Do you know the “highly-Skilled Foreign Professionals” Visa?

The “highly Skilled Foreign Professionals” Visa has varieties of preferential treatments to foreigners.
As it is created to promote competent foreigners to work in Japan.
If you could obtain more than 70points in one of three categories of activities in the following
“Point Calculation Table”
https://www.isa.go.jp/common/uploads/pub-291_01.pdf

Let’s look at the preferential treatments when you obtain a “Highly Skilled Professional (i)” Visa.

1. Allowing multiple activities during residence
Highly skilled foreign professionals may engage in activities that span several statuses of residence, such as managing a business related to research activities at a university. Allowing multiple activities during residence.

2. Period of stay: five years
Highly skilled foreign professionals will be given the longest period of stay, five years.

3. Relaxation of residency history requirements for permission for “Permanent Residence”
In principle, the foreigner is required to reside in Japan for at least ten years to receive permission for permanent residency. However, this period might be shortened if they perform their activities as a highly-skilled foreign professional for three years, or even for one year if you are recognized as being exceptionally skilled with a score of over 80.

4. Spouse’s employment
The spouse of a highly-skilled foreign professional might be able to perform the activities of certain Visas such as “Instructor”, “Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services” and “Entertainer” without fulfilling the conditions pertaining to their educational background and employment history.

5. Permission to bring parents under a certain set of conditions
In the current system, there are no specific visas for the parents of foreigners residing in Japan, so the only way they reside in Japan is a “Temporary Visit Visa” for a maximum of 90days. However, the parents of highly skilled foreign professionals, or their spouse’s parents, can enter and reside in Japan under the following circumstances.
① Assist in caring for the child of a highly-skilled foreign professional or the child of the spouse of a highly skilled professional who is no more than seven years in age; or
②assist in caring for a highly-skilled foreign professional who is pregnant or the pregnant spouse of a highly-skilled foreign professional.
※There is also a certain set of conditions that should be satisfied.

6. Permission to bring a housekeeper under a certain set of conditions
Employment of a foreign housekeeper is only permitted for foreign nationals residing in Japan with certain statuses of residence(Visa), such as “Business Manager” or “Legal/Accounting Services.” However, highly skilled foreign professionals are permitted to bring foreign housekeepers under certain conditions.


7. Priority handling of procedures for entry and residence
Priority and early processing are given to highly skilled foreign professionals for entry and residence inspection.

Thank you for reading
Best regards
Yoshihisa Takenaka

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Yoshihisa Takenaka
Imigration Lawyer
Gyosei syoshi Takenaka Office
4th floor Marukoshi-bldg
17-12Wataridasanou-cho
Kawasaki-ku Kawasaki-shi
Kanagawa ,Japan 〒210-0845 
Tel:044-280-6510 Fax:044-280-6511
takenaka_office@ybb.ne.jp
https://takenaka-o.com/
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Published by

Yoshihisa Takenaka

Yoshihisa Takenaka. Born in Tokyo. Graduated from Berklee College Music located in Boston, Mass., USA. After graduation, worked in the music industry for about 10years, worked for a Taiwanese computer hardware company for 10 years. After obtaining the qualification opened Takenaka Office in Kawasaki City in 2011 started working as an immigration lawyer providing support services related to visa-related application procedures for foreigners, preparation of wills, inheritance procedures, and various permission applications.