Intra-Company Transfer / Highly Skilled Professional / Skilled Labor & Other Work Visas
Beyond Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services, Specified Skilled Worker, and Training Employment, Japan offers work visa categories suited to specific needs—intra-company transfers (assignees), the points-based Highly Skilled Professional, Skilled Labor for foreign chefs and other specialists, and Medical/Research/Professor/Education/Legal & Accounting. We propose the best option for your hiring or assignment needs. For the Business Manager visa, please see the dedicated page.
* For the Entertainer visa (actors, singers, athletes, etc.), please see the separate dedicated page.
Five visa categories we cover
Types
Intra-Company Transfer
Bringing in assignees
A residence status for foreign nationals transferred from overseas headquarters, subsidiaries, or affiliates to Japan. No academic requirement; 1+ year of work experience overseas required. 5-year period, family eligible.
Highly Skilled Professional 1 (a/b/c) and 2
Points-based highly skilled talent
Acquired by foreigners scoring 70+ points based on income, education, and achievements. 5-year period, family eligible, fast-track to permanent residence (as short as 1 year). For high-skill talent: researchers, IT engineers, executives.
Skilled Labor
Skilled professionals
For foreign professionals with skills not replaceable by Japanese—foreign chefs (Chinese, Indian, Thai, French, etc.), pilots, sports instructors, sommeliers, and more. As a rule, 10+ years of practical experience required.
Medical / Research / Professor / Education / Legal & Accounting
Professional qualifications and institution-designated occupations
Doctors and nurses (Medical), researchers (Research), university faculty (Professor), private school teachers (Education), foreign attorneys and CPAs (Legal & Accounting), etc.
Intra-Company Transfer details
Intra-Company Transfer
Intra-Company Transfer is a residence status for foreign nationals being transferred from an overseas head office, branch, or subsidiary to a business location in Japan. It is similar to Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services but differs in the following points:
- No academic requirement: 1+ year of work experience at overseas company required (experience at the head office)
- Job duties: equivalent to Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services activities
- Period of stay: up to 5 years, family eligible
- Settlement: based on returning home after the assignment, not suited for permanent residence
It is the most commonly used residence status for global companies bringing in assignees, and the application process is relatively stable. The review focuses on "proof of 1+ year work experience at the head office" and "the relationship with the Japanese subsidiary or branch".
Highly Skilled Professional 1 (a/b/c) / 2 details
Highly Skilled Professional
Highly Skilled Professional is a special residence status acquired through the points system by foreign nationals scoring 70+ points. There are three categories (1-a: researchers, 1-b: engineers/professionals, 1-c: managers), and a Type 2 status that can be transitioned to after 3+ years on Type 1.
Benefits
- ・Period of stay: 5 years (Type 1), unlimited (Type 2)
- ・Family eligible, special work permission for spouse
- ・Eased requirements for permanent residence (apply after 1 or 3 years)
- ・Bringing parents (for childcare/elderly care)
Point factors: annual income, education, achievements, Japanese ability (N1/N2), research output in native language, etc. A combination such as ¥8M+ income, master's degree, and N1 reaches 70 points relatively easily.
Advantages for companies: Highly skilled talent is at high risk of attrition, so HSP—able to provide a fast track to permanent residence—directly translates to stronger hiring competitiveness. Demand is particularly high in foreign-affiliated IT, biotech, and finance.
For the Business Manager visa, please see the dedicated page
Business Management
The Business Manager visa was significantly tightened with the October 16, 2025 amendment (¥30M capital, 1 full-time staff, Japanese B2 equivalent, 3+ years of management experience or master's degree, expert review of business plan). Details are provided on a dedicated page. Please use it for foreign expansion to Japan or transitional measures for existing visa holders.
Go to Business Manager visa page →Skilled Labor visa details
Skilled Labor
The Skilled Labor visa is for foreign nationals with skills not replaceable by Japanese workers. The major difference from Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services: that visa requires "academic foundation (knowledge from university etc.)", while Skilled Labor requires "refined skills accumulated through experience" (per Immigration practice).
9 covered occupations
- Foreign chefs (Chinese, Indian, Thai, French cuisine, etc.)
- Foreign-style architects (Gothic, Romanesque, Chinese, Korean, etc.)
- Manufacture/repair of foreign-style products (glass, carpets, shoe fitters, etc.)
- Jewelry, precious metal, and fur processing
- Animal training
- Petroleum/geothermal exploration drilling
- Aircraft pilots
- Sports instructors
- Wine evaluation, etc. (sommeliers)
Practical experience requirement: as a rule, 10+ years of practical experience (including time studying at educational institutions). However, requirements vary by occupation: pilots need 250+ flight hours, sports instructors 3+ years, sommeliers 5+ years plus excellent international competition records.Under the Japan-Thailand EPA, Thai chefs require only 5+ years—a special exception.
Typical clients: foreign restaurants (Chinese, Indian, Thai, Spanish, etc.), airlines, professional sports teams, high-end jewelers, international event production companies, etc.
