ENGINEER / SPECIALIST IN HUMANITIES / INTERNATIONAL SERVICES
The Status of Residence called "Engineer / Specialist in Humanities / International Services" (referred to as "Engineer / Humanities visa") is applied to those who engage in activity which requires skills and knowledge in the field of Engineeringnatural science, social science and humanities or activity which requires thought and sense based on culture and language of foreign countries during their period of stay in Japan.
In order to apply for the "Engineer / Humanities visa", you have to find a hosting company in Japan and satisfy criteria and requirements. Considering your eligibility for Humanities visa in all aspects, the Immigration Bureau will grant you the permission for Humanities visa to reside and work in Japan with an authorized period of stay.
Please note that there are 3 categories for this visa, described as follow:
(A) "Engineer" visa
This visa is often granted to those who engage in the activities in the field of science, engineering, IT, architecture and so on during their period of stay in Japan. You should be graduated from an University or School majoring in the field of natural science or engineering, or having at least 10 years of experience in working as an engineer.
(B) "Specialist in Humanities" visa
This visa is often granted to those foreign staffs who engage in such jobs as require knowledge in Human and Social Science including law, economics, and sociology. Such employed (or contracted) specialist as financial analyzer, accountant, management, consultant, etc. are falling under this category.
Applicant for this visa generally must have a University degree related to which the applicant will work or a professional experience of 10 years or more in the field of which the applicant will work.
(C) "International Services" visa
This visa is often granted to those foreign staffs who provide International Service required to have thoughts and senses of foreign cultures, such as interpreter, translator, language instructor, designer, specialist in public relation or advertisement, etc.
Applicant for this visa generally must have professional experience of more than 3 years in the field of which the applicant will work. However, only a University degree is usually required for becoming interpreter, translator and language instructor in Japan.
Examples of activities (occupation/profession) which apply to "Engineer / Humanities visa":
Software Engineer / System Engineer / Computer Programmer / Game Programmer / Development Engineer / Automobile Engineer / Software / Architecture / Teacher of foreign language / Translator / Interpreter / Services at travel agent or hotel / Product planner and developer / Services for international trading / Consultant for international trading Accounting for international trading / Interior designer / Fashion designer / etc.
Criteria & Requirements
The Immigration Office will grant you the "Engineer / Humanities" visa in case you are going to engage in the activities as listed below based on contracts between you and a public/private hosting organization (including Branch Office or Subsidiary of foreign company etc.) in Japan during your period of stay in Japan.
⚫︎ Activity which requires knowledge in the field of natural science, such as following:
Mathematical Sciences｜Physical Sciences｜Chemistry｜Biological Science｜Anthropology｜Geoscience｜Geography｜Geophysics｜Educational Science｜Statistics｜Informatics｜Nuclear Science｜Engineering Physics｜Applied Physics｜Mechanical Engineering｜Electrical Engineering｜Electronics｜Information Engineering/Computer Science｜Civil Engineering｜Architecture｜Metallurgical Engineering｜Applied Chemistry｜Resource Development Engineering｜Naval Architecture｜Measurement Control Engineering｜Chemical Engineering｜Aerospace Engineering｜Nuclear Engineering｜Industrial Engineering｜Agriculture｜Agricultural Chemistry｜Forestry｜Fisheries Science｜Agricultural Economics｜Agricultural Engineering｜Animal Science｜Veterinary Medicine｜Silk Reeling｜Domestic Science｜Regional Agriculture｜General Agricultural Science｜Physiological Science｜Pathological Science｜Sociomedical｜Dentistry｜Pharmaceutical Science
⚫︎ Activities which require the knowledge in the field of Social Science and Humanities such as following:
Languages｜Literature｜Philosophy｜Pedagogics｜Psychology｜Sociology｜History｜Area studies｜Basic law｜Public law｜ International relations｜Civil law｜Criminal law Social law｜Political science｜Economic theory｜Economic policy｜International economics｜Economic history｜Science of public finance｜Commercial science｜Business administration｜Accounting｜Economic statistics
⚫︎ Activities which require international way of thinking and understanding based on foreign culture.
In addition, you must fulfill both criteria below:
CRITERIA 1.
(A) In case you are wishing to work in the field of Engineering, Natural Science, Humanities and Social Sciences in Japan, you must fall under either of the below point:
⚫︎ You graduated in Engineering, Natural Science, Humanities, Social Sciences or any related studies at University, College or other equivalent school, or you have finished elevant education.
⚫︎ You have more than 10 years experience (including both work and educational) in the field of Engineering, Natural Science, Humanities and Social Sciences.
(B) In case you are wishing to work in the field of International Services in Japan, you must fall under either one of below:
⚫︎ You are going to engage in the activities which are related to: Translator, Interpreter, Teacher and Instructor of foreign language, PR, Fashion and international trades during your period of stay in Japan.
⚫︎ You have more than 3 years experience in the field of International Services. (You don’t need to fulfill this requirement in case you are a University graduate.)
CRITERIA 2.
The applicant must receive no less reward than a Japanese national would receive for comparable work (more than ¥200,000).
Period of Stay
Period of Stay in each case shall be designated by the Immigration Office. The period must be either of 5 years, 3 years, 1 year, or 3 months.
If you wish to stay more years under the same Status of Residence you already have, you can apply for renewing your visa 3 months before the expiration of the period of stay.
Necessary documents for the application
You are required to prepare supporting documents which can certify that the contents of the application are true and correct. Supporting documents varies depending on the situation of each applicant and the employer. However, the following items would definitely be necessary:
Evidence of the applicant’s experience and qualification
⚫︎ Resume, CV
⚫︎ Documents which certify educational experience (Diploma, Certificate of Graduate)
⚫︎ Documents which certify your work experience (Certificate of Employment)
⚫︎ Documents which certify your qualification (JLPT Certificate, etc.)
Evidence of the applicant’s activities in Japan and terms of employment
⚫︎ Documents which certify the employment and salary while the applicant stays in Japan (Employment Agreement/Contract, Certificate of Employment, etc.)
Evidence of the employer
⚫︎ Company's Brochure/Leaflet
⚫︎ Certificate of Company’s Registered Matters of the Company
⚫︎ Financial Statements for the past fiscal year*
* In case of a new company: 1-year Business Plan, Notification of the establishment of salary payment office, Payment slip for Withholding Tax (past 3 months) or Application for Payment of Withholding Income Tax on a Semiannual
⚫︎ Any certificate among supporting documents has to be issued within 3 months before the date of application.
⚫︎ English translation written in foreign languages other than English would be necessary.
⚫︎ Additional documents may be required during the examination of Immigration Office.