If you are thinking about starting work in Japan, here is the guide for you! This article will introduce you to types of Working Visa in Japan.

By the time you finish reading this article, you will have taken the first step to working in Japan!

What is Working Visa?

If you wish to engage in remunerative activities in Japan, you must have a status of residence that allows you to work. The common name for the work-eligible status of residence in Japan is a Shuurou visa (or working visa).

If you have a working visa, you can work not only as a company employee but also as a sole proprietor or manager. The types of working visas are subdivided according to the nature of the work.

Types of Working Visa

Specifically, the following 16 types of statuses are called Working Visas.

1.Tokutei Gino (Specified Skilled Worker)

A visa that the Japan Government issues to overseas human resources with specific expertise and skills.

2.Journalist

A visa required to conduct news gathering and reporting based on a contract with a foreign news organization. Photographers, newspaper reporters, editors, announcers, magazine reporters, etc. fall under this category.

3.Religious Activities

A visa required for foreign religious leaders dispatched to Japan to engage in activities such as proselytizing. Applicable to missionaries, priests, bishops, etc.

4.Artist

A visa required to engage in artistic activities for which remuneration is received. Painters, sculptors, photographers, composers, lyricists, etc. fall under this category.

5.Professor

A visa required to engage in research or teaching at a Japanese university or equivalent institution. University professors, associate professors, assistant professors, etc. fall under this category.

6.Management/Administration

A visa for those who manage a trade or other business in Japan or are engaged in the management of such a business. Business owners, executives, etc. fall under this category.

7.Medical care

A visa for those who have a medical license to practice medicine. Dentists, pharmacists, clinical engineers, midwives, nurses, etc. fall under this category.

8.Legal/Accounting Services

A visa for those with Japanese legal qualifications to perform services related to law or accounting. Judicial scriveners, tax accountants, certified public accountants, lawyers, etc. fall under this category.

9.Education

A visa required for those who are educating at Japanese schools (elementary, junior high, high school, special needs school, etc.) or other educational institutions equivalent to such schools. Teachers at various schools fall under this category.

10.Research

A visa obtained by those who conduct some kind of research based on a contract with a Japanese institution. Applicable to researchers of various organizations and companies.

11.Technical/Humanities/International Services

A visa obtained by those who engage in work that requires knowledge and skills in the sciences, knowledge in the humanities, or thinking and sensitivity based on foreign culture. Interpreters, foreign language teachers, copywriters, IT technicians, science and engineering technicians, fall under this category.

12.Intra-company transferee

A visa required for an organization with a head office or branch office in Japan that transfers employees from a foreign base to a base in Japan for a certain period of time.

13.Technical internship

A visa required for technical interns who transfer Japanese knowledge and skills to developing countries.

14.Nursing care

A visa required for qualified nursing care workers to engage in nursing care or teaching nursing care under contract with Japanese organizations.

15.Technical Skills

A visa obtained by those who engage in work requiring specialized skills. Sommeliers, aircraft pilots, cooks, etc. fall under this category.

16.Entertainer

A visa is required for people who are involved in entertainment-related activities such as performances, plays, sports, and other performing arts, including dancers, athletes, actors, singers, models, musicians.

What you need to apply for a working visa

Applicants for work visas must complete an application form at the Japanese embassy or consulate in their home country after they have been employed by a school, university, or Japanese company.

General requirements to obtain a Japanese work visa include:

・Valid passport

・Recent photograph

・Letter from the hiring manager stating the position and estimated future salary

・Certificate of eligibility (an application form from which the future employer will request documentation)

・Resume

・Copies of any required graduation certificates

You can see more details here.

Let’s get your Working Visa!

Please don’t forget that each working visa has an expiration date and must be renewed regularly. There must be many unknowns and various struggles to start working abroad, but let’s prepare well in advance and take the first step to work in Japan!