Medical / Research / Professor / Education / Legal & Accounting and more
Other Specializations
・Medical: doctors, dentists, pharmacists, nurses, etc. National qualification recognition in Japan is a precondition. Many inquiries from hospitals and care facilities.
・Research: researchers at companies and public institutions. Subject to institution designation. Universities, national research institutes, corporate research labs, etc.
・Professor: teaching staff at universities and colleges of technology. Mainly research and teaching activities.
・Education: teachers at primary/junior/senior high schools, language schools, etc. (private school corporations, international schools, English conversation schools, etc.). The difference from Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services is that "educational activities at educational institutions" are central.
・Legal & Accounting: foreign attorneys and foreign certified public accountants performing professional work at international law firms, joint foreign-law enterprises, accounting firms, etc. International arbitration and mediation case representation also covered.
・Arts / Religion / Press: specific professionals such as artistic activities (orchestra conductors, etc.), religious activities, foreign correspondents.
Approximate processing times (Immigration Bureau published values)
Processing
January 2026 approvals, nationwide average
| Visa type | Certificate of Eligibility | Period extension | Status change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Intra-Company Transfer | 47.3 days | 40.3 days | — |
| Highly Skilled Pro 1-a | 25.6 days | 35.0 days | 40.4 days |
| Highly Skilled Pro 1-b | 40.1 days | 47.1 days | 50.8 days |
| Highly Skilled Pro 1-c | 88.7 days | 57.3 days | 98.8 days |
| Highly Skilled Pro 2 | — | — | 78.8 days |
| Skilled Labor | 101.3 days | 30.5 days | 36.2 days |
| Medical | 42.4 days | 23.1 days | 39.2 days |
| Research | 62.5 days | 32.5 days | 60.4 days |
| Professor | 34.7 days | 28.0 days | 30.0 days |
| Education | 35.1 days | 32.1 days | 37.3 days |
| Legal & Accounting | 34.0 days | 68.0 days | 241.0 days |
Skilled Labor and Legal & Accounting (status change) tend to take particularly longer (due to proving 10+ years of practical experience, the specialty of international duties, etc.).
Fees (Standard-tier focus)
Pricing
For Intra-Company Transfer, Highly Skilled Professional, Skilled Labor, Medical, Research, Professor, and Education, we apply the standard 3-plan structure (Light / Standard / Full Support). Legal & Accounting requires a custom quote due to additional work.
| Visa type | Light | Standard | Full Support |
|---|---|---|---|
| Intra-Company Transfer | ¥55,000 | ¥99,000 | ¥132,000 |
| Highly Skilled Pro Type 1 | ¥55,000 | ¥99,000 | ¥132,000 |
| Skilled Labor | ¥55,000 | ¥99,000 | ¥132,000 |
| Medical / Research / Professor / Education | ¥55,000 | ¥99,000 | ¥132,000 |
| Highly Skilled Pro Type 2 | Custom quote (typically a change from Type 1, requiring evidence of practical experience) | ||
| Legal & Accounting | Custom quote (adjusted for the specifics of international law firms, accounting firms, etc.) | ||
- ・Tax included. Re-application after denial: +¥27,500
- ・Business plan preparation (new companies, etc.): +¥38,500
- ・Out-of-pocket costs charged separately
Frequently Asked Questions
FAQ
Q. Should we choose Intra-Company Transfer or Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services?+
A. If there is 1+ year of work experience at the head office, Intra-Company Transfer is more flexible (no academic requirement). For new hires in Japan, it would be Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services. If the goal is permanent residence after the assignment period, Engineer/Specialist or Highly Skilled Professional is more advantageous.
Q. Is the Highly Skilled Professional point calculation difficult?+
A. It is straightforward when calculated according to the guidelines, but at borderline values (65, 72 points, etc.), the preparation of supporting documents is important. We support everything from point calculation review to the application.
Q. We are a foreign company considering expanding to Japan—can we consult?+
A. Of course. The Business Manager visa was significantly tightened by the October 2025 amendment, so we have prepared a dedicated detailed page (/services/business-visa/). Please consult that as well. We can proceed in parallel with Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services for other employees and corporate registration.
Q. We want to hire a foreign chef—is 10+ years of practical experience mandatory?+
A. As a rule, 10+ years of practical experience (including time studying at foreign educational institutions) is required. However, under the Japan-Thailand EPA, Thai chefs are reduced to 5+ years—a special exception. For other cuisines (Chinese, Indian, French, etc.), the standard 10-year rule applies.
Q. We can't tell whether our case is Engineer/Specialist or Skilled Labor.+
A. Tasks requiring knowledge acquired academically at universities (engineers, marketing, etc.) fall under Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services; tasks requiring refined skills accumulated through experience (chefs, traditional architecture, sommeliers, etc.) fall under Skilled Labor (per Immigration practice). When in doubt, please ask in our free consultation.
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