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In this lesson, you will learn about the requirements for obtaining a work visa to work in Japan.
There are several types of work visas, but the most common are the “Technical, Humanities, and International Services Visa”, commonly known as the “Gingkoku” or “Engineer Visa”.
The foreign technical intern visa is very advantageous for changing jobs, not only because it allows for a variety of occupations, but also because it saves companies the cost and time of obtaining a new visa when hiring a foreigner. This is very advantageous when changing jobs.
Because of the time and effort required to obtain a visa, companies give preference to foreigners with visas.
Even for those who have just arrived in Japan on a college student visa and have the experience and skills to be immediately effective, the question is whether companies will take the time and effort to obtain a work visa and hire them.
Companies are reluctant to hire foreigners without work visas because of the risk of not being granted a visa after a lengthy interview process and the lack of assurance of success.
What are the requirements for obtaining a Gingkoku Visa?
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For example, if you worked as an engineer in your home country, you can work as an engineer in Japan as well.
A GIJINNKOKU visa allows the holder to engage in the following business activities
Technology
Mechanical Design / Electronic Design / IT Engineer / R&D and other technical jobs
Specialist in humanities (Japanese visa category)
Corporate Planning / Accounting / General Affairs and Personnel and other office jobs
International Services
Translation and Interpretation / Language Instructor / Overseas Marketing
Many foreigners working in Japan have this visa because the Gijinko visa allows them to do most jobs.
There are two requirements for obtaining a visa for Technical/Humanities/International Services, so you can apply for a visa as long as you meet one of the requirements.
①Graduated from a 4-year college, junior college, or equivalent.
Educational background in home country
University (junior college) graduates are eligible to apply for visas.
However, graduates of vocational schools are not eligible.
Academic background in Japan
Graduation from a four-year college (junior college) or vocational school is required to apply.
However, it is not enough to have graduated from a university; what you have studied at a university in your home country must be relevant to the work you will do in Japan.
For example, if you majored in information technology at university in your home country, you may be able to find an IT job in Japan.
It is preferable that what you studied at university in your home country and the work you can do in Japan match, but there are cases where you can get a visa even if they do not match, so please inquire with the immigration office or a specialist.
② At least 10 years of work experience in the field.
Even if you have not graduated from a university (junior college) in your home country, you can apply for a visa without any academic background if you have at least 10 years of work experience in your desired occupation in Japan.
You must have at least 10 years of work experience in Japan, not 10 years of work experience as a working adult.
Applicants with no education but with at least 10 years of work experience can apply for a visa, but they must provide documentation of 10 years of work experience at various companies (certificate of employment).
Because certificates of employment can be forged, immigration inspections are more stringent than those for applications for college degrees.
In addition, if the company you worked for goes bankrupt, you will not be able to submit a certificate of employment, and you will not be able to submit documents proving your years of work experience for the past 10 years, making it impossible to apply.
Ten years of work experience can be combined with what you learned in school, so if you learned programming for two years in school, you have eight years of work experience.
The most certain is that you have a university degree; however, even if you do not have an academic background, you may be able to work in Japan if you have at least 10 years of work experience.
Can’t work in a factory popular with foreigners.
Gijinkoku cannot perform simple labor such as factory work.
The definition of a technical visa is to make use of what you have learned at university in your home country and the experience you have gained in your home country in Japan, and simple routine work such as working at a factory is not considered to be a good way to make use of what you have learned and experienced in your home country.
However, if your main job is a simple routine job where you can use what you have learned and experienced in your home country, you may be able to obtain a visa for a sub job.
If you want to work in a factory, you must obtain a permanent resident visa, a permanent resident visa, or a spouse visa.
Permanent Resident, Temporary Visitor, and Spouse visas have no restrictions on work and allow the holder to work in any type of work similar to that of Japanese nationals, even simple short-term jobs.
In addition, students attending a Japanese language school in Japan on a college student visa may work at the factory as a part-time worker for up to 28 hours per week.
Lesson Summary
Let’s review again the requirements for obtaining a work visa in Japan.
① Graduated from a university (or junior college) in his/her home country, and his/her major at the university must be consistent with his/her work in Japan.
② At least 10 years of work experience in your home country.
*Years of schooling also count.
In principle, work visas are obtained by the company employing the foreigner, so there is no need for the foreigner to do anything in particular.
If you meet the visa requirements, you are more likely to obtain a visa, making it easier for companies to hire you.
Therefore, as part of the information gathering process before working in Japan, it is important to make sure that you meet the requirements to obtain a visa.