Highly-Skilled Professional (i) (b) Required Documents
I will explain the required documents for Highly-Skilled Professional (i) (b).
This page explains the necessary documents for applying for the Highly-Skilled Professional (i) (b) visa.
There is a benefit to newly acquiring a Highly-Skilled Professional visa from another visa, which is the ability to receive preferential treatment not available with a regular visa. (Please see the following page for preferential treatment.)
However, on the other hand, the difficulty of acquiring a Highly-Skilled Professional visa is naturally higher. To obtain the visa, many supporting documents (materials to prove that you meet the visa conditions) are required.
Let’s take a look at the documents needed to acquire a Highly-Skilled Professional visa.
What is a Highly-Skilled Professional (i) (b) visa?
There are three types of Highly-Skilled Professional (i) visas: “Highly-Skilled Professional (i) (a),” “Highly-Skilled Professional (i) (b),” and “Highly-Skilled Professional (i) (c).”
The “Highly-Skilled Professional (i) (b)” visa is for foreign nationals who engage in “activities involving work that requires knowledge or skills in the field of natural sciences or humanities, based on a contract with a public or private organization in Japan.”
Required documents for Highly-Skilled Professional (i) (b) visa application
To obtain a “Highly-Skilled Professional” visa, you need to use the points system and prove that you have 70 points or more.
In other words, you must prepare supporting documents to prove that you have 70 points or more.
The points calculation table is below.
*Source: Immigration Services Agency of Japan website
Regarding supporting documents for points
To obtain a Highly-Skilled Professional status of residence using the points system, you must prove that you have 70 points or more.
Academic background
You must submit documents proving your academic background.
For example, you can get 30 points for a doctoral degree (excluding professional degrees) or 20 points for a master’s degree.
Supporting documents for academic background include:
A graduation certificate and a certificate of degree acquisition for the relevant academic background.If you wish to add points for “a doctoral or master’s degree or a professional degree in multiple fields,” you may be required to submit transcripts as needed.
Work experience
You must submit documents clarifying the period and content of your work.
This is to prove the duration and other details of the work you intend to perform after obtaining the Highly-Skilled Professional visa.
For example, those with 10 or more years of work experience in the field they will be engaged in can add 20 points.
Supporting documents for work experience include:
A certificate of employment from your workplace, etc.If you have changed jobs, and performed similar duties at your previous company, you can add your previous work history to the total number of years of work experience if you can obtain documents from your former employer proving your employment and clarifying the content of your work.
Annual income
You must submit documents supporting your annual income.
For example, for those under 30 with an annual income of 10 million yen or more, 40 points can be added.
Supporting documents for annual income include:
A projected annual income certificate or other documents proving the annual remuneration you will receive from your employer.Please note that this is for your projected annual income from the activity you will be performing with the Highly-Skilled Professional visa, not your current or past annual income.
Age
Since age can be confirmed from your residence card or passport, you do not need to submit specific supporting documents.
For example, those who are under 30 at the time of application receive 15 points.
Research achievements
If you have past research achievements, you can get additional points by submitting supporting documents.
For example:
① If you have one or more inventions for which you were granted a patent as the inventor:A copy of the patent certificate with your name clearly stated.
② If you have engaged in research that received subsidies or competitive funding from a foreign government three or more times: A copy of the grant decision letter with your name clearly stated.
③ If you have three or more papers published in an academic journal registered in an academic paper database (*limited to those for which you are the corresponding author): A document listing the paper’s title, authors’ names, journal name, volume/issue, page numbers, and year of publication.
④ Other research achievements recognized by the Minister of Justice: A document proving this.If you have any of the above research achievements, you will receive 15 points.
Qualifications
Points will be added for submitting supporting documents proving that you hold a Japanese national qualification related to the work you will be engaged in (a license that is a monopoly on a profession or a name-monopoly qualification), or that you have passed an exam or hold a qualification specified in the IT public notice.
For example, holding one profession-monopoly license adds 5 points, and holding multiple adds 10 points.
Supporting documents for qualifications include:
A copy of the qualification’s certificate of passing.
Special bonus points
In addition to the above, you can receive additional points if you can submit supporting documents for the following criteria.
① The organization you have a contract with is receiving innovation promotion measures.
In this case, the supporting documents required are:
A document proving the organization is receiving promotion measures, such as a subsidy grant notification.
The innovation promotion support measures that are eligible for points in the Highly-Skilled Professional points system are specified in Appended Tables 1 and 2 of the Ministry of Justice Public Notice.
Innovation Promotion Support Measures List
The organization you have a contract with falls under ① above and is a small or medium-sized enterprise (SME) as defined in the Small and Medium-sized Enterprise Basic Act.
In this case, the supporting documents required are:
(1) A company brochure, etc., that can confirm its main business.
(2) One of the following documents:
(a) One of the following documents that proves the amount of capital or total investment:
- A certificate of registered matters of the corporation.
- A copy of the financial settlement documents.
- A copy of the articles of incorporation that can confirm the amount of capital or total investment.
(b) A document proving the number of employees, such as copies of employment insurance, labor insurance, or payroll ledgers.
The organization is receiving support as a target company for the National Strategic Special Zone Highly-Skilled Foreign Professional Acceptance Promotion Project.
In this case, the supporting documents required are:
A copy of the certificate of a certified company for the National Strategic Special Zone Highly-Skilled Foreign Professional Acceptance Promotion Project.
