The "Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services" status of residence (often shortened to "ESI") is the most common work visa for foreign nationals employed by companies in Japan.
It covers a wide range of specialized, knowledge-based work — including IT and systems engineering, marketing, sales, accounting, human resources, design, translation/interpretation, and international business — but does not cover manual or unskilled labor.
Table of Contents:
- What is the "Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services" Visa?
- Major Benefits
- Requirements for the Permission of "ESI" Visa
- Important Update: New Japanese Language Requirement (from April 2026)
- Basic Checklist for "ESI" Visa Eligibility
- Common Reasons for Denial
- How to apply
- Fees
What is the "Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services" Visa?
Typical job duties that qualify for this status include, among others:
- Software development, systems engineering, network/infrastructure engineering
- Mechanical, electrical, or other technical engineering roles
- Marketing, sales, and business development
- Accounting, finance, and human resources
- Design (graphic, product, architectural, etc.)
- Translation, interpretation, and language instruction
- International trade, overseas business coordination, and public relations
This status does not cover simple or manual labor, such as factory-line assembly, food preparation and service, cleaning, warehouse work, or retail cashier duties — even if the same company also offers you an office-based role.
Major Benefits of the "ESI" Visa
- You may live and work in Japan for the duration of your period of stay (3 months, 1 year, 3 years, or 5 years, renewable).
- Your spouse and children may accompany you in Japan under a "Dependent" visa.
- Continuous years of residence under this status count toward the years-of-residence requirement for a "Permanent Resident (永住者)" visa. See our Permanent Residence page for details.
- You are generally free to change employers while remaining on this status, as long as your new job duties continue to match the requirements below.
You must notify the Immigration Services Bureau within 14 days whenever you change your affiliated organization (i.e., change jobs), regardless of whether you are also applying for renewal at that time.
Requirements for the Permission of "ESI" Visa
Immigration law and the Immigration Services Agency's guidelines require, in principle, that you satisfy all of the following.
1. Your academic background or work experience must be relevant to your job duties.
You must generally meet one of the following:
- You hold a bachelor's degree or higher (from a Japanese or overseas university) in a field related to your intended job duties; or
- You graduated from a Japanese vocational school (専門学校) with a "Special Diploma (専門士)" in a related field; or
- You have at least 10 years of practical experience in the relevant technical or humanities field (this may include the years spent studying the subject at university or in specialized high school courses); or
- For "International Services" duties that draw on knowledge or sensibility grounded in a foreign culture — such as translation, interpretation, language instruction, overseas trade, or public relations — you generally need either a university degree (in any field) or at least 3 years of practical experience in the relevant work.
Immigration examiners compare your diploma/transcript and work history closely against your actual job description. A degree in an unrelated field, without sufficient relevant experience, is one of the most common reasons for denial.
2. Your job duties must genuinely require the specialized knowledge or skill related to your background.
- The work must call for the kind of specialized knowledge, technique, or sensibility gained through your degree, professional training, or work experience — not simple or routine tasks that do not require such background.
- If your role mixes specialized duties with a significant amount of manual or routine work (for example, an "engineer" who mostly performs factory-floor tasks), this is likely to raise concerns during screening.
3. Your compensation must be equal to or greater than that of a Japanese national in the same position.
- Immigration checks that you are not being paid less than a Japanese employee performing equivalent duties at the same company, in the same region and industry.
4. Your sponsoring company must be a properly registered, stable business capable of employing you on a continuing basis.
- The Immigration Services Agency classifies sponsoring companies into four categories based on their scale and track record (for example, listed companies and other well-established organizations fall into Category 1 or 2, while smaller or newly established companies fall into Category 3 or 4).
- Category 1 and 2 companies generally submit a simplified set of documents. Category 3 and 4 companies are asked for more extensive evidence of financial stability and business need for the position, such as financial statements and a detailed explanation of the job and business.
Important Update: New Japanese Language Requirement (from April 2026)
Since April 15, 2026, the Immigration Services Agency has applied an additional Japanese-language requirement to certain ESI visa applications.
