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Immigrate Desk Japan

Residence statuses

The statuses of residence (在留資格) covered on this site, grouped by what they allow. Each page shows the requirements, the periods of stay and the sources, and the date the content was last reviewed.

Work (9)

技術・人文知識・国際業務
Engineer / Specialist in Humanities / International Services
Work under a contract with a Japanese public or private organization that needs knowledge of the natural sciences or humanities, or thinking and sens…
Period of stay: 5 years, 3 years, 1 year or 3 months.
高度専門職
Highly Skilled Professional
For people in advanced academic research, specialized or technical work, or business management who reach 70 points or more on the points table, or w…
Period of stay: No. 1: 5 years. No. 2: no time limit, after 3 or more years in No. 1 (1 year on the J-Skip route); see the official source for the other conditions.
経営・管理
Business Manager
Running a business in Japan or managing one. The criteria were tightened by a ministerial ordinance that took effect on 16 October 2025: the capital…
Period of stay: 5 years, 3 years, 1 year, 6 months, 4 months or 3 months.
特定技能（1号）
Specified Skilled Worker (i)
Work in industry fields the government has designated because of labor shortages (19 fields), for people who pass the skills test and a Japanese-lang…
Period of stay: Set individually by the Minister of Justice, up to 3 years each time; up to 5 years in total in principle (6 where justified).
特定技能（2号）
Specified Skilled Worker (ii)
The higher level of the Specified Skilled Worker status, for workers with advanced skills in 11 of the designated fields (not nursing care, road tran…
Period of stay: 3 years, 2 years, 1 year or 6 months, renewable without a limit on the number of renewals.
企業内転勤
Intra-company Transferee
For a staff member of an overseas office of an organization that also has an office in Japan, transferred to the Japan office for a fixed period to d…
Period of stay: 5 years, 3 years, 1 year or 3 months.
技能
Skilled Labor
Work under a contract with a Japanese organization that requires skilled techniques in a specialized industrial field. The listed occupations include…
Period of stay: 5 years, 3 years, 1 year or 3 months.
研究
Researcher
Research work under a contract with a Japanese public or private organization, other than the research and teaching that belong to the Professor stat…
Period of stay: 5 years, 3 years, 1 year or 3 months.
教育
Instructor
Language teaching and other instruction at Japanese elementary, junior high, high, secondary and special-needs schools, vocational schools, miscellan…
Period of stay: 5 years, 3 years, 1 year or 3 months.

Study (1)

留学
Student
Receiving education at a Japanese university, college of technology, high school, vocational school, Japanese-language institution or a similar insti…
Period of stay: Set individually by the Minister of Justice, up to 4 years and 3 months.

Family (2)

Long-term residence (2)

Special activities (3)