Visa for foreign nationals

Status of residence for foreign nationals

What is status of residence?

"There are a total of 29 types of residence statuses, including those that allow foreign nationals to stay in Japan, such as those that allow employment, such as "highly skilled professional," "technical/humanities/international services," and "management/administration," those that do not allow employment, such as "college student," "family stay," and "short-term stay," and those that do, such as "permanent resident," "spouse of Japanese national," and "spouse of permanent resident. There are a total of 29 types of residence status, including "permanent resident", "spouse of a Japanese national" and "spouse of a permanent resident".

Types of residence status

Work visa

The status of residence for employment in a company is determined by the type of work the foreigner actually does. (not the type of business of the company). Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions about the following

• I want to hire a new foreigner for my company, is this possible?
• I would like to work in Japan after graduating from a Japanese school, what should I apply for as my status of residence?
• I am quitting my job and moving to another company, can I keep my status of residence?

Specially Designated Technical Skill 1 is a status of residence for foreigners who are engaged in skilled work requiring a considerable degree of knowledge or experience in a specific industrial field, and can stay for a maximum of five years. 
Specially Designated Technical Skill No.2 is a status of residence for foreigners who are engaged in skilled work in a specific industrial field.

The 14 specified industrial fields include nursing care, building cleaning, materials industry, industrial machinery manufacturing, electrical and electronics industry, construction, shipbuilding and ship-related industry, automobile maintenance, aviation, accommodation, agriculture, fishery, food and beverage manufacturing, and food service. In two of these fields, construction and shipbuilding/shipbuilding industry, it is possible to take on a person with Specified Skill 2. 
It is currently under consideration to extend the period of stay for other fields as early as 2022. 
When employing a foreigner on a special skills visa, the employing company (receiving organization) is required to provide detailed support to the foreigner. If you do not comply with these rules, you may not be accepted as a host organisation. 
Please consult with us to avoid this situation.

Study abroad

If you wish to enter a Japanese school, you will need to apply for a "college student" visa. This is the case if you want to bring a relative from abroad to Japan and send them to a Japanese school. A "college student" visa does not allow you to work in Japan (although you can work part-time for up to 28 hours a week), so you will need to explain who will pay for your living expenses and school fees in Japan. If you have any questions about how to apply, please contact us.

Dependent

If you are a foreigner working in Japan and wish to bring your family members living abroad to Japan, you will need to apply for a "Dependent" visa. The application for a child visa is assessed in terms of the ability of the whole family to live in Japan. If you would like to bring your family members living abroad to Japan, please contact us.

There are many different types of international marriage between a Japanese and a foreigner, as shown below. Depending on which pattern you fall into, the documents you will need will vary. Also, just because you are married does not mean that you will be granted a "Spouse or Child of Japanese National" visa. If you are planning to get married internationally, please contact us as soon as possible.

• If both the foreigner and the Japanese person getting married live in Japan
• If you are a Japanese national who met someone abroad and wish to bring your spouse to Japan upon marriage
• If both the foreigner and the Japanese marry abroad, live abroad and then move to Japan, etc

Foreigners who have lived in Japan for more than 10 years or who have been married to a Japanese national for more than 3 years may apply for permanent residence if they wish to continue to live in Japan. The difference between "Permanent resident" and other statuses of residence is that "Permanent resident" does not limit either the activity or the period of stay. The biggest advantage of this status is that you don't have to apply for extension of your status of residence, so you don't have to worry about being rejected at the time of extension. If you are thinking of applying for permanent residence, please contact us.

A foreigner who has lived in Japan for more than five years can apply to become a Japanese citizen. "The main difference between naturalization and permanent residence is that in the case of permanent residence, the applicant's home nationality remains unchanged, whereas in the case of naturalization, the applicant acquires Japanese nationality and loses his or her home nationality (dual nationality is not permitted). Naturally, there are certain requirements for naturalisation, such as the need to earn a living, so if you are thinking of applying for naturalisation, please contact us.

Remuneration amount

The following are examples of fees for different statuses of residence. The fee will vary depending on the circumstances of each client. We will be happy to discuss your circumstances and explain the fees in detail when you contact us. We also offer a refund policy.

• Working visa: (new) 90,000 yen - (renewal) 30,000 yen
• Study Abroad and Dependent: (New) 90,000 yen - (Renewal) 30,000 yen
• International Marriage: (New) ¥90,000 - (Renewal) ¥30,000
• Permanent residence and Naturalisation: from 120,000 yen

All prices are exclusive of consumption tax.