Income-generating artistic activity
Japan
Japan sits in Eastern Asia. Its immigration system runs 187 distinct routes — led by work, youth mobility and family, each set out in official law. All 187 cite an official government source, shown on the route with the date we last read it. Who actually qualifies depends on your full profile.
- Immigration routes
- 187across 19 route categories, each set out in official law
- Source-cited routes
- 187 of 187cite an official government source, with the date we last read it
- Largest category
- Work56 of the 187 routes — see them under Work below
- Region
- Eastern Asia
- Capital
- Tokyo
- Population
- 123,366,734
- Official language
- Japanese
- Currency
- JPY
- Time zone
- UTC+09:00
Immigration routes
All 187 routes, grouped by purpose — 187 of 187 cite an official government source directly.
Work
56 routes
— No eligibility summary published for this route yet
— No eligibility summary published for this route yet
Care work under an applicable Economic Partnership Agreement
Candidate care worker admitted under an applicable Economic Partnership Agreement
Candidate nurse admitted under an applicable Economic Partnership Agreement
Nursing work under an applicable Economic Partnership Agreement
Professional engineering or natural-science work under contract
Professional humanities, management, finance, legal-support or related work under contract
International-services work such as translation, interpretation, language instruction, public relations, design or overseas trade
Professional entertainment activity
Education at an elementary, junior-high, high-school or equivalent institution
Transfer from an overseas office to a Japanese office for qualifying professional duties
Journalistic activity based on a contract with a foreign journalistic organization
Professional legal or accounting services reserved to authorised practitioners
Regulated medical activity by an appropriately qualified professional
Professional care work by a certified care worker
Research, research guidance or education at a university or equivalent institution
Research based on a contract with a Japanese public or private organization
Skilled work as an aircraft pilot
Skilled work as an animal trainer
Skilled work as a chef specialising in foreign cuisine
Skilled work as a sommelier
Employment in the Accommodation field under Specified Skilled Worker (i)
Employment in the Agriculture field under Specified Skilled Worker (i)
Employment in the Automobile repair and maintenance field under Specified Skilled Worker (i)
Employment in the Automobile transportation business field under Specified Skilled Worker (i)
Employment in the Aviation field under Specified Skilled Worker (i)
Employment in the Building cleaning management field under Specified Skilled Worker (i)
Employment in the Construction field under Specified Skilled Worker (i)
Employment in the Fishery and aquaculture field under Specified Skilled Worker (i)
Employment in the Food service field under Specified Skilled Worker (i)
Employment in the Forestry field under Specified Skilled Worker (i)
Employment in the Industrial product manufacturing field under Specified Skilled Worker (i)
Employment in the Manufacture of food and beverages field under Specified Skilled Worker (i)
Employment in the Nursing care field under Specified Skilled Worker (i)
Employment in the Railway field under Specified Skilled Worker (i)
Employment in the Shipbuilding and ship machinery field under Specified Skilled Worker (i)
Employment in the Wood industry field under Specified Skilled Worker (i)
Advanced skilled employment in the Accommodation field under Specified Skilled Worker (ii)
Advanced skilled employment in the Agriculture field under Specified Skilled Worker (ii)
Advanced skilled employment in the Automobile repair and maintenance field under Specified Skilled Worker (ii)
Advanced skilled employment in the Aviation field under Specified Skilled Worker (ii)
Advanced skilled employment in the Building cleaning management field under Specified Skilled Worker (ii)
Advanced skilled employment in the Construction field under Specified Skilled Worker (ii)
Advanced skilled employment in the Fishery and aquaculture field under Specified Skilled Worker (ii)
Advanced skilled employment in the Food service field under Specified Skilled Worker (ii)
Advanced skilled employment in the Industrial product manufacturing field under Specified Skilled Worker (ii)
Advanced skilled employment in the Manufacture of food and beverages field under Specified Skilled Worker (ii)
Advanced skilled employment in the Shipbuilding and ship machinery field under Specified Skilled Worker (ii)
Accredited technical intern training (i), individual-enterprise type
Accredited technical intern training (i), supervising-organization type
Accredited technical intern training (ii), individual-enterprise type
Accredited technical intern training (ii), supervising-organization type
Accredited technical intern training (iii), individual-enterprise type
