メニュー アイコン
メニュー 閉じるアイコン

What it takes for a foreigner to work in Japan

This site introduces products through an affiliate program.
日本で働く人々


In recent years, more and more foreign tourists have been visiting Japan. It is believed that the number of foreigners who visit Japan and come into contact with the culture and lifestyle of Japan is increasing, leading them to want to "live in Japan" or "work in Japan.

However, unlike visiting Japan for tourism, it is not easy to "live" or "work" in Japan. In order to "live in Japan," one must apply to the government to obtain a "status of residence," and in order to "work in Japan," the status of residence granted must be one that allows employment.

Here we will look at the types of residence statuses required to work in Japan and the new "Specified Technical Skills" residence status introduced in April 2019 to help alleviate Japan's serious labor shortage.

If you would like to know the average income of people working in Tokyo, check out the following articles.

The latest version: What is the average income of workers in Tokyo? Wages of foreigners are also explained.

Types of status of residence and employment

Currently, there are 29 types of status of residence, and the activities possible in Japan vary depending on the status.

List of Status of Residence

  1. diplomacy
  2. official
  3. professor
  4. the arts
  5. religion
  6. report
  7. highly specialized occupation
  8. Management and Administration
  9. Legal and accounting services
  10. medical care
  11. research
  12. education
  13. Technical/Humanities/International Services
  14. intra-company transfer
  15. care
  16. show business
  17. ability
  18. specific skill
  19. technical internship
  20. Cultural Activities
  21. short stay
  22. studying abroad (usu. at university level)
  23. induction course
  24. dependent (e.g. in a family)
  25. specified activities
  26. permanent resident
  27. Spouse or Child of Japanese National
  28. Spouse or Child of Permanent Resident
  29. long-term resident

See also:List of Status of Residence

Permanent residents, spouses of Japanese nationals, spouses of permanent residents, and permanent residents, which are referred to as "status-type statuses," have no restrictions on activities in Japan and are free to work in any type of occupation.

On the other hand, "Cultural Activities," "Temporary Visitor," "Study Abroad," "Training," and "Family Visitor" status holders are not permitted to work in Japan. (If holders of these statuses wish to work in Japan, they must obtain "permission to engage in activities other than those permitted under the status of residence" in advance, and upon obtaining such permission, they are allowed to work within certain limits.)

Since "designated activities" include a variety of activities, the content of activities varies greatly from person to person, even among foreign nationals who have obtained the same "designated activities" visa. Working holiday" and "internship" are also included in the "designated activities" category, which allow foreign nationals to work in Japan with some restrictions.

The remaining statuses of residence, such as "Professor," "Education," and "Technical Internship," can be obtained only after clearly defining the activity to be performed in Japan, such as "conducting research and education as a university professor at a Japanese university," "working as an English teacher at a junior high school," or "learning Japanese skills and knowledge through work. It is possible to work in Japan only within the scope applied for at the time of acquisition of status of residence.
So, if you want to work in a job different from the scope of your application, you must change your qualification.

Newly established status of residence "Specified Technical Skill

As described above, there are severe restrictions on foreigners working in Japan.
In this context, a new qualification called "specified skills" is being established in April 2019 as a countermeasure to Japan's serious labor shortage.

Differences between "Specified Technical Skills" and existing status of residence

The Specified Skills program is newly established to expand the acceptance of foreign workers and increase the number of foreign workers in order to alleviate Japan's labor shortage.
Foreign workers with specified skill qualifications (specified skilled foreign workers) can be accepted in 14 specified industrial fields designated by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, and other ministries and agencies.

*14 specific industrial sectors

  1. nursing industry
  2. Building cleaning business
  3. forges and foundries
  4. Industrial machinery manufacturing
  5. Electrical, electronics and information related industries
  6. construction industry
  7. Shipbuilding & Marine Industry
  8. automobile maintenance business
  9. airline industry
  10. lodging business
  11. agriculture
  12. fishing (industry)
  13. Food and beverage manufacturing
  14. restaurant industry

See also:Acceptance of New Foreign Talent - Operational Policies by Field (14 Fields)

Unlike "technical internship," which is intended to transfer skills, the purpose of the "specified skills" visa is to solve the shortage of labor. Since the purpose is to secure the labor force itself, it is possible to have workers perform a wide range of tasks in the specified skill fields.

