Immigration System in japan
- Status of Residence (在留資格) -
Foreign nationals residing in Japan, basically, must stay with a status of residence under which their activities may be regulated. In other words, it is necessary to obtain a status of residence that is compatible with your activity, status, or position in Japan.
Status of residence can be classified into two main categories.
1. Status of residence permitted to work (Working Visa)
1-1. Status of residence permitted to work within the limit of certain types of job, industries, or job contents
"Professor", "Artist", "Religious Activities", "Journalist", "Highly Skilled Professional", "Business Manager", "Legal/Accounting Services" "Medical Services", "Researcher", "Instructor", "Engineer", "Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services", "Intra-company transferee", "Nursing Care", "Entertainer", "Skilled Labor", "Specified Skilled Worker", Technical Intern Training" and some types of "Designated Activities"
1-2. Status of residence permitted to work in any type of industry or job
"Permanent Resident", "Spouse or Child of Japanese National", "Spouse or Child of Permanent Resident" and "Long term Resident"
2. Status of residence with no work permission (Non-Working Visa)
"Student", "Dependent", "Cultural Activities", ”Trainee”, some types of "Designated Activities" and "Temporary Visitor"
If foreign nationals with a certain status of residence above such as "Student" or "Dependent" are trying to engage in paid activities or activities to operate a business that generates income not currently included in their status of residence, they must apply for "permission to engage in an activity other than those permitted by the status of residence previously granted".
A foreign national residing in Japan must have one status of residence and one corresponding period of stay, and cannot have multiple statuses of residence at the same time or multiple periods of stay with different expiration dates.
Note: On our website, we prefer using the term "Visa" instead of "Status of Residence," even though the latter is legally accurate in most contexts. We've made this choice because we understand that, in many conversations among foreign nationals in Japan, the term "Visa" is commonly used to refer to "Status of Residence." Our goal is to keep our website concise and friendly to those in need of information about the immigration system in Japan. Please see "Difference between Visa and Status of Residence" for more details.