Japan Work Visa & Work Permit 2026 — 11 Job Categories for Foreign Workers
Find the right work visa for your profession in Japan
Japan offers various work visa categories for foreign professionals. Whether you're an IT engineer, company executive, skilled worker, or researcher, there's a visa type designed for your situation.
Professional & Office Work
For engineers, IT professionals, translators, designers, and business specialists
Skilled & Specified Work
For skilled laborers, chefs, specified industry workers
Academic & Research
For professors, researchers, and educators
Special Categories
Highly skilled professionals, digital nomads, working holiday
Other Work-Related Visas
Four Main Work Visas Compared
| 技術・人文知識・国際業務 (Engineer/Humanities) | 経営・管理 (Business Manager) | 高度専門職 (HSP) | 特定技能 (SSW 1/2) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Target applicant | Bachelor's-degree professionals in IT, engineering, sales, translation, HR, marketing and similar white-collar work | Founders, executives and managers running a company in Japan | Elite talent — researchers, specialists or executives scoring 70+ points | Skilled blue-collar workers in 16 designated industries (nursing, food service, construction, etc.) |
| Qualification required | Bachelor's degree matching the job, or 10+ years relevant experience | No degree required, but a solid business plan and real operations are essential | Points-based: Bachelor's 10 pts, Master's 20 pts, PhD 30 pts, plus salary/age/Japanese bonuses | Pass the industry skills test and Japanese test (JLPT N4 or JFT-Basic); no degree needed |
| Capital / salary floor | Salary must match a Japanese peer in the same role (market rate) | ¥30M paid-in capital and at least one full-time Japan-based employee (2025-10-16 reform) | Salary ≥¥3M earns 10 pts; in practice ~¥7.5M+ is typical to clear 70 pts | Salary equal to or above a Japanese worker in the same role (~¥2.5M/yr+) |
| Maximum stay | 5 / 3 / 1 year / 3 months — renewable indefinitely | 5 / 3 / 1 year / 6 / 3 months — renewable | HSP-i: 5 years renewable; HSP-ii: indefinite (granted after 3 years on HSP-i) | SSW-1: 5 years total maximum; SSW-2: renewable indefinitely |
| Family (spouse + children) | Yes — via 家族滞在 | Yes — via 家族滞在 | Yes — plus parents (under conditions) and a domestic helper | SSW-1: not allowed; SSW-2: spouse and children only |
| Path to permanent residency | Standard: 10 yrs in Japan, with 5+ on a work status | Standard: 10 yrs in Japan, with 5+ on a work status | Fast-track: 70 pts → 3 yrs, 80 pts → 1 yr | SSW-1 time does NOT count toward the 5-yr work subset; SSW-2 does — so SSW-2 → standard 10-yr track |
| Latest 2025 / 2026 rules | From 2026-04-15, JLPT N2 required for customer-facing roles (Categories 3/4 sponsors) | 2025-10-16 reform: ¥30M capital + JLPT N2 + 3 yrs management experience | No major 2026 change; special HSP (J-Skip / J-Find) extended to more fields | Expanded to 16 industries; TITP to be replaced by 育成就労 (Ikusei Shurou) from 2027 |
How to Get a Japan Work Visa
Find a Job
Secure a job offer from a Japanese employer (required for most work visas)
Employer Applies for CoE
Your employer applies for a Certificate of Eligibility (COE) at the immigration bureau
COE Process →Apply for Visa
With the COE, apply for the work visa at a Japanese embassy/consulate in your country
VFS Application Guide →Enter Japan
Enter Japan and receive your residence card at the airport
General Requirements
- ✓Valid passport
- ✓Job offer from a Japanese company
- ✓Relevant qualifications or experience
- ✓Certificate of Eligibility (COE)
- ✓No criminal record
Work Visa vs Work Permit
Japan does not issue a separate 'work permit.' Your residence status (在留資格) itself determines whether and what type of work you can do. Each visa category has specific work restrictions.
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