This applies when your job duties are considered "interpersonal / language-based work" that heavily relies on Japanese communication — for example, sales, public relations, or interpretation. If your sponsoring company falls under Category 3 or Category 4 organization (i.e., small-to-medium enterprises, start-ups, or non listed companies), you must submit official documentation proving your Japanese proficiency.
In these cases, you are generally expected to demonstrate Japanese ability at roughly the CEFR B2 level, which can be proven through any of the following:
- JLPT (Japanese Language Proficiency Test) N2 or higher
- A score of 400 or above on the BJT Business Japanese Proficiency Test
- 20 years or more of residence in Japan
- Graduation from a Japanese university, junior college, or vocational school (専門学校)
- Completion of compulsory education or high school in Japan
Even technical or engineering roles may be affected if the position regularly requires using Japanese to communicate with Japanese clients, vendors, or colleagues (for example, leading meetings or preparing explanations in Japanese).
Whether a specific job and company fall under this rule requires a case-by-case reading of your job description and your employer's category. If you are unsure, please contact us before you submit your application.
Basic Checklist for "ESI" Visa Eligibility
Here is a basic checklist to help you get a first sense of your eligibility. Answering "yes" to all items does not guarantee approval, and answering "no" to one item does not necessarily mean you cannot apply — please contact us for a full assessment of your situation.
General checklist
- Your job duties fall into a specialized, knowledge-based category (not manual or unskilled labor).
- Your degree, vocational diploma, or work experience is clearly related to your job duties.
- If you do not hold a directly related degree, you have at least 10 years of relevant practical experience (3 years for International Services-type duties), or a university degree in any field for International Services-type duties.
- Your salary is equal to or greater than what a Japanese employee in the same role would receive.
- Your sponsoring company is properly registered in Japan and can show it has an ongoing, stable need for someone in your position.
- You have no criminal record or history of immigration violations in Japan.
Additional checklist if your role involves customer-facing or language-based duties (relevant from April 2026)
- Your job involves sales, public relations, interpretation, or other Japanese-language-based interpersonal work.
- Your sponsoring company is not a listed company (i.e., it may fall under Category 3 or 4).
- You can show JLPT N2 or higher, BJT 400+, 20+ years of residence in Japan, or graduation from a Japanese school as described above.
Common Reasons for Denial
- Your degree, diploma, or work experience does not clearly relate to your job duties.
- Your job duties are judged to be simple or manual labor rather than specialized work, even if your job title suggests otherwise.
- Your salary is lower than that of a Japanese employee in an equivalent role.
- Your sponsoring company cannot demonstrate a genuine, stable business need for the position (common with very small or newly founded companies).
- Inconsistencies between your employment contract, job description, and the company's explanation of its business.
- Missing or insufficient evidence of Japanese-language ability where the April 2026 rule applies.
How to Apply
If you are currently outside Japan:
Your employer applies for a Certificate of Eligibility (COE) at the regional Immigration Services Bureau in Japan. See our page on entering Japan with a COE. Once the COE is issued, you apply for a visa at the Japanese embassy or consulate in your country of residence and then enter Japan. COE processing typically takes around 1 to 3 months.
If you are already in Japan on another status (for example, "Student" or "Dependent") and wish to switch to ESI:
You apply directly for a Change of Status of Residence. This is a common path for international students who accept a job offer in Japan after graduation.
If your current ESI visa is approaching its expiration date:
You should apply for an Extension of Period of Stay starting about 3 months before expiration.
Fees
Please see our Fees page for our current professional fee ranges for Certificate of Eligibility applications, Change of Status of Residence, and Extension of Period of Stay, as well as our consultation fees.
Please also note that government fees for Change of Status and Extension of Period of Stay applications are scheduled to increase from October 1, 2026. See our article on the fee increase for details.
Please contact us if you would like us to review your eligibility for the "Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services" visa, prepare your Certificate of Eligibility application, or handle a Change of Status of Residence or Extension of Period of Stay.