VISA CATEGORY
Status of residence
(term of residence)
Activities authorized to engage in
DIPLOMATIC VISA
Diplomat
(during mission)
Activities on the part of constituent members of diplomatic missions or
consular offices of foreign governments hosted by the Government of
Japan, and activities on the part of their family members belonging to
the same household.
Activities on the part of those who are provided with similar
privileges and/or immunities as are given to diplomatic missions in
accordance with treaties or international customary practices (for
example, heads of state, ministers, and parliamentary speakers of
foreign countries; the secretary general of the United Nations; the
secretary generals of specialized agencies of the United Nations; etc.),
and activities on the part of their family members belonging to the same
household.
OFFICIAL VISA
Official
(during mission)
Activities on the part of those who engage in official business of
foreign governments or international organizations recognized by the
Government of Japan, and activities on the part of their family members
belonging to the same household.
WORKING VISA
Professor
(3 years or 1 year)
Activities for research, research guidance, or education as professor,
assistant professor, or assistant, etc. at universities, equivalent
educational institutions, or technical colleges (koto senmon gakko).
Artist
(3 years or 1 year)
Activities for the arts that provide income, including those carried out
by composers, songwriters, artists, sculptors, craftspeople,
photographers, etc.
Religious
Activities
(3 years or 1 year)
Missionary and other religious activities conducted by members of
foreign religious organizations.
Journalist
(3 years or 1 year)
News coverage and other journalistic activities conducted on the basis
of a contract with a foreign journalistic organization, such as a
foreign newspaper company, news agency, broadcasting station,
documentary movie company, etc. (Specifically, activities carried out by
newspaper journalists, magazine journalists, report writers, editorial
chiefs, editors, media photographers, television and radio announcers,
etc., including freelancers.)
Investor/
Business
Manager*
(3 years or 1 year)
Activities to commence the operation of international trade or other
business, to invest in international trade or other business and to
operate or manage that business, or to operate or manage international
trade or other business on behalf of foreign nationals (including
foreign corporations) who have begun such an operation or have invested
in such a business. The business in question must meet certain
conditions of scale. Applicants who wish to engage in business
management must fulfill certain conditions concerning work status and
personal history.
Legal/
Accounting
Services*
(3 years or 1 year)
Activities to engage in legal or accounting business. Applicants must be
attorneys or public accountants certified to perform their duties in
Japan, or those with other legal qualifications recognized by Japan.
Medical
Services*
(3 years or 1 year)
Activities to engage in medical treatment service. Applicants must be
physicians, dentists, or those with other medical qualifications, and
must be qualified under Japanese law and fulfill certain conditions
concerning work status, etc.
Researcher*
(3 years or 1 year)
Activities to engage in examinations, surveys, research, etc. on the
basis of a contract with a public or private organization in Japan.
Applicants must fulfill certain conditions concerning personal history
and work status.
Instructor*
(3 years or 1 year)
Activities to engage in language instruction and other education at
elementary schools, junior high schools, senior high schools, schools
for the blind, handicapped children's schools, miscellaneous schools (kakushu
gakko and senshu gakko), or other educational institutions
equivalent to kakushu gakko in facilities and curriculum.
Engineer*
(3 years or 1 year)
Activities to engage in service that requires technological skill and/or
knowledge pertinent to physical science, engineering, or other natural
science fields, on the basis of a contract with a public or private
organization in Japan. Applicants must fulfill certain conditions
concerning personal history and work status.
Specialist in Humanities/
International Services*
(3 years or 1 year)
Activities to engage in service that requires knowledge pertinent to
jurisprudence, economics, sociology, or other human science fields.
Activities to engage in service that requires specific ways of thought
or sensitivity based on experience with foreign culture, such as
interpreting, translation, copywriting, fashion design, interior design,
sales, overseas business, information processing, international finance,
design, or public relations and advertising based on a contract with a
public or private organization in Japan.
Applicants must fulfill certain conditions concerning personal history
and work status.
Intracompany Transferee*
(3 years or 1 year)
Activities on the part of personnel who are transferred to business
offices in Japan for a limited period of time from business offices
that are established in foreign countries by public or private
organizations with head offices, branch offices, or other business
offices in Japan and who engage at these business offices in the
activities described in the "Engineer" or "Specialist in
Humanities/International Services" sections of this table.
Applicants must fulfill certain conditions concerning personal history
and work status.
Entertainer*
(1 year, 6 months, or 3 months)
Activities to engage in theatrical performances, arts, song, dance,
musical performances, sports, or any other show business. Applicants
must fulfill certain conditions concerning personal history, work
status, and form of entertainment.
Activities such as the production of television programs or movies, the
photographing of models, etc. Applicants must fulfill certain conditions
concerning work status.
Skilled Labor*
(3 years or 1 year)
Activities to engage in service that requires industrial techniques or
skills belonging to special fields on the basis of a contract with a
public or private organization in Japan. Applicants must fulfill certain
conditions concerning personal history and work status.
*Statuses of residence to
which the Ministerial Ordinance to Provide for Criteria for Landing
Permission does apply.
The Immigration Control Act stipulates the basic legal framework for
foreigners staying in Japan in terms of status of residence and also,
regarding several types of status of residence, stipulates further that
criteria established by an ordinance of the Ministry of Justice in
consideration of the impact on Japan's industry and general welfare
shall apply as a condition for granting landing permission.
