the third child; a childbirth lump-sum grant of ¥500,000 in principle from health insurance.
- Unemployment and leaving Japan: unemployment benefits from employment insurance if you qualify; if you leave Japan for good after 6+ months of contributions, you can claim a lump-sum withdrawal of part of your pension within 2 years.
- Rights of the status itself: change to another employer in the same kind of work; renew without limit; move on to Highly Skilled Professional or permanent residence; return within 1 year of leaving without a re-entry permit (special re-entry permit).
Work Restrictions
Only professional work within the status is allowed — simple labour (factory lines, warehouse sorting, restaurant service, cash registers…) is not. Paid work outside the status, such as a part-time or side job, needs Permission to Engage in Activity Other Than That Permitted first. On-site training after joining is accepted only when it is the same training Japanese employees receive and does not take up most of the period of stay.
Changing jobs and leaving a job
- Same kind of work: if the new job is also within this status, you don't need a new visa. Notify the immigration bureau within 14 days of leaving and within 14 days of joining (notification concerning the organisation of affiliation) — online, by post or at the counter.
- Not sure the new job qualifies: apply for a Certificate of Authorised Employment (就労資格証明書) so the bureau confirms it in advance, rather than finding out at your next extension.
- New job outside the status (restaurant service, factory work…): change to the matching status first — otherwise it is unauthorised activity.
- Between jobs: not doing work under this status for 3 months or more without a good reason can lead to revocation; actively looking for a new job is generally accepted as a good reason (ISA: revocation of status).
- First extension after moving to a Category 3 or 4 company: besides the usual documents, submit the new company's terms of employment, registry extract, company profile and financial statements.
Renewal & Extension
You can apply for an extension from about 3 months before your period of stay ends; if you apply in time, you may stay lawfully until the decision (up to 2 months past the expiry date). The review checks that you still do work within the status, that taxes and social insurance are paid on time, and that the employer is stable. Employees of Category 3 and 4 employers submit resident-tax certificates (taxable income and payment); the first extension after moving to a Category 3 or 4 company also needs the new company's documents. From 1 October 2026 the fee depends on the period granted (counter: 1 year ¥33,000, 5 years ¥75,000).
Common Visa Transition Paths
These are the most common paths — many other transitions are possible if you meet the eligibility criteria for another residence status.
Highly Skilled Professional (Type 1 & 2)
70+ points (education, salary, experience…) — switch to Highly Skilled Professional
Permanent Resident
10 years in Japan incl. 5 working; from 1 April 2027 you must hold a 5-year period of stay
Business Manager
Start your own business and meet the Business Manager criteria (¥30 million capital etc.)
Compared with other work visas
| Engineer/Humanities/Intl. Services | Highly Skilled Professional (i) | Specified Skilled Worker (i) | Intra-company Transferee | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Who qualifies | Degree related to the job, or 10 years of experience (3 for international services) | 70+ points for education, salary, career, Japanese and more | Skills and Japanese tests passed (or Technical Intern Training (ii) completed), for hands-on work in designated industries | 1+ year with an overseas affiliate right before the transfer |
| Period of stay | 5 years, 3 years, 1 year or 3 months, renewable | 5 years | Up to 5 years in total | 5 years, 3 years, 1 year or 3 months |
| Changing employer | Same kind of work: just change and notify within 14 days | Employer is designated — a change needs permission | Within the same industry, with a change of status | Only at the receiving office — a new employer means a new status |
| Family | Yes (Dependent) | Yes; parents and domestic workers in some cases | Generally no | Yes (Dependent) |
| Counts toward the 5 work years for permanent residence | Yes | Yes; permanent residence after 3 years at 70 points or 1 year at 80 | No | No longer, for applications from 1 April 2027 |
More: Highly Skilled Professional, Specified Skilled Worker, Intra-company Transferee.
