Contents
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Key points
- Most of this series has looked at refusals. This time we look only at approved cases published by the Immigration Services Agency (ISA) for graduates of universities abroad and in Japan.
- For university graduates, the link between the major and the job is judged flexibly. A business graduate was approved for translation work, and an economics graduate for systems engineering.
- The published monthly pay ranges from about JPY 200,000 to about JPY 1.7 million. There is no published minimum; the rule is pay at least equal to that of Japanese employees.
- What the approved cases have in common is a clearly described job that needs professional knowledge, and in some cases a career plan showing where the job leads.
About these cases
This series explains cases that the ISA itself has published. Because they are public, we can discuss them in detail while keeping our clients’ matters confidential. We have summarized them in English; the original Japanese text prevails. The ISA notes that each application is decided on its own facts. This is Part 6. Earlier parts covered pay, training and interpreting work, vocational school graduates, hotels and ryokan, whether a job is professional work and anime, fashion, beauty and food.
1. Why look at approved cases?
Refused cases show what to avoid. Approved cases show what a successful application looks like: the kind of job, the studies behind it and the pay. Attachment 3 of the ISA’s guidelines on the Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services (ESI) status lists 13 approved cases for graduates of universities abroad and 12 for graduates of Japanese universities. All 25 are summarized below. For the basic requirements of this visa, see our Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services visa guide.
2. Graduates of universities abroad: 13 approved cases
Many of these applicants had already worked in a related field before coming to Japan.
| Studies (and experience) | Job in Japan | Monthly pay |
|---|---|---|
| Engineering; worked at a game maker | System design, testing and inspection for the next online game, at a group company | About JPY 250,000 |
| Engineering; worked at a software company | Software engineer at a software company | About JPY 350,000 |
| Telecommunications engineering; worked at a subsidiary of a Japanese company | Computer programmer at the parent company in Japan: agreeing specifications with clients and writing specifications | About JPY 240,000 |
| Mechanical engineering; product development at a car maker | Project manager for technical development, dispatched by a consulting and staffing company to a foreign car maker in Japan | About JPY 1.7 million |
| Engineering and information processing; system development at securities companies | Building trade reports and profit-and-loss databases at a foreign securities company | About JPY 830,000 |
| Electrodynamics and engineering; worked at a transport equipment maker | CAD and CAE system analysis, technical support and development at an aircraft maintenance company | About JPY 300,000 |
| University graduate | Language teacher at a language school | About JPY 250,000 |
| Master’s in business administration; about 4 years of ship chartering at a shipping company | Chartering and operating foreign ships, and training staff, at a shipping company | About JPY 1 million |
| Accounting | Accounting for trade with companies in the home country, in the overseas division of an IT company | About JPY 250,000 |
| Business administration; worked as a management consultant | Consulting on business with IT companies in the home country, at an IT company | About JPY 450,000 |
| Business administration | Interpreting and translation for trade with the home country, at a food and goods importer | About JPY 300,000 |
| Economics and international relations | Marketing support between the home country and Japan at a car maker: market research, sales and supply management, working with local dealers | About JPY 200,000 |
| Automotive engineering | Service engineer at a car maker, inspecting and diagnosing cars. The career plan: obtain a grade 2 mechanic license within 3 years, then work as a chief maintenance manager within the next 3 years | About JPY 200,000 |
3. Graduates of Japanese universities: 12 approved cases
| Studies | Job | Monthly pay |
|---|---|---|
| Engineering | Technical development at an electrical products maker | Not stated |
| Business administration | Translation and interpreting at a computer-related services company | Not stated |
| Law | Assisting lawyers at a law firm | Not stated |
| Education | English conversation instructor at a language instruction company | Not stated |
| Engineering | Consulting at a food company | Not stated |
| Economics | Systems engineer at a software development company | Not stated |
| Letters | Career-track hire at a food retailer, with two years of store training first (see Part 1) | Not stated |
| Architectural engineering | Basic and applied research on construction technology and research on construction abroad, at a construction company | About JPY 400,000 |
| Doctorate in civil infrastructure engineering; worked at a university research institute | Research and development, analysis and structural design at a civil engineering consultancy | About JPY 300,000 |
| Doctorate in electronic information | Information security projects at a telecommunications company’s research laboratory | About JPY 250,000 |
| Master’s in international relations | Airport passenger services and negotiations with foreign airlines, using language skills, at an airline | About JPY 200,000 |
| Business administration | International flight attendant: safety duties, interpreting and guidance for passengers in the native language, English and Japanese, and language teaching in staff training | About JPY 250,000 |
4. What the approved cases have in common
The link with the major is judged flexibly
For university graduates, both abroad and in Japan, the ISA judges the link between the major and the job flexibly. The cases show this clearly: business administration led to translation work, engineering to consulting at a food company, and economics to systems engineering. The job still has to need professional knowledge, but the major does not have to match it exactly. This is a big difference from graduates of Japanese vocational schools, who need a considerable degree of connection (see Part 2).