Accredited technical intern training (iii), supervising-organization type
Investment
1 route
Establish and actively operate a business in Japan
Business & self-employment
4 routes
Manage an established business in Japan
Short post-graduation period to establish a company and change to Business Manager
Business start-up preparation by a recent graduate of an eligible excellent overseas university
Preparation to start a business under support from an approved municipality
Talent & merit
7 routes
Advanced academic research under the points system
Advanced specialised or technical work under the points system
Advanced business management under the points system
Indefinite highly skilled status after the qualifying period under Highly Skilled Professional (i)
Special highly skilled academic/research activity
Special highly skilled business-management activity
Special highly skilled professional/technical activity
Study
14 routes
— No eligibility summary published for this route yet
— No eligibility summary published for this route yet
— No eligibility summary published for this route yet
Study at a college of technology
Japanese-language study at an eligible institution
Study at elementary school
Study at a junior college
Study at junior high school
Study at an eligible miscellaneous school
Study at senior high school
Study in an eligible special-needs school division
Study at a specialised training college
Study at a university or graduate school
Non-employment skills or knowledge training at an eligible host
Family
20 routes
Residence as a biological child born to a Japanese national
Residence for a child born in Japan to a Permanent Resident who continues to reside in Japan
Daily activities as the supported child of a qualifying foreign resident
Daily activities as the supported spouse of a qualifying foreign resident
Residence as supported family of a qualifying Japanese-university graduate under Designated Activities No. 46
Residence as the supported child of a Digital Nomad
Residence as the supported spouse of a Digital Nomad
Conditional residence for a parent to care for a child under seven or assist during pregnancy
Designated Activities route allowing a spouse of a Highly Skilled Professional to work in specified professional statuses
Residence as the supported child of a J-Find participant
Residence as the supported spouse of a J-Find participant
Residence for a supported adopted child under six of a qualifying resident
For the spouse of a second-generation person of Japanese descent.
For the spouse of a third-generation person of Japanese descent.
Residence for a supported minor unmarried biological child of a qualifying resident
Residence as a special adopted child of a Japanese national
Residence as the spouse of a Japanese national
Residence as the spouse of a Permanent Resident or Special Permanent Resident
Residence as the child of a Start-up visa entrepreneur
Residence as the spouse of a Start-up visa entrepreneur
Independent means
2 routes
Accompanying-spouse residence under the Long Stay sightseeing scheme
Long stay for sightseeing and recreation funded from substantial personal savings
Digital nomad
1 route
— No eligibility summary published for this route yet
Residence-based status
10 routes
Child of a Japanese national meeting the published residence exception
Change from an existing status to Permanent Resident under the general residence rule
Highly skilled route based on maintaining 70 points for the required three-year period
Accelerated highly skilled route based on maintaining 80 points for at least one year
Accelerated route after at least one year as a special highly skilled professional
Long-Term Resident with the qualifying continuous-residence period
Discretionary residence exception for a person recognised as having contributed to Japan
Recognised refugee meeting the qualifying continuous-residence period
Spouse of a Japanese national meeting the published marriage and residence exception
Spouse of a Permanent Resident meeting the published marriage and residence exception
Free movement
3 routes
Entry and presence as a qualifying member of the civilian component
Entry and presence under the US–Japan Status of Forces Agreement
Entry and presence as a qualifying dependant under the SOFA
Youth mobility
32 routes
Primarily holiday in Japan with incidental work for a national/resident of Argentina
Primarily holiday in Japan with incidental work for a national/resident of Australia
Primarily holiday in Japan with incidental work for a national/resident of Austria
Primarily holiday in Japan with incidental work for a national/resident of Canada
Primarily holiday in Japan with incidental work for a national/resident of Chile
Primarily holiday in Japan with incidental work for a national/resident of Czech Republic
Primarily holiday in Japan with incidental work for a national/resident of Denmark
Primarily holiday in Japan with incidental work for a national/resident of Estonia
Primarily holiday in Japan with incidental work for a national/resident of Finland
