24 years of practice / 1 min from Ichigao Sta., Yokohama
Visa support for employers. Engineer/Humanities and Specified Skilled Worker, handled in Yokohama.
From hiring plan to Status of Residence and renewal management. A registered Application Filing Agent (Administrative Scrivener) files for you and the candidate at Immigration.
Office hours: weekdays 9:00–18:00 (JST). First consultation free, online or in person.
Application Filing Agent
In principle, the candidate does not appear at Immigration
Comprehensive coverage
Engineer/Humanities, Specified Skilled Worker, Dependent, Permanent Residence
Continuing residence management
Reminders three months before the next renewal
For Whom
Who this practice is for
Small and mid-sized companies hiring foreign engineers and office staff
IT engineering, overseas trade, translation/interpretation roles for university or vocational school graduates from abroad. Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services ("Gijinkoku") is the typical status.
Care, construction, accommodation, food service operators short of staff
Operators considering Specified Skilled Worker (Type 1). We organise the sector-specific council membership, the support plan, and coordination with a registered support organisation.
Companies moving technical interns into Specified Skilled Worker
Those who completed Technical Intern Training (Type 2) in good standing can be retained as Specified Skilled Workers without the skill / Japanese exams. We confirm exemption eligibility and coordinate the application.
Companies relocating staff from overseas subsidiaries
Intra-company Transferee. We help select between Intra-company Transferee and Engineer/Humanities, depending on the overseas employment history and the relationship between the entities.
Overview
Statuses of Residence available to hiring companies
The first question is whether the role is professional/specialised or operational/sector-based, whether the engagement is short or long term, and whether the candidate brings family. The major statuses are summarised below.
| Category | Status | Scope of activities | Period | Family |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Skilled / Professional | Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services | IT development, mechanical design, accounting, overseas sales, translation, language teaching | 5 / 3 / 1 yr / 3 mo | Spouse and children (Dependent visa) |
| Skilled / Professional | Intra-company Transferee | Employees of overseas affiliates relocated to Japan for a defined period (same scope as Engineer/Humanities) | 5 / 3 / 1 yr / 3 mo | Spouse and children (Dependent visa) |
| Skilled / Professional | Highly Skilled Professional (Type 1 / Type 2) | Point-based system (academic background, work experience, salary, etc.; 70+ points) | Type 1: 5 yrs / Type 2: indefinite | Spouse, children, certain parents |
| Sector-based / Operational | Specified Skilled Worker (Type 1) | 16 sectors including care, construction, accommodation, food service, food manufacturing | Up to 5 yrs cumulative (1 yr / 6 mo / 4 mo renewals) | Generally not allowed |
| Sector-based / Operational | Specified Skilled Worker (Type 2) | Skilled work in the Type 1 sectors (excluding care) | 3 / 1 yr / 6 mo (no cumulative cap) | Spouse and children (Dependent visa) |
| Training | Technical Intern Training (Types 1 / 2 / 3) | 91 covered occupations / 168 covered tasks. International contribution programme — not labour supply on paper. | Up to 5 yrs (Type 3 requires "Excellent" certification) | Not allowed |
| Training (from April 2027) | Training and Employment ("Ikusei Shuro") | Successor of Technical Intern Training. Designed as a path to Specified Skilled Worker. | 3 yrs in principle (scheduled to start April 1, 2027) | Not allowed (details to be confirmed post-amendment) |
| Family | Dependent | Spouses and children of skilled-status holders | Same as sponsor | Up to 28 hours/week of work with extra-status permission |
The table covers the most common employer-facing statuses. Business Manager, Highly Skilled Professional and Designated Activities are handled separately. Immigration law and ordinances change frequently — we always confirm the current rules per case.
Scope
Support for each major Status of Residence
Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services
Relationship between the university major and the proposed duties, equal pay with Japanese counterparts, the new Japanese-language requirement (CEFR B2 equivalent) for customer-facing roles introduced in 2025. We make a pre-application feasibility call before we file.
Specified Skilled Worker (Type 1 / Type 2)
Sector-specific skill exams, Japanese exams, sector council membership and the ten-item support plan. We help choose between in-house support and outsourcing to a registered support organisation.
