Temporary Visitor (Tourist / Business / Visiting Relatives)
Tourists, short-term business visitors and people visiting friends or relatives for a brief stay.
Engineer / Specialist in Humanities / International Services
University-educated professionals in engineering, IT, the humanities or international/translation roles with a Japanese employer.
Highly Skilled Professional (i)
Highly qualified academics, specialists or managers scoring 70+ on the points test for accelerated benefits.
Highly Skilled Professional (ii)
HSP (i) holders who have worked 3+ years and want a near-permanent, indefinite work status.
Specified Skilled Worker (i)
Workers with tested skills filling labour shortages in designated industry sectors (e.g. care, food, construction).
Specified Skilled Worker (ii)
Experienced specified-skill workers with supervisory-level skills in eligible sectors seeking renewable, family-friendly status.
Business Manager
Foreign nationals investing in and managing or running a business in Japan.
Designated Activities (Startup / Business Preparation)
Aspiring entrepreneurs given time in Japan to prepare a business before switching to Business Manager.
Intra-company Transferee
Staff transferred from an overseas branch, parent or subsidiary to the company's office in Japan.
Instructor
Language and other teachers at elementary, junior-high and high schools or similar institutions.
Professor
Researchers, lecturers and professors teaching or conducting research at universities and equivalent institutions.
Researcher
People conducting research under a contract with a public or private institution or company in Japan.
Nursing Care (Kaigo)
Qualified care workers employed to provide nursing/long-term care under a Japanese 'kaigofukushishi' certification.
Skilled Labor
Workers with specialised craft or trade skills such as foreign-cuisine chefs, sommeliers, pilots and animal trainers.
Student
People enrolled at a Japanese university, college, vocational school or language school.
Cultural Activities
People pursuing unpaid academic/artistic study or learning a traditional Japanese art or culture.
Designated Activities (Working Holiday)
Young people from partner countries combining a holiday in Japan with incidental work to fund the trip.
Designated Activities (Digital Nomad)
Remote workers and freelancers earning from overseas employers/clients who want to live in Japan short-term.
Technical Intern Training (i / ii / iii)
Workers from developing countries gaining on-the-job skills transfer with a Japanese host organisation.
Trainee
People receiving non-employment skills training (often corporate or public-sector) at a Japanese organisation.
Dependent (Spouse / Child)
Spouses and children of foreign nationals holding most work or student statuses in Japan.
Spouse or Child of Japanese National
Spouses, biological children and special-adopted children of Japanese nationals.
Spouse or Child of Permanent Resident
Spouses and children of permanent residents (or special permanent residents) of Japan.
Long-Term Resident
People granted residence on special grounds such as Nikkei (Japanese descent), divorced/widowed spouses or resettled refugees.
Refugee Recognition / Complementary Protection
People in Japan seeking protection because they face persecution or serious harm if returned home.
Permanent Resident (Eijuken)
Long-term residents seeking indefinite settlement in Japan without status renewals or work restrictions.
Naturalisation (Japanese Citizenship)
Long-term residents who want to become Japanese nationals and hold a Japanese passport.