Primarily holiday in Japan with incidental work for a national/resident of France
Primarily holiday in Japan with incidental work for a national/resident of Germany
Primarily holiday in Japan with incidental work for a national/resident of Hong Kong
Primarily holiday in Japan with incidental work for a national/resident of Hungary
Primarily holiday in Japan with incidental work for a national/resident of Iceland
Primarily holiday in Japan with incidental work for a national/resident of Ireland
Primarily holiday in Japan with incidental work for a national/resident of Italy
Primarily holiday in Japan with incidental work for a national/resident of Latvia
Primarily holiday in Japan with incidental work for a national/resident of Lithuania
Primarily holiday in Japan with incidental work for a national/resident of Luxembourg
Primarily holiday in Japan with incidental work for a national/resident of Malta
Primarily holiday in Japan with incidental work for a national/resident of Netherlands
Primarily holiday in Japan with incidental work for a national/resident of New Zealand
Primarily holiday in Japan with incidental work for a national/resident of Norway
Primarily holiday in Japan with incidental work for a national/resident of Poland
Primarily holiday in Japan with incidental work for a national/resident of Portugal
Primarily holiday in Japan with incidental work for a national/resident of Slovakia
Primarily holiday in Japan with incidental work for a national/resident of South Korea
Primarily holiday in Japan with incidental work for a national/resident of Spain
Primarily holiday in Japan with incidental work for a national/resident of Sweden
Primarily holiday in Japan with incidental work for a national/resident of Taiwan
Primarily holiday in Japan with incidental work for a national/resident of United Kingdom
Primarily holiday in Japan with incidental work for a national/resident of Uruguay
Cultural, religious & volunteer
8 routes
Learning Japanese culture or arts under expert instruction
Specialised research into culture or arts particular to Japan
Unpaid academic or artistic activity
— No eligibility summary published for this route yet
Participation in an officially designated international cultural-exchange activity
— No eligibility summary published for this route yet
— No eligibility summary published for this route yet
Religious activities by clergy or missionaries sent by a foreign religious organization
Short stay & visit
8 routes
Online single-entry tourism visa for an eligible applicant residing in a covered country/region
Short cultural or intellectual visit
Repeated eligible short-term visits under a multiple-entry visa
Short business visit without taking up resident employment
Tourism for a short period
Short visit to acquaintances or friends in Japan
Short visit to relatives in Japan
Short stay under Japan's ordinary-passport visa-exemption arrangements
Humanitarian protection
5 routes
Recognition for a person needing protection who does not meet the Refugee Convention definition
Emergency landing protection for an arriving person who may qualify for refugee or complementary protection
Residence following admission through Japan's third-country refugee resettlement programme
Provisional lawful stay while a qualifying refugee or complementary-protection application is examined
Application in Japan for recognition as a refugee
Ancestry & return
2 routes
For a fourth-generation person of Japanese descent aged 18 to 35 at entry who has a qualifying supporter in Japan, Japanese-language ability appropriate to their age, and means to support themselves and return home.
For a third-generation person of Japanese descent who can document the line of descent from a Japanese grandparent and show the specified Japanese-language ability.
Medical treatment
3 routes
Accompany a foreign patient to provide personal care
Repeated medical visits under an approved treatment schedule
Short medical visit for treatment or a full medical check-up
Sports
4 routes
Amateur athletic activity under an individually designated status
Professional sporting performance or competition under Entertainer status
Public sports entertainment or performance
Work as an experienced sports trainer under Skilled Labor status
Transit
3 routes
Special landing permission for foreign crew members
Special landing permission for a through passenger temporarily leaving the port area
Transit through Japan where a visa is required
Other & special
4 routes
Private domestic employment by a qualifying diplomat
Remain in Japan between an eligible graduation/job-search status and the confirmed employment start date
Diplomatic activities on behalf of a foreign government or international organization
Official business of a foreign government or recognised international organization
Official sources
- Immigration Services Agency ISAGovernment
- MOFA VisaGovernment
- ssw.go.jpGovernment
- meti.go.jpGovernment
- [NSO] Statistics BureauGovernment
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