Full Support for Work Visa in Hiroshima — Free Consultation Offered
In Japan, there is a growing need to hire talented foreign workers, especially in industries facing labor shortages, and to recruit international students. When hiring foreign workers, it is necessary to obtain the appropriate residence status(visa) for the type of work they will be doing.
Learn more about Hiroshima’s foreign labor market on this page.
Applicable status of residence
Engineer/Specialist in Humanity/International Services（Gijutsu/Jinbun-chishiki/Kokusai-gyoumu)
Intra-company Transferee(Kigyo-nai tenkin)
Highly Skilled Profeshional(Koudo senmon-shoku)
Specified Skilled Worker(Tokutei gino)
Engineer/Specialist in Humanity/International Services（Gijutsu/Jinbun-chishiki/Kokusai-gyoumu)
This is a residence status required to engage in so-called white-collar work that requires specialized or technical skills or foreign sensibilities. Examples include system engineers, programmers, general affairs and accounting, marketing, translation and interpretation, and private language teachers. As a general rule, there must be a connection between the field of study at a university or vocational school and the type of work to be engaged in. Companies are classified into categories 1 to 4, and the documents to be submitted vary depending on the category.
Specified Skilled Worker(Tokutei gino)
There are two types of specified skilled Worked: Type 1 and Type 2. This is a residence status that allows employment in specific industries where there is a severe labor shortage.
In order to obtain a “Specified Skilled Worker” visa, it is necessary to prove a sufficient level of knowledge and experience through a skills assessment test and a Japanese language test (Type 1 only). However, foreigners who have completed Type 2 "Technical Intern Training"(Gino jishu) related to the relevant occupation or work are exempt from the skills test and Japanese language test.
In order to obtain a specific skilled worker status of residence, the following five requirements must be met: 1) relevance to a specific industry, 2) relevance to the job category, 3) suitability of the accepting organization, 4) suitability of the contract, and 5) suitability of the support plan (only for Type 1). The requirements for acceptance are extremely complex, involving not only compliance with immigration laws but also labor-related laws and various notifications. Please contact us for more information.
Fees (excluding tax)
Application for Certificate of Eligibility 90,000JPY~
Application for Change of Residence Status 90,000JPY~
Application for Extension of Period of Stay 40,000JPY~
Application for Certificate of Employment 50,000JPY
*Fees may vary depending on the difficulty of obtaining the desired residence status and the applicant's circumstances. For more details, please contact us via the inquiry form.
FAQ
Q: Please explain the process for obtaining a work visa.
A: The process for obtaining a visa is as follows. Apply for a Certificate of Eligibility (COE) at the Immigration Bureau in Japan → Send the Certificate of Eligibility (COE) to the applicant overseas → The applicant applies for a visa at the Japanese embassy overseas → Once the visa is issued, enter Japan with your passport.
Q: I am currently enrolled in university and have a “Student" visa. I have decided to take a general position at a Japanese company. What procedures do I need to follow?
A: Before you start working, you need to change your visa status from a “student” visa to a “Engineer/Specialist in Humanity/International Services” visa.
Q: What documents need to be attached when applying for a “Engineer/Specialist in Humanity/International Services” visa?
A: “Engineer/Specialist in Humanity/International Services” is classified into four categories based on the size of the company, and the required documents vary depending on the category. For Category 3, the following documents are required: Application for Certificate of Eligibility (Application for Change of Status of Residence), Graduation Certificate, Academic Transcript, Employment Contract, Resume, Certificate of All Matters of the Company, Company Profile, Copy of the Latest Financial Statements, Copy of the Summary of Statutory Documents for the Previous Year's Employee Salary Income Withholding Tax Forms, Photographs of the Workplace, and Statement of Reasons for Employment.
Q: I currently have a residence status for “Intra-company transferee(Kigyo-nai Tenkin).” Can I change jobs within Japan while maintaining this status?
A: The residence status for Intra-company transferee is a visa for working at a branch office or Japanese company with capital ties. Therefore, if you change jobs, you will need to change to the appropriate residence status, such as “Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services,” before you start working.
Q: Is it possible to hire foreign nationals with "Specific Skilled Worker(Tokutei Gino)" visas on a temporary basis?
A: At present, the specific industries that can accept foreign workers with "Specifiedc skilled Worker" visas as temporary workers are limited to agriculture and fisheries.
Q: Can we use “Technical intern Training(Gino Jishuu)” visas to address labor shortages? Please explain the difference between these and “Specific skills” visas.
A: “Technical Interns ” (to be changed to “Employment for Training”) aims to transfer technical knowledge to developing regions and promote international cooperation through human resource development. On the other hand, “Specific Skills” is a residence status that accepts foreign nationals with certain knowledge and experience who can immediately contribute to specific industries in order to alleviate labor shortages. Therefore, it is not possible to accept technical interns for the purpose of alleviating labor shortages.
For an overview of our visa and naturalization support services in Hiroshima, please visit our English homepage.