2026.09.01Highly Skilled Professional
HIGHLY SKILLED PROFESSIONAL
Highly Skilled Professional Visa Support
Education, work history and income are converted into points, and the status is granted to those reaching 70. The period of stay is a uniform five years, and the residence required before applying for permanent residence can be as short as one year.
From ¥165,000No retainer feePoint assessment includedFree re-application if denied
Book a free consultationWhat is the Highly Skilled Professional status
ABOUT
It gives preferential treatment to people with particularly strong credentials among those eligible for a work status. There are three fields of activity, each with its own point allocation.
The four categories
Type 1 (a)
Advanced academic research
Research, research guidance and education. Typically university researchers and faculty. Research achievements weigh heavily in the points.
Type 1 (b)
Advanced specialised / technical work
Work requiring knowledge or techniques in natural or human sciences. Equivalent to Engineer / Specialist in Humanities / International Services, and the most common category.
Type 1 (c)
Advanced business management
Management or administration of a business. Equivalent to Business Manager activity, with higher point allocations for work history and income than the other categories.
Type 2
After three years under Type 1
The period of stay becomes indefinite and almost all work activities are permitted. Because renewal is no longer required, it is close to permanent residence in practice.
* Type 2 can be revoked if you cease the qualifying activity. It is a different scheme from permanent residence.
Who this is for
FOR WHOM
Switching from Engineer / Specialist in Humanities
Already working under a work status and now meet the criteria. This is the most common enquiry.
Hiring from overseas under this status from the outset
Filing for a Certificate of Eligibility directly as a Highly Skilled Professional. Employer cooperation is essential.
Moving from Business Manager to Type 1 (c)
Establishing a company, residing under Business Manager, then changing to Type 1 (c) once the requirements are met.
Three years under Type 1, now seeking Type 2
For those who want an indefinite period of stay. The points must be reassessed.
How the points work
POINT SYSTEM
Education, work history, income and age are scored, and you qualify at 70 points. The same background can score differently depending on which field you apply under.
Pass mark
70
Main allocations by field
| Item | Type 1 (a) Research | Type 1 (b) Technical | Type 1 (c) Management |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education: doctorate | 30 | 20 | 20 |
| Education: master | 20 | 20 | 20 |
| Education: bachelor | 10 | 10 | 10 |
| Experience: 10 years+ | 20 | 20 | 25 |
| Experience: 7 years+ | 15 | 15 | 20 |
| Experience: 5 years+ | 10 | 10 | 15 |
| Experience: 3 years+ | 5 | 5 | 10 |
| Age: under 30 | 15 | 15 | — |
| Age: under 35 | 10 | 10 | — |
| Age: under 40 | 5 | 5 | — |
Income points (Type 1 (a) and (b))
The older you are, the higher the income threshold at which points begin. Type 1 (c) has no age bands and uses a separate table from 10 points at ¥10m to 50 points at ¥30m.
| Annual income | Under 30 | Under 35 | Under 40 | 40 and over |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ¥10m+ | 40 | 40 | 40 | 40 |
| ¥8m+ | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 |
| ¥7m+ | 25 | 25 | 25 | — |
| ¥6m+ | 20 | 20 | 20 | — |
| ¥5m+ | 15 | 15 | — | — |
| ¥4m+ | 10 | — | — | — |
Income below ¥3m does not qualify
For Type 1 (b) and (c), if annual income is under ¥3 million you do not qualify however many points the other items produce. We check this first.
You only need to evidence 70 points
You do not have to document every item that applies to you. We build the case from the items that are easiest to evidence, up to 70 points.
The field you choose changes the score
The same background scores differently under Type 1 (b) and Type 1 (c), particularly for work history. That decision alone can determine the outcome.
You may qualify even without a higher degree
BONUS POINTS
There are fifteen bonus items in addition to the main categories. Reaching 70 points through these is not unusual. If you have assumed your education is not enough, it is worth running the calculation once.