Language jobs: any major for university graduates
Several cases are language jobs: a language teacher, an English conversation instructor, an interpreter for trade and a flight attendant. A university graduate can do translation, interpreting or language teaching work regardless of the major and without work experience. Since April 2026, however, work that mainly uses language skills with people also requires ability at around CEFR B2 in the language used (see EJU and JPT Scores Now Accepted as Proof of Japanese). The published cases above do not mention language test results, so check this rule as well.
Pay: no minimum, but equal to Japanese employees
The published pay ranges from about JPY 200,000 to about JPY 1.7 million a month. The ISA has not published a minimum amount. What matters is that the pay is at least equal to what a Japanese employee would receive for the same work (see Part 1).
The job is described specifically
None of the approved cases says only “engineer” or “office work”. Each one explains what the person will actually do, such as “agreeing specifications with clients and writing specifications” or “building trade reports and profit-and-loss databases”. When a job includes hands-on elements, a career plan helps: the car service engineer was approved with a plan to obtain a mechanic license and become a chief maintenance manager. A dispatched worker was also approved, because the work at the client company was professional work (see Part 4).
5. If you are applying from abroad
Graduates of universities abroad usually come to Japan with a Certificate of Eligibility (COE) applied for by the employer. See our page on how to enter Japan with a COE.
A bachelor’s degree is not the only qualification that counts. A junior college degree, and in some countries a diploma from a non-university higher education institution, may also meet the education requirement. See No Bachelor’s Degree? When an Overseas Diploma Meets the Education Requirement. If you are not sure whether your qualification counts, we offer a paid Education Requirement Assessment.
6. A quick check before you apply
- Can the job be described in one or two specific sentences that show the professional knowledge it needs?
- Can you explain how your studies or past work relate to the job?
- Is the pay at least the same as that of Japanese employees doing the same work?
- If the job mainly uses language skills with people, can you show CEFR B2-level ability?
- If the job includes some hands-on work or training at first, is there a clear career plan?
Planning your ESI application?
For questions about your own situation, see our Written Answer. If you are preparing the application yourself, our Document Check service can review it before you file. If you would like us to handle your application, send us an inquiry. We will tell you whether we can help and which of our services fits.
Sources
- Immigration Services Agency, “Clarification of the Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services status of residence” (Japanese)
- Immigration Services Agency, “Clarification of the Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services status of residence” (consolidated version with attachments) (Japanese, PDF)
- Immigration Services Agency, Attachment 3: Approved and refused cases (Japanese, PDF)
Disclaimer: This article is provided for general information only and is not legal advice on any individual case. The information is based on sources available as of November 5, 2026. Laws, guidelines and their application may change without notice. The cases described are summaries of examples published by the Immigration Services Agency and do not guarantee the outcome of any other application. TKG Immigration Consulting Office accepts no liability for any loss or damage arising from the use of this information. In case of any difference between our English descriptions and the original Japanese texts, the Japanese texts prevail.