Technical Intern Training → Specified Skilled Worker (and "Ikusei Shuro" from 2027)
Transition to Specified Skilled Worker on completion of Technical Intern Training Type 2 in good standing, maintenance of Excellent certification, coordination with the supervising organisation, and forward planning for the new training framework starting in April 2027.
Intra-company Transferee
One-year minimum overseas employment, scope of "affiliated companies", and choosing between this status and Engineer/Humanities. Often easier on the academic side, but the transfer period and the corporate relationship need to be evidenced.
Pricing
Indicative fees
| Application type | Engineer/Humanities, Intra-company etc. | Specified Skilled Worker (Type 1) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Certificate of Eligibility (bringing a worker from overseas) | JPY 180,000–220,000 | JPY 220,000–280,000 | Engineer/Humanities and Specified Skilled Worker both depend on category and complexity |
| Change of Status of Residence (e.g. Student → Engineer/Humanities) | JPY 180,000–220,000 | JPY 220,000–280,000 | Domestic change. Existing residence record is verified. |
| Extension of Period of Stay | JPY 90,000–110,000 | JPY 100,000–130,000 | Tax, social insurance and continued employment checks. We typically start three months before expiry. |
| Dependent (spouse / child sponsorship, renewal) | JPY 120,000–160,000 | — | For sponsors with Engineer/Humanities, Highly Skilled Professional, etc. |
| Permanent Residence (including from skilled status) | JPY 180,000–250,000 | — | Mostly evidence of 10 years of residence (or 1–3 years for HSP fast track). |
| Application Filing Agent (proxy filing at Immigration) | Included above | Included above | Filed by a registered Application Filing Agent (Administrative Scrivener). |
Amounts are net of consumption tax. Government fees (JPY 4,000 for status change/extension, JPY 1,200 for Certificate of Authorised Employment), certificate issuance fees, and the cost of translating / notarising overseas documents are charged separately. Complex matters (prior refusals, multiple status changes, sector switches) may run 1.5x–3x of the figures above. The first consultation is free.
Process
How an engagement unfolds
From the initial feasibility call through to post-arrival residence management, the engagement typically follows eight steps. Your side mainly supplies documents and confirms a few key facts.
1. Free initial consultation
We learn the candidate’s education, work history, nationality, the planned duties, the employment conditions and company size. We tell you on the call whether the case fits Engineer/Humanities or Specified Skilled Worker.
2. Eligibility assessment and written estimate
We narrow the candidate statuses to one or three options. We provide each with a written feasibility, timeline, document list and fee. Work begins once the engagement is signed.
3. Document collection and preparation
Company side (registry, financials, employment contract, statutory wage payment record etc.) and candidate side (graduation certificate, passport, resume, exam pass certificates) collected in parallel. Overseas documents may need translation and notarisation.
4. Drafting the application and reasoning letter
In addition to the application forms, for Category 3 / 4 employers we draft a company employment reasoning letter and a personal statement. We structure the evidence around three things: relevance of major to duties, equal pay, and suitability of the receiving organisation.
5. Filing with Immigration (as Application Filing Agent)
A registered Application Filing Agent (Administrative Scrivener) files in person or electronically at the regional Immigration Services Bureau covering the employer’s location. In principle the candidate and company representative do not need to appear.
6. Examination response
Standard processing time: 1–3 months for Certificate of Eligibility, 2 weeks to 2 months for change/extension. If Immigration requests additional documents, we act as the first responder and coordinate with you and the candidate.
7. Permission and residence card
Certificates of Eligibility arrive by post; we forward them to the candidate. Domestic changes/extensions result in a postcard, after which the residence card is updated at the Immigration counter.
8. Post-arrival support and continuing residence management
Address registration within 14 days, notification of the contracting organisation, and reminders three months before the next renewal. Transfers, family reunification and permanent residence are handled under separate engagement.
Our Role
What an Application Filing Agent does
An Application Filing Agent (申請取次行政書士) is a Gyoseishoshi (Administrative Scrivener) who has completed the Ministry of Justice-designated training, passed the evaluation, and been registered with a regional Immigration Services Bureau through the local Gyoseishoshi association. They carry a certificate of registration (commonly called a "pink card") that they present when filing.