- JLPT N1, or a degree majoring in Japanese from a foreign university+15
- JLPT N2+10
- Degree from a Japanese higher education institution+10
- Graduate of a university designated by the Minister of Justice (top-ranked worldwide)+10
- Representative director / representative executive officer+10
- Director / executive officer+5
- Japanese national qualifications related to the work (5 points each)+10
- Foreign qualifications related to the work+5
- Employment in advanced projects in growth fields+10
- Work in investment management and similar business+10
- Employment at an organisation receiving innovation promotion support+10
- Employment at an SME with R&D expenditure above 3%+5
- Completion of training designated by the Minister of Justice+5
- Investment of ¥100m or more in the business you manage+5
- Employment at an organisation receiving local government support measures+10
An example of how points add up
- Education (bachelor)+10
- Degree from a Japanese university+10
- JLPT N1+15
- Designated university graduate+10
Total45
That is 45 points before age, experience and income are counted. Someone under 30 earning ¥5 million adds 15 and 15, reaching 75.
The road to permanent residence is much shorter
PERMANENT RESIDENCE
The greatest advantage of this status is the reduced residence required before applying for permanent residence.
Standard route
10 years
In principle ten years of residence is required.
70 points or more
3 years
Three years of continuous residence as a highly skilled foreign professional with 70 points or more.
80 points or more
1 year
One year of continuous residence as a highly skilled foreign professional with 80 points or more.
Both are also satisfied if you are recognised as having held that score as of a date counted back from the application. It is not judged solely on your score today.
The Point Calculation Result Notice
POINT NOTICE
This document is issued together with the approval, but many people complete the procedure without knowing it exists or how to collect it. It matters later, when you apply for permanent residence.
Issued together with the approval
In practice, together with the approval, the result of the point calculation is notified on Form 27-2 bearing the immigration inspector's seal. This applies to certificates of eligibility, changes of status and renewals alike.
Handed to you in person at the counter
It is not posted to your legal representative. You receive it yourself when you collect your residence card. Without prior notice, it is easy to leave without it.
It shows a band, not your exact score
It states one of: under 70 points, 70 to under 80 points, or 80 points or more. The precise figure is not given.
It replaces the supporting evidence for permanent residence
The notice is an accepted document for a permanent residence application. If it shows 80 points or more, you can proceed to apply after one year.
Source: Immigration Services Agency, Permanent Residence Application.
Other preferential measures
BENEFITS
A uniform five-year period of stay
Type 1 is granted five years regardless of the activity, so renewals come around less often.
Multiple activities permitted
You may carry out related activities alongside your main work, such as running a related business.
Employment for your spouse
Your spouse may engage in activities corresponding to Instructor or Engineer / Specialist without meeting the usual education or experience requirements.
Bringing a parent
A parent of yours or your spouse may accompany you to care for a child under seven, or to assist a pregnant spouse.
Bringing a domestic worker
Subject to conditions, you may bring a domestic worker you employ in your home country.
Priority processing
Applications relating to this status are handled on a priority basis.
Processing time
PROCESSING TIME
| Category | Certificate | Renewal | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Type 1 (a) | 49.0 days | 39.7 days | 41.5 days |
| Type 1 (b) | 57.5 days | 40.9 days | 48.5 days |
| Type 1 (c) | 35.4 days | — | 91.4 days |
| Type 2 | — | — | 78.2 days |
Published figures: Immigration Services Agency, processing periods for cases approved in June 2026.
Main documents required
DOCUMENTS
From you
- Copy of passport
- Copy of residence card, if held
- Photograph
- Degree certificate
- Certificates of employment covering your work history, including former employers
- Evidence of income such as an employment contract or offer letter
- Residence certificate, if living in Japan
From your employer
- Employment contract or notice of working conditions
- Company registration certificate
- Financial statements or statutory payment record summary
- Company profile and description of business
- Evidence of the company category
Point evidence
- Point calculation sheet, prepared by us for your signature
- Evidence for each item claimed
- JLPT certificate, where applicable
- Evidence of designated university, where applicable
* Point evidence only needs to reach 70 points. There is no need to document every item that applies.