These conditions for granting landing permission are stated in the
Ministerial Ordinance to Provide for Criteria pursuant to Article 7,
Paragraph 1 (2) of the Immigration Control Act (Ministry of Justice
Ordinance No. 16 of May 24, 1990). (See
Appendix 1.)
For the criteria for each status of residence, refer to the
page(s)
indicated below the term of residence.
(b) Statuses of residence not permitting work
VISA CATEGORY
Status of residence
(term of residence)
Activities authorized to engage in
TEMPORARY VISITOR'S VISA
Temporary
Visitor
(90 days or
15 days)
Sightseeing; recreation; sports; visiting
relatives, friends, or acquaintances; visiting a sick person; attending
a wedding or funeral ceremony; participating in athletic tournaments,
contests, etc. as an amateur; business purposes (such as market
research, business liaison, business consultations, signing a contract,
or providing after-sale service for imported machinery); inspecting or
visiting plants, trade fairs, etc.; attending lectures, explanatory
meetings, etc.; academic surveys or research presentations; religious
pilgrimages or visits; friendship visits to sister cities, sister
schools, etc.; or other similar activities during a short period of stay
in Japan.
TRANSIT VISA
Temporary
Visitor
(15 days)
Activities are limited to sightseeing, leisure, and rest. Applicants
must be foreigners traveling to a foreign country from another foreign
country via Japan who wish to stay in Japan for a short period (up to 15
days).
GENERAL VISA
Cultural
Activities
(1 year or
6 months)
Academic or artistic activities that provide no income, activities for
the purpose of pursuing specific studies on Japanese culture or arts, or
activities for the purpose of learning and acquiring skills in Japanese
culture or arts under the guidance of experts (for example, ikebana, tea
ceremony, judo, etc.).
College
Student*
(2 years or 1 year)
Activities to receive education at colleges or equivalent educational
institutions, specialized courses of study at miscellaneous schools (senshu
gakko), educational institutions designated for preparing persons
who have completed 12 years of education at schools in foreign countries
to enter college, or technical colleges (koto senmon gakko).
Applicants must fulfill certain conditions regarding ability to pay
living expenses, etc.
Precollege Student*
(1 year or 6 months)
Activities to receive education at high schools, high school courses of
schools for the blind or of handicapped children's schools, higher or
general courses of miscellaneous schools (kakushu gakko and senshu
gakko), or of other educational institutions that are equivalent to kakushu
gakko schools in facilities and curriculum. Applicants must fulfill
certain conditions regarding ability to pay living expenses, etc.
Trainee*
(1 year or 6 months)
Activities to learn and acquire technology, skills, or knowledge at
public or private organizations in Japan (including not only training in
industrial techniques and skills but also administrative training in
local governments and other public bodies and clerical training to
acquire knowledge).
Dependent*
(3 years, 2 years,
1 year, 6 months
or 3 months)
Daily living activities on the part of the spouse or unmarried minor
child of those who stay in Japan with a status of residence mentioned in
Table (a) (excluding Diplomat and Official) or with a Cultural
Activities or College Student status of residence.
*Same as note for Table (a).
(c) Whether work is permitted or not depends on the
contents of individual permits
VISA CATEGORY
Status of residence
(term of residence)
Activities authorized to engage in
SPECIFIED VISA
Designated
Activities
(3 years, 1 year,
6 months, or a
designated
period of less
than 1 year)
Activities that are specifically designated by the Minister of Justice
for foreign individuals. (For example, activities on the part of
foreigners who wish to enter Japan as personal help privately employed
by diplomats, consular representatives, etc.; foreigners who wish to
enter Japan under bilateral working holiday agreements*;
foreigners who are employed by companies, etc. and are active as
athletes in amateur sports and their dependent spouses and children;
foreign lawyers engaged in international arbitration affairs, etc.
university students engaged in internship activities.)
*Working Holiday Agreements: Based on bilateral agreements, working
holiday programmes permit young people (between 18 and 30 years of age)
from the countries concerned who are visiting a partner country on
vacation to engage in work there so as to supplement their funds to
travel and stay in that country, thereby providing them with an
opportunity to get to know that country's culture and general lifestyle.
At present Japan has such working holiday agreements with five
countries: Australia, Canada, France, New Zealand, and the Republic of
Korea.
2. Statuses of residence without restrictions on
activities in Japan
VISA CATEGORY
Status of residence
(term of residence)
Personal relationship or status based on which the residence is
authorized
NO VISA GIVEN
Permanent
Resident
(indefinite)
Those who are granted permanent residence by the Minister of Justice.
Application for Permanent Resident status is not possible at overseas
Japanese diplomatic establishments.
SPECIFIED VISA
Spouse or Child
of Japanese
National
(3 years or 1 year)
Spouses of Japanese nationals, children adopted by Japanese nationals in
accordance with the provisions of Article 817-2 of the Civil Code (Law
No. 89 of 1896), or those born as children of Japanese nationals.
Spouse or Child
of Permanent
Resident
(3 years or 1 year)
Spouses of those who stay with Permanent Resident status or those who
are Special Permanent Residents as described in the Special Law on
Immigration Control, which covers those who have lost Japanese
nationality through a peace treaty between Japan and another nation, or
those born as children of Permanent or Special Permanent Residents.
Long-term
Resident
(3 years, 1 year,
6 months, or a designated
period of less
than 3 years)
Refugees as stipulated by the convention relating to the Status of
Refugees, Indo-chinese refugee settlers, second- and third-generation
Japanese settlers, etc.
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