Comparison of Technical Internship and Specified Skill System (Overview)
(in Japanese history)Immigration and Residency Management Agency "About "Specified Technical Skills" Residential Status(Excerpted from)

Technical training (group supervised)Specified Skills (No. 1)
related laws and regulations Act on the Proper Implementation of Technical Intern Training for Foreign Nationals and the Protection of Technical Intern Trainees / Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition ActImmigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act
status of residence (in Japan)Technical internship" status of residenceResident status "Specified Technical Skills".
period of stay Technical training No. 1: within 1 year; technical training No. 2: within 2 years,
Technical internship No. 3: within 2 years (maximum 5 years in total)
Total 5 years
Foreign Skill Levels nashi (Pyrus pyrifolia, esp. var. culta)Significant knowledge or experience required
Examination at the time of entry into Japannashi (Pyrus pyrifolia, esp. var. culta)
(Only nursing care positions require N4 level of Japanese language proficiency at the time of entry.)
Confirmation of skill level and Japanese language proficiency level through testing, etc.
(Persons who have successfully completed Technical Internship No. 2 are exempt from examination, etc.)
sending agency Institutions recommended or accredited by foreign governmentsnashi (Pyrus pyrifolia, esp. var. culta)
supervisory bodyant
(Audits and other supervisory duties of non-profit business cooperatives, etc. to training providers)
business (subject to approval by the competent minister). (Licensed by the competent minister)
nashi (Pyrus pyrifolia, esp. var. culta)
Support Organizationnashi (Pyrus pyrifolia, esp. var. culta)ant
(Residence for specified skilled foreigner by an individual or organization under commission from the host institution)
(Registration by the Immigration and Residency Management Agency) (registration system by the Immigration and Naturalization Service)
Matching foreigners with host institutionsUsually done through supervisory bodies and sending agenciesThe host institution directly conducts recruitment activities overseas or through domestic or foreign recruitment agencies, etc.
Can be adopted through
Number quota for recipient institutionsThere is a number quota based on the total number of full-time employees.No headcount quota (except for the nursing care and construction sectors)
Activities (2) Undertake training courses and work related to technical skills, etc., in accordance with the technical training plan.
Activities to be undertaken (No. 1)
Activities to engage in work that requires skills, etc. based on a technical training plan (No. 2,
(No. 3) (Non-professional and technical fields)
Activities involving work requiring skills that require a significant degree of knowledge or experience.
(Professional and technical areas)
Transferring or changing jobs In principle, not allowed. However, in unavoidable circumstances, such as bankruptcy of the training provider, or in cases where the
Transferable at the time of transition to No. 3 from No. 1 to No. 3.
The commonality of the skill level is confirmed within the same business category or by testing.
Able to change jobs within the same business category

With the "specified skill" qualification, more and more foreign workers are expected to work in Japan in the future, especially in small and medium-sized enterprises that are in serious need of labor.

Conditions for obtaining specific skills

Looking in detail at the specified skills, they are divided into two types: "No. 1" and "No. 2".

Since only those who have completed 5 years of Specified Technical Skills 1 are eligible to acquire Specified Technical Skills 2, all Specified Technical Skills foreign workers are initially employed under Specified Technical Skills 1. (Currently, there are 14 fields of "construction trades" that can be covered by this program. (Currently, only two of the 14 fields, "construction" and "shipbuilding/marine construction," have been approved for transfer, and testing is scheduled to begin in FY2021.)

In addition, not all foreign nationals can obtain the status of residence of specified skills.
First, there are restrictions on nationality, and only foreigners who are nationals of countries that have signed bilateral agreements with Japan are eligible.
Currently, nine countries are covered: Indonesia, Cambodia, Thailand, China, Nepal, the Philippines, Vietnam, Myanmar, and Mongolia.

summary

There are severe restrictions on foreigners working in Japan, but this situation is changing with the "Specified Technical Skills" status of residence. Currently, only nine nationalities are eligible for "Specified Technical Skills" status, but the number of countries that can accept such workers is expected to increase in the future.

Recruitment of foreigners will become increasingly popular in the future.
Japanese companies, as employers, need to be aware of the qualifications required for foreign nationals to work in Japan, and to be aware of their own hiring practices.


  • We, "Goandup", will continue to promote the charm of Japan to the world.

  • If you found this article useful or enjoyable in any way, we would appreciate your support to fund our operations.

  • We would appreciate donations of any amount via the PayPal link below.
    ▶️ paypal.me/goandup


  • Related Articles

    Goandup Picks > Foreign Recruitment Guide > Basics of Recruiting Foreign Nationals > What it takes for a foreigner to work in Japan