When an Application Filing Agent files on behalf of the applicant and receiving organisation, the applicant generally does not need to appear at Immigration. This is the reason we can process a Certificate of Eligibility for someone still abroad, or handle changes / extensions for someone in Japan without taking time off work.
The principal, Mitsuhiro Saito, is registered through the Kanagawa Administrative Scriveners Association, and files at the Yokohama, Tokyo, Kawasaki and Saitama bureaus. Naturalisation is filed at the Legal Affairs Bureau — that separately requires applicant attendance, and is therefore out of scope for this agency status.
Filings handled under the agent registration
- Certificate of Eligibility (bringing a worker from overseas)
- Change of Status of Residence (e.g. Student to Engineer/Humanities)
- Extension of Period of Stay
- Extra-status work permission, re-entry permit
- Permanent Residence, Certificate of Authorised Employment
- Naturalisation is handled by the Legal Affairs Bureau and requires applicant attendance.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
We want to hire a new graduate international student. What status of residence do we need?
Typically a change from "Student" to "Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services". The application should start from the offer letter and "expected to graduate" certificate, and must be filed before the student visa expires. Immigration weighs (1) relation between university major and proposed duties, and (2) salary at least equal to Japanese new graduates in the same role. Attendance or grade issues can be addressed in the reasoning letter.Is paying foreigners the same as Japanese employees really sufficient?
"Equal to or higher" is the rule. If you employ Japanese staff in the same role, that wage is the benchmark. If you do not, we explain using industry averages and Hello Work job listings. Simply paying above minimum wage is a frequent ground for refusal.We are a care provider considering Specified Skilled Worker hires. What is the first step?
Confirm employer eligibility (social insurance, labour insurance, no involuntary terminations, no missing trainees). Then find candidates who have passed both the Care Skill Evaluation Test and the Japanese Language Evaluation Test for Nursing Care. Choose between in-house support and contracting a registered support organisation. Joining the Care Sector Council is required within four months of starting hires.What is special about construction in the Specified Skilled Worker regime?
Construction has overlay requirements: a valid construction business license, registration with the Construction Career Up System (CCUS), and JAC membership (regular or supporting). Pay must be monthly (day-rate / day-month is flagged). The number of foreign workers is capped at the total number of permanent employees.Can a Technical Intern Training Type 2 graduate move into Specified Skilled Worker with us?
Yes — skill and Japanese tests are waived if it is in the same field and the trainee completed at least 2 years 10 months "in good standing" with a Level 3 skill check or equivalent. Where the test was not passed, the supervising organisation’s evaluation report can sometimes cover the gap.Our foreign employee wants to bring their family. Can they?
Engineer/Humanities, Highly Skilled Professional, Business Manager and similar sponsors can bring spouses and children on the Dependent visa. Specified Skilled Worker Type 1 and Technical Intern Training cannot, but Type 2 can. The application turns on the sponsor’s genuine intention and financial capacity (household income, tax certificates).What happens if the application is refused?
You can receive an oral explanation from Immigration. We attend with you. If the cause can be cured we refile; otherwise we reconsider the status entirely. Because we provide a candid pre-application feasibility, some cases are intentionally withdrawn at that stage.
Contact
Designing the hire and the visa together
The first consultation is free. Tell us about the candidate (education, work history, planned duties) and the company (size, sector), and we will give you a feasibility and a timeline on the same call. We prefer to start early when a residence period is about to expire.
Office hours: weekdays 9:00–18:00 (JST). Service area: Greater Tokyo / Kanagawa.
This page is an introduction to the Status of Residence practice and does not guarantee any particular outcome. Permission lies with the Immigration Services Agency; we work on pre-application feasibility and on optimising the evidentiary structure.
The Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act, related ordinances and notifications are revised frequently. This page reflects the position as of mid-2026 and includes references to the 2025 Japanese-language requirement for customer-facing roles and the new "Ikusei Shuro" (Training and Employment) regime scheduled for April 1, 2027. Please confirm with us on a specific case. Matters reserved for other professions (law / labour and social security) are outside our scope.