A note for HR teams
FOR EMPLOYERS
These applications cannot be completed with the applicant's documents alone. The documents you provide, and their consistency with the rest of the file, shape the outcome. We work directly with HR and administrative staff.
Let us agree a single contact first
Recruitment and immigration are often handled by different teams. Settling this at the start avoids a great deal of back and forth later.
We check the offer letter carefully
If the salary, start date or job description differ from the application or the point sheet, Immigration is likely to request further material. We also check signatures and return deadlines.
We work the way you work
If a shared folder is not available to you, email attachments are fine. We follow your internal rules.
We provide a completion sheet
We set out what to enter, item by item, so that nobody has to research it from scratch.
Keeping the burden on your team low is, in practice, what makes the whole process faster.
How it works
FLOW
01
Provisional point assessment
We ask about your education, work history, income and age and confirm whether you reach 70. If you do not, we will say so and suggest alternatives.
02
Designing the evidence
We decide which items to claim and identify the documents needed. We start with the slowest items, such as employment certificates from overseas employers.
03
Working with your employer
We provide a completion sheet to your HR contact and gather the company documents directly, to keep the burden off you.
04
Filing and responding
We prepare the full set of documents and file on your behalf, and respond to any requests for further material during the review.
05
After approval
We explain how to collect your residence card and the Point Calculation Result Notice, and set out the next steps towards permanent residence.
Fees
PRICING
Because the point assessment and the design of supporting evidence are the substance of the work, we do not divide this service into plans. No retainer is required.
| Application type | Fee (incl. tax) |
|---|---|
| Type 1 (a) / Type 1 (b) — certificate or change of status | ¥165,000 |
| Type 1 (c) — certificate or change of status | ¥280,500 |
| Renewal of period of stay | ¥88,000 |
| Change to Type 2 | Quoted individually |
What the fee covers
- Point assessment and the route to 70 points
- Identifying and structuring the supporting evidence
- Preparing the point calculation sheet
- Preparing the full set of application documents
- Coordination with your employer
- Filing with Immigration on your behalf
- Responding to requests for further material
* Type 1 (c) is priced separately because it requires evidence of the business comparable to a Business Manager application.
* Disbursements such as application fees, translation and postage are charged separately.
* If a case we filed is denied, we handle one re-application at no charge, limited to one per applicant and residence status.
Frequently asked questions
FAQ
Q. Can I find out in advance whether I reach 70 points?+
A. Yes. Given your education, work history, income and age we can give you a reasonable view at the first consultation. If you do not reach the threshold we will tell you rather than press ahead.
Q. Does passing 70 points guarantee approval?+
A. No. Meeting the threshold and being approved are separate matters. Everything you claim has to be supported by documents.
Q. My income is below ¥3 million.+
A. For Type 1 (b) and (c) you do not qualify below ¥3 million, however many points the other items produce. We would look at Engineer / Specialist in Humanities instead.
Q. Which is better, this or Engineer / Specialist?+
A. If you reach 70 points we would recommend this status, for the five-year period and the shorter road to permanent residence. The document preparation is somewhat heavier. Because much of the paperwork overlaps, it is also possible to start here and switch if it proves difficult.
Q. Does overseas work experience count?+
A. It does, provided it relates to the work you will perform. Where a former employer is a foreign company, a certificate of employment from that company is required, which often takes time, so we start early.
Q. Do I need to do anything if I change jobs?+
A. Yes. The status is tied to a specific employer, so a change of status application is required when you move.
Q. When do I receive the Point Calculation Result Notice?+
A. After approval, when you collect your residence card in person at the counter. It is not sent to us, so we make a point of telling clients in advance.
Q. If I have 80 points, can I apply for permanent residence after a year?+
A. The requirement is one year of continuous residence with 80 points or more. Permanent residence has other requirements as well, which we check individually before applying.
Start by checking your points
Tell us your education, work history, income and age and we can give you a view on whether you reach 70. The first consultation is free.
Book a free consultation