Japanese Visas and Work Permits

All foreign nationals who wish to work, study or live in Japan should, in principle, first obtain a Certificate of Eligibility which is issued by the Ministry of Justice in Japan. An individual cannot make the application him-/herself, but must ask a sponsor in Japan (eg. a potential employer) to contact the local immigration office and make an application on his/her behalf. A working visa can be obtained for various different professional profiles and there are around a dozen types. In almost all cases, a contract with a public or private organisation in Japan is required in order to obtain a working visa, and in the case of an intra-company transfer, an individual must have worked for at least a year for his/her non-Japanese employer before being permitted to transfer to a Japanese branch office and, as is normally the case with working visa/permit applications, the individual needs to be highly qualified (university degree and several years’ experience in a specialised sector) and the reasons for sending him/her to Japan clearly explained and justified.