Japan Visa Database
Ten statuses of residence, one consistent set of fields — education, Japanese, family, work rights, renewal and the road to PR — so you can compare instead of reading ten pages.
| Engineer / Humanities Visa | Highly Skilled Professional | SSW (i) in Detail | SSW (ii) in Detail | Technical Intern Training | Student Visa | Working Holiday | Business Manager Visa | Dependent Visa | Spouse Visa | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Education | Bachelor’s degree, or 10 years’ experience (3 for int’l services) | Points-based (degree is a major scorer) | No education requirement | No education requirement | No education requirement | Admission to a Japanese school | No education requirement | No education requirement | No education requirement | No education requirement |
| Experience / exam | None (degree route) | Points-based (career scores) | Skills exam pass | Advanced (ii) exam + field experience | Entry via sending organization | None (degree route) | Age 18–30 (partner countries) | Management experience or degree (2025 rules) + ¥30M capital | None (degree route) | None (degree route) |
| Japanese | No legal requirement | None; N1/N2 adds points | JLPT N4 or JFT-Basic | No legal requirement | No legal requirement | Depends on the school | No legal requirement | Japanese-ability requirement added in 2025 (see visa page) | No legal requirement | No legal requirement |
| Family | Spouse & children (Dependent visa) | Family + working spouse; parents conditional | No family sponsorship | Spouse & children (Dependent visa) | No family sponsorship | Conditional (mainly university students) | No family sponsorship | Spouse & children (Dependent visa) | Is itself a family/status visa | Is itself a family/status visa |
| Work rights | Own field only | Own field + composite activities | Own field only | Own field only | Program-designated job only | Permit needed, ≤28 h/week | Mostly free (adult venues excluded) | Running your own business | Permit needed, ≤28 h/week | Unrestricted |
| Period of stay | 5y / 3y / 1y / 3m | Flat 5 years | 1y / 6m / 4m — 5 years total cap | 3y / 1y / 6m | Up to 5 years total across stages | Per program, up to 4y3m per grant | 1 year, non-extendable | 5y / 3y / 1y / 6m / 4m / 3m | Follows the sponsor | 5y / 3y / 1y / 6m |
| Renewal | Yes, no limit | Yes, no limit | Renewable up to 5 years total | Yes, no limit | By program stage | Yes, no limit | Not renewable | Yes, no limit | Yes, no limit | Yes, no limit |
| Changing employer | Yes, same field (14-day notification) | New certification required | Yes, same field (14-day notification) | Yes, same field (14-day notification) | Not allowed in principle | Not applicable | Free | Not applicable | Not applicable | Free |
| Road to PR | Standard route (10 years incl. 5 working) | As fast as 1–3 years (points fast track) | Limited on (i); upgrade to (ii) for the standard route | Standard route (10 years incl. 5 working) | Counts toward residence, not work years | Counts toward residence, not work years | Usually not counted | Standard route (10 years incl. 5 working) | Counts toward residence, not work years | 3 years married + 1 in Japan |
Visa comparison
- Engineer / Humanities Visa vs SSW (i) in Detail
- Highly Skilled Professional vs Engineer / Humanities Visa
- SSW (i) in Detail vs Technical Intern Training
- SSW (i) in Detail vs SSW (ii) in Detail
- Student Visa vs Working Holiday
- Dependent Visa vs Spouse Visa
- Business Manager Visa vs Highly Skilled Professional
- Student Visa vs SSW (i) in Detail
This table is a simplified overview verified against official sources on the linked visa pages — each page cites the specific Immigration Services Agency documents per requirement. Always confirm with those sources before acting.
Japan work and residence visas — FAQ
What are the main types of visa to live in Japan?
The database above groups them into work (e.g. Engineer/Humanities, Specified Skilled Worker), study, family (Spouse, Dependent) and permanent routes. Each has its own eligibility and length.
Which Japanese visa leads to permanent residence?
Most long-term work and family statuses can build toward Permanent Resident after several years; high-skilled points-based routes can shorten that to one to three years. Compare them above.
What is the most common work visa in Japan?
Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services covers the largest share of white-collar foreign workers; Specified Skilled Worker is growing fastest across designated labor sectors.