About Preferential Treatment (Highly-Skilled Professional [i])
Individuals certified as Highly-Skilled Professionals are granted the following preferential treatments regarding immigration and residency.
[The following descriptions are all excerpts from the official HP of the Immigration Services Agency of Japan. (2024)]
1. Permission for multiple residence activities
Normally, foreigners can only perform activities permitted by their single, authorized status of residence. However, Highly-Skilled Professionals can engage in activities spanning multiple statuses of residence, such as managing a related business in addition to conducting research at a university.
2. Granting of a “5-year” period of stay
Highly-Skilled Professionals are uniformly granted the longest period of stay legally possible, which is “5 years.”
*This period can be renewed.
3. Relaxation of permanent residency requirements related to residency history
To obtain permanent residency, a person is, in principle, required to have resided in Japan for 10 consecutive years or more. However, those who have been engaged in activities as a Highly-Skilled Professional for 3 consecutive years, or those who are considered particularly highly-skilled among them (those with 80 points or more), are eligible for permanent residency after 1 consecutive year of engagement in activities as a Highly-Skilled Professional.
For details on the relaxation of permanent residency requirements, please see here.
4. Employment of a spouse
When a foreign national residing with a spouse’s status of residence wishes to engage in activities corresponding to a status of residence such as “Instructor,” “Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services,” etc., they must meet certain requirements such as educational and professional background to acquire these statuses. However, in the case of a spouse of a Highly-Skilled Professional, they can engage in these activities even if they do not meet the requirements for educational and professional background.
5. Permission for parents to accompany under certain conditions
Under the current system, the acceptance of parents of foreign nationals residing with a work-related status of residence is not permitted. However, under certain conditions, the entry and residency of a Highly-Skilled Professional’s or their spouse’s parent (including adoptive parents) is permitted in cases where: (1) they are raising a child under 7 years old (including adopted children) of the Highly-Skilled Professional or their spouse, or (2) they are assisting a pregnant spouse or the pregnant Highly-Skilled Professional themselves.
Main requirements:
(1) The Highly-Skilled Professional’s household annual income* must be 8 million yen or more. *This refers to the combined annual income of the Highly-Skilled Professional and their spouse.
(2) They must live together with the Highly-Skilled Professional.
(3) This is limited to the parent of either the Highly-Skilled Professional or their spouse.
6. Permission for a domestic servant to accompany under certain conditions
The employment of a foreign domestic servant is generally only permitted for some foreign nationals residing with statuses such as “Business Manager” or “Legal/Accounting Services.” However, Highly-Skilled Professionals are permitted to have a foreign domestic servant accompany them under certain conditions.
Main requirements:
(1) Conditions for continuously employing a domestic servant who was employed overseas (accompanying upon entry type):
- The Highly-Skilled Professional’s household annual income must be 10 million yen or more.
- Only one domestic servant can accompany.
- It is planned to pay the domestic servant a monthly salary of 200,000 yen or more.
- If entering Japan together with the Highly-Skilled Professional, the accompanying domestic servant must have been employed by the Highly-Skilled Professional for one year or more before entering Japan.
- If the Highly-Skilled Professional enters Japan first, the accompanying domestic servant must have been employed by the Highly-Skilled Professional for one year or more before entering Japan, and have been continuously employed by the Highly-Skilled Professional or a relative who lived with the Highly-Skilled Professional before their entry into Japan.
- It is planned for them to depart together if the Highly-Skilled Professional leaves Japan.
(2) Employment of a domestic servant other than in case (1) (family circumstances type):
- The Highly-Skilled Professional’s household annual income must be 10 million yen or more.
- Only one domestic servant can accompany.
- It is planned to pay the domestic servant a monthly salary of 200,000 yen or more.
- There must be family circumstances (at the time of application, having a child under 13 or a spouse who cannot perform daily household chores due to illness, etc.).
(3) When a financial professional engaged in investment management business, etc., employs a domestic servant (financial professional type):
- The financial professional’s household annual income must be 10 million yen or more.
- Up to two domestic servants can accompany (however, two are only allowed if the household annual income is 30 million yen or more).
- It is planned to pay the domestic servant a monthly salary of 200,000 yen or more.
7. Priority processing of entry and residency procedures
Entry and residency reviews for Highly-Skilled Professionals are processed with priority for early completion.
Applications for pre-entry screening are aimed to be completed within 10 days of being accepted.
Applications for residency screening are aimed to be completed within 5 days of being accepted. The review period may be exceeded in cases where it is necessary to check details of submitted materials, etc.
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