The contracting organization is an SME as defined in the Small and Medium-sized Enterprise Basic Act, and the total amount of research and development expenses exceeds 3% of the total revenue (sales) after deducting income from the transfer of fixed assets or securities.
(1) If the contracting organization is a company or a business cooperative, one of the following supporting documents is required:
- A copy of financial statements that include research and development expenses, etc., and sales, etc.
- A copy of public documents (financial statements, copies of final tax returns, etc.) that include sales, etc., a copy of ledgers, etc. (with the research and development expense sections marked with a highlighter, etc.), and a summary list of the details of research and development expenses, etc.
- A certificate from a tax accountant, certified public accountant, or small and medium enterprise management consultant.
(2) If the contracting period is for a sole proprietor, one of the following supporting documents is required:
- A copy of financial statements that include research and development expenses, etc., and the total amount of business income, etc.
- A copy of public documents (financial statements, copies of final tax returns, etc.) that include the total amount of business income, etc., a copy of ledgers, etc. (with the research and development expense sections marked with a highlighter, etc.), and a summary list of the details of research and development expenses, etc.
- A certificate from a tax accountant, certified public accountant, or small and medium enterprise management consultant (any format is acceptable).
Holding foreign qualifications or awards recognized by the Minister of Justice that are related to the work you will be engaged in.
For example, if you have foreign qualifications such as a U.S. Certified Public Accountant, or awards recognized by the Minister of Justice such as the Asia Design Award (Grand Award), you can get points by submitting documents to prove them.In this case, the required documents are:
A document proving the qualification or the award certificate.However, for company and product awards, the applicant must have been actively involved in receiving the award.
Graduating from a Japanese university or completing a graduate school course.
If you have graduated from a Japanese university or graduate school, you can get 10 points by submitting supporting documents.
The required documents are:
A graduation certificate and a certificate of degree acquisition for the relevant academic background.
Japanese language ability.
If you have graduated from a foreign university with a focus on Japanese, or if you have the equivalent of a Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) N1 pass, you can get 15 points. If you have the equivalent of a JLPT N2 pass, you can get 10 points. This is done by submitting supporting documents.The required documents are:
A copy of the graduation certificate or certificate of passing, a copy of the certificate of passing the JLPT, etc. (Note that there are specific points to be aware of for adding points for N2.)
Engaging in a cutting-edge project in a growth field in which various ministries are involved.
If you are engaged in a cutting-edge project in which the Cabinet Office or the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, etc., are involved, you can get 10 points by submitting supporting documents.The required documents are:
A copy of the subsidy grant notice for the project and an explanatory document created by the affiliated organization stating that you are engaged in the project.
Graduating from a specific university.
If you have graduated from one of the following universities, you can get 10 points by submitting supporting documents.
① A foreign university ranked within the top 300 in two or more of the following rankings, or a Japanese university ranked in any of them:
(1) QS World University Rankings (Quacquarelli Symonds, UK)
(2) THE World University Rankings (Times Higher Education, UK)
(3) Academic Ranking of World Universities (Shanghai Jiao Tong University, China)
② A university that has received a subsidy under the “Top Global University Project” (Top Type and Global Traction Type) implemented by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology.
Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Top Global University ProjectThe documents to be submitted are:
Documents proving that the university you graduated from is one of the universities listed above (e.g., a copy of the relevant part of the Ministry of Justice website), and a graduation certificate or certificate of degree acquisition from the relevant university.
Completion of training implemented by JICA as part of the Innovative Asia project implemented by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
You can get 5 points by submitting documents proving that you have completed this training.
However, this is only for those who have completed JICA training as part of the Innovative Asia project with a training period of one year or more.
Also, if you submit a JICA training completion certificate, you do not, in principle, need to submit documents proving your academic and professional background. However, if you are adding points for work experience, you will need to submit separate supporting documents.
Furthermore, if you participated in training conducted using classes at a Japanese university or graduate school, you cannot receive duplicate points (for graduating from a Japanese university or completing a graduate school course).The documents to be submitted are:
The training completion certificate issued by JICA.
Engaging in work related to investment management business, etc.
You can get 10 points if you have supporting documents such as:
- A copy of the registration notification, etc., related to the Type II Financial Instruments Business, Investment Advisory and Agency Business, or Investment Management Business as defined in Article 28, Paragraph 2, 3, or 4 of the Financial Instruments and Exchange Act, of the applicant’s affiliated organization.
- Materials explaining that the applicant is engaged in one of the businesses mentioned above.
You do not need to meet all of the conditions to add points listed above. It is fine as long as your total points are 70 or more.
Required documents other than the above
In addition to the supporting documents mentioned above, you need to submit the following documents to obtain a Highly-Skilled Professional visa:
- Application form for a Certificate of Eligibility (or an application for permission to change status of residence if applicable)
- Photograph (4cm x 3cm)
- Applicant’s passport and residence card (to be presented)
- Points calculation table
- Documents for the status of residence corresponding to the activities you will perform in JapanThis concludes the explanation of the documents for the Highly-Skilled Professional (i) (b) visa.
The trick to definitely getting a visa is…
① Calculate your points accurately using the points table.
⇒ It is often seen that points cannot be added according to the Immigration Services Agency’s regulations, even if you think you can. The reverse is also true.
② Carefully and thoroughly consider the types of supporting documents.
You should carefully consider whether there are any documents that need to be submitted to prove your points, even if they are not listed on the Immigration Services Agency’s website. If necessary, be sure to submit all such documents, even if they are not published on the website.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact our office at any time. (Consultation is free.)
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