What is the Japan Highly Skilled Professional Visa?
The Highly Skilled Professional (HSP) visa (高度専門職), launched in 2012 and overseen by Japan's Immigration Services Agency (ISA), is a points-based residence status that rewards your overall profile rather than tying you to a narrow job category. Points come from academic background, professional experience, annual income, age, Japanese-language ability, and bonus items such as research achievements or a top-ranked degree.
Reaching 70 points unlocks privileges unavailable on standard work visas: a uniform 5-year period of stay, full-time work permission for your spouse, priority processing, and a fast track to permanent residence. The status has two stages — Type 1 (i), a 5-year period tied to specific activities, and Type 2 (ii), which has no time limit and allows almost any work activity.
You need a job offer from a Japanese employer and a minimum income of ¥3 million/year. If your income is very high, the J-Skip fast-track skips the points calculation entirely.
Note: This information is for guidance only and does not constitute immigration advice. Requirements change — verify current figures at the official government source before applying.
Do you qualify?
You must meet two requirements: a qualifying job offer and a points score of at least 70. Points are calculated across your profile using the ISA's official table.
You need a job offer from a Japanese employer in one of three categories: Advanced Academic Research (professors, researchers), Advanced Specialised/Technical (engineers, IT specialists, data scientists, financial analysts), or Advanced Business Management (executives, directors). The minimum annual income to qualify for any category is ¥3 million.
Your profile must score at least 70 points on the ISA's table, which awards points for degree level, professional experience, annual income, age, Japanese-language ability (JLPT level), and bonus items such as research achievements, patents or a top-ranked degree. Very high earners can use the J-Skip fast-track to bypass the points calculation.
The 2026 salary requirements
Salary is both a minimum requirement (¥3 million/year to qualify at all) and a scored component — higher income earns more points. Income points also interact with age: younger applicants earn income points at lower salary levels, and income above ¥10 million earns the maximum income points.
How the points work: 70 points are reached by combining categories — for example, a master's degree, several years' experience, being under 30, a mid-six-figure income and JLPT N1 Japanese would comfortably clear 70. J-Skip (introduced in 2023) skips the table entirely for very high earners: a master's degree (or 10+ years' experience) with ¥20M+/year, or a business-management role with 5+ years' management experience and ¥40M+/year. Tax note: Japan's income tax is progressive (5–45% national plus ~10% local), with social insurance deductions — the HSP's advantage is immigration privileges, not tax.
What you need to apply
If applying from outside Japan, the employer first obtains a Certificate of Eligibility (COE) from the ISA; you then apply for the visa at a Japanese embassy. If already in Japan on another work status, you apply to change status directly.
If you do not have any of the documents below, read the FAQs section for further guidance.
Application timeline
From the employer starting the Certificate of Eligibility (COE) to arriving in Japan typically takes 2–4 months. HSP applications receive priority processing at the visa stage. If you are already in Japan on another work status, changing to HSP takes 10 business days to 1 month.
Most common delay: points evidence. The ISA scrutinises documentary proof for each claimed category — missing employment certificates or a Japanese-language claim without a JLPT certificate can drop your score below 70. Assemble complete evidence for every claimed category before filing.
The employer applies to the ISA for the COE, submitting the employment contract, company documents and your points evidence. COE processing takes 1–3 months.
Handled by: your employer
Once the COE is issued and sent to you, apply for the visa at the Japanese embassy or consulate in your country, submitting the COE and passport. Processing takes 3–5 business days.
Handled by: you
Enter Japan on the HSP visa. Your residence card (zairyū card) is issued at the port of entry.
Handled by: you
Register your address at the local ward or city office within 14 days, and enrol in the National Health Insurance and pension systems. Your spouse can now apply for full-time work permission.
Handled by: you
Frequently asked questions
The HSP Type 1 is linked to specific activities and your sponsoring employer. If you change jobs, the new role must still qualify under your HSP category, your points must be recalculated (you must keep 70+), and you must notify the ISA. HSP Type 2 is far more flexible and allows almost any work activity, close to permanent residence.
Yes, with notable advantages. Your spouse can work full-time without the usual "Permission to Engage in Activities Other Than Those Permitted" — a privilege not available on standard work visas. If you score 80+ points, you can also sponsor a parent or a domestic worker under certain conditions, and dependent children can attend Japanese schools.
This is the HSP's headline benefit. With 70+ points you can apply for permanent residence after just 3 years; with 80+ points held continuously for the year before applying, after only 1 year. The standard route to PR in Japan requires 10 years, so the HSP is by far the fastest legal path.
HSP Type 1 (i) is the initial status — a 5-year period tied to specific activities. After roughly 3 years on Type 1 you can move to Type 2 (ii), which has an indefinite period of stay, needs no renewals, and allows almost any work activity — close to the freedom of permanent residence. Points are recalculated at renewal, and you must keep 70+ points.
J-Skip (introduced 2023) bypasses the 70-point calculation for very high earners: a master's degree (or 10+ years' experience) with ¥20M+/year income, or a business-management role with 5+ years' management experience and ¥40M+/year. J-Find is a separate job-search visa letting graduates of top-ranked universities enter Japan for up to 2 years to find work, without a job offer — a possible route in if you don't yet have an offer.
The Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services visa is Japan's standard work visa — tied to a specific job category, granting 1, 3 or 5 years, with the standard 10-year PR route. The HSP rewards your overall profile with a 5-year visa, spouse work rights and 1–3 year PR. Many people start on the Engineer/Specialist visa and switch to HSP once their income, experience and Japanese ability reach 70 points. If you already qualify for 70 points, apply for HSP directly.
You cannot apply for the HSP visa without a job offer from a Japanese employer. (The separate J-Find visa lets top-university graduates enter Japan to search for work.) Every job listed on Workbeyond is from employers who sponsor international talent to work in Japan. Use the filters to narrow by profession, city and seniority level to find roles that match your criteria.
Find visa-sponsored jobs in Japan
Every job listed on Workbeyond is from an employer who sponsors international workers. The HSP requires a job offer before you can file, so a sponsoring employer is the first step. Use the filters to narrow by profession, city and seniority level to find roles that could take your points over 70.
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