Important Notices
- ⚠The real work is simple labour or front-line service (factory work, shop floor, restaurant service…) — a job title such as "translator" or "manager" does not change that
- ⚠The field of study does not relate to the job; vocational-school graduates are reviewed more strictly than university graduates
- ⚠Pay below a Japanese employee in the same role (an official case: ¥135,000 a month while the Japanese new hire doing the same job got ¥180,000 — refused)
- ⚠A small company without enough work for the role (e.g. a full-time translator at a tiny firm), or a company with no real business
- ⚠Working beyond the 28-hour limit or poor attendance as a student — counted as a poor residence record when changing to this status
- ⚠For dispatched workers: the dispatch contract describes different work (e.g. "shop staff") from the application
- ⚠More refusal reasons and fixes: COE refusal reasons · Engineer/Humanities
Practical Tips
- →Before joining, find out which category the employer is in — it decides how many documents you need
- →Prepare a job description (or letter of reasons for employment) that says what you will do each day and which specialist knowledge it uses — this is what the review looks at most
- →Before changing jobs, if you are unsure the new job qualifies, apply for a Certificate of Authorised Employment
FAQ
Do I need JLPT N2 for the Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services visa?▾
Not always. Since 15 April 2026, proof of CEFR B2 in the working language is required only when the employer is in Category 3 or 4 and you will mainly use language skills with people (translation, interpretation, hotel front desk, customer service, sales that depends on communication…). For Japanese, any one of these counts: JLPT N2 or higher, BJT 400 or more, 20+ years living in Japan, graduation from a Japanese university, technical college or vocational school (in a field related to the job), or Japanese compulsory education plus a Japanese high-school diploma. Technical and back-office roles are not affected; Category 1 and 2 employers normally need not submit proof, but may be asked for it.
My degree doesn't exactly match the job. Can I still apply?▾
What matters is the connection. For university graduates the immigration bureau judges the link between field of study and job flexibly; for vocational-school graduates the subjects studied must relate to the job and review is stricter (except for courses certified by the education minister under the international-student career programme). For translation, interpretation, language teaching and other international-services work, the test is 3 years of related experience — university graduates doing those three jobs need none.
Can English teachers use this visa?▾
Teaching a language at a private language school, an English conversation school or a company falls under this status (international services). Teaching at an elementary, junior high or high school falls under the "Instructor" (教育) status instead. University graduates teaching languages need no work experience.
Do I need a new visa when I change jobs?▾
Not if the new job is also within this status — just notify the immigration bureau within 14 days of leaving and within 14 days of joining (notification concerning the organisation of affiliation). If you are unsure whether the new job qualifies, you can apply for a Certificate of Authorised Employment (就労資格証明書) so the bureau confirms it in advance. If the new job falls outside the status (restaurant service, factory work…), you must change your status first.
Can I stay in Japan after resigning or being dismissed?▾
Yes, while your period of stay lasts — but you need to be looking for work. Not doing the job your status is for for 3 months or more without a good reason can lead to revocation of your status; actively searching for a new job is generally accepted as a good reason. If your period of stay runs out before you find a job, an extension becomes difficult. While unemployed you pay resident tax yourself and switch to National Health Insurance and the National Pension.
Can I have a side job?▾
Work within this status (for example translating for a second company) needs no permission, but a new contract must be reported to the immigration bureau within 14 days. Paid work outside the status (convenience store or restaurant shifts, for instance) needs Permission to Engage in Activity Other Than That Permitted first.
How long until I can apply for permanent residence?▾
Normally 10 years of continuous residence in Japan, at least 5 of them on a work or other qualifying status (student years count toward the 10 but not the 5). Under the permanent residence guideline revised on 1 October 2026, applications filed from 1 April 2027 need the longest period of stay for this status — 5 years. If you move to Highly Skilled Professional, 3 years at 70 points or 1 year at 80 points is enough. See Permanent Resident.
Sources
Checked against these official sources on 8 October 2026:
- Immigration Services Agency: Status of residence "Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services" (activities, periods of stay, the four categories and documents)
- Immigration Services Agency: Clarification of the status, with Annex 3 — approved and refused cases and Annex 4 — language ability
- Immigration Services Agency: Revocation of status of residence (Immigration Control Act Art. 22-4)
- Immigration Services Agency: Foreign residents at the end of 2025; International students' employment in 2024
- Immigration Services Agency: Permanent residence guideline (revised 1 October 2026)
- Ministry of Education: School guidebook for foreign children; Children and Families Agency: Child allowance; Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare: Childbirth lump-sum grant; Japan Pension Service: Lump-sum withdrawal payment