Visas
Which status of residence fits you, and how to get it
Working in Japan
Work Visa Overview
A map of Japan's main work visas — Engineer/Humanities, Specified Skilled Worker, Highly Skilled Professional and more — and how to pick the right route.
Engineer / Humanities Visa
Japan's main work visa for degree holders — requirements, eligible jobs, visa periods, and how it compares to other work visas.
Highly Skilled Professional
How Japan's HSP points system works — scoring 70+ points, the preferential treatments, HSP (ii), J-Skip, and permanent residency in 1–3 years.
Specified Skilled Worker
Who qualifies for Japan's Specified Skilled Worker visa, the skills and Japanese tests required, and the application process step by step.
SSW (i) in Detail
The Specified Skilled Worker (i) status explained — the 5-year cap, mandatory employer support plan, job change rules and what happens when time runs out.
SSW (ii) in Detail
How Specified Skilled Worker (ii) works — who can take the advanced exam, which fields are covered, family sponsorship and the path to permanent residency.
Technical Intern Training
Japan's Technical Intern Training Program explained — structure, restrictions, the transition to the new Employment for Skill Development system, and how it connects to SSW.
Business Manager Visa
What it now takes to get Japan's Business Manager status — capital, premises, staffing and business-plan requirements, and who this route still makes sense for.
Working Holiday
Which countries have working holiday agreements with Japan, age and application rules, job restrictions, and how to use the year strategically.
Study & family
Student Visa
Japan's Student visa is not only for language schools. First-year fees by school type, what immigration actually checks in your funds, and the 28-hour part-time rule in full.
Dependent Visa
How the Dependent (family stay) status works — who can sponsor, financial requirements, the 28-hour work rule and upgrade paths for working spouses.
Spouse Visa
How the spouse visa works — unrestricted work rights, the evidence immigration expects, what happens after divorce, and the accelerated permanent residency path.
Procedures & long-term
Change of Status
How the change-of-status procedure works — timing, documents, working while it processes, and the transitions that succeed or fail most often.
Designated Activities
What the Designated Activities status covers — post-graduation job hunting, digital nomads, startup founders, and the other special cases immigration handles through this flexible category.
Permanent Residency
The real requirements for Japanese permanent residency — the 10-year rule and its exceptions, what examiners audit, processing times and how PR can still be lost.
More guides
Ikusei Shūrō (new TITP)
Japans new Employment for Skill Development program starts 1 April 2027: three years to SSW-1 level, job changes allowed after 1–2 years, A1 Japanese at entry, and only from countries with a bilateral agreement.
SSW Exams
The two tests behind Japans fastest-growing visa: the 200-point JFT-Basic pass line, where it runs in your country (18 test days a month in Nepal), and how each fields skill test is booked.