Those who thinking about inviting foreigners to Japan
There are 28 kinds of the status of residence granted to foreigners
residing in Japan.
(As of May 2018)
In other words, all foreigners living in Japan fall under one of
these statuses and they are active in Japan.
Furthermore, the following 18 types are distinguished as the status of residence that can work(working visa). For those who enter Japan due to travel, study abroad, short-term business trip etc(other than employment), please refer to “PHI·ASEAN VISA info” page.
| Status of residence | Activities authorized to engage in | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Diplomat | Ambassador, minister, consulate general, or delegation member of a foreign government and their families |
| 2 | Official | Employee of an embassy or consulate of a foreign government, individual assigned by an international institution for an official assignment, and their families |
| 3 | Professor | College professor |
| 4 | Artist | Composer, artist, or writer |
| 5 | Religious Activities | Missionary assigned by a foreign religious organization |
| 6 | Journalist | Reporter or photographer of foreign press |
| 7 | Business Manager | Manager or administrator of a company, etc. |
| 8 | Legal / Accounting Services | Attorney or certified public accountant |
| 9 | Medical Services | Physician, dentist or registered nurse |
| 10 | Researcher | Researcher at a government-related institution or company |
| 11 | Instructor | Language instructor at a senior high school or junior high school, etc. |
| 12 | Engineer / Specialist in Humanities / International Services | Engineer such as of mechanical engineering, interpreter, designer, language instructor at a private company or marketing specialist. |
| 13 | Intra-company Transferee | Transferee from an office abroad |
| 14 | Entertainer | Actor, singer, dancer, or professional athlete |
| 15 | Skilled Labor | Chef of foreign cuisine, sports instructor, aircraft pilot, or craftsman of precious metals |
| 16 | Technical Intern Training | Technical interns |
| 17 | Highly Skilled Professional | Highly-skilled human resources in accordance with the points’ system |
| 18 | Nursing Care | Certified Care Worker |
The procedure flow is as follows.
As shown in the flowchart, procedures at the Japan side and at the side of foreigners’ own country are required.
Procedures at Japan side
①The person in charge of the employer/company who accepts foreigners
from abroad apply for the issuance of a “Certificate of Eligibility” at the
Regional Immigration Bureau that has jurisdiction over the planned place
of your work. It takes about 1 month to 3 months from the application to
acquisition.
②After receiving the issuance of the certificate of eligibility for residence
and the person in charge of the employer/company receives the
certificate, he/she sends the certificate to the foreigner(s) who the
employer/company intend to invite.
The above is the procedure on Japan side.
Procedures at the side of foreigners’ own country
①Receive the Certificate of Eligibility for residence sent from Japan.
②Foreigner yourself planning to work in Japan brings the Certificate of
Eligibility and other required documents together to the Japanese
Embassy or Consulate in your own country and apply for a visa.If you can
not apply by yourself, you will need to apply through an agency.
Required documents are shown in the flowchart, but the following
documents are required.
Required documents
1：Passport
2：Visa application form
3：Photograph 1pcs
4：Certificate of Eligibility
(Original and copy)
Chinese nationals must also submit the following documents:
5：Copy of the Chinese Family Register
6：Temporary Residence Permit or Residence
Certificate.
(If the applicant does not have
a family register within the region under the
jurisdiction of the Embassy or Consulates where the application documents are
submitted.)
③After the review, you will go get your passport to the embassy and visa will be issued. After submitting the required documents, it takes about a week to the visa issued. If you can not get your passport by yourself, your passport affixed with your visa will be sent back by mail.
The above is the procedure on the side of foreigners’ own country.
Shown the basic flow here, but since the necessary documents and procedures will change depending on the status of residence, please visit the website of the Japanese embassy for details.
What is “Certificate of Eligibility”？
It certifies if you meet the entry requirements to Japan. If you possess this, visa issuarance would be somehow easier.
The expiration date of the certificate is within 3 months from the date of issue date. Please note that the validity of the certificate will be lost unless you enter Japan within the deadline.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us.
