Engineer / Specialist in Humanities / International Services

Yes, as long as the new job falls within the same visa category. You should notify immigration of the employer change and may need to apply for a change of status if the new role falls under a different category. There is no requirement to leave Japan between jobs.

There is no fixed minimum salary. However, immigration will assess whether your salary is equivalent to what a Japanese national would receive for the same role. Significantly below-market compensation is a refusal ground.

No Japanese-language requirement for the visa itself (unlike SSW-1 which requires JLPT N4). However, Japanese ability significantly improves both job prospects and visa-renewal success. Many international companies in Tokyo and Osaka operate in English, but roles outside major cities typically require business-level Japanese.

Standard route: 10 years of continuous residence. However, if you later score 70+ points on the HSP system, you can convert to HSP status and apply for PR after 3 years (70 points) or 1 year (80+ points). Many Engineer/Specialist holders transition to HSP after gaining experience and salary increases. This makes the effective PR timeline 5–7 years for many professionals who pursue HSP conversion.

The COE is a pre-approval document issued by the regional immigration bureau in Japan before you apply for a visa at the consulate. Your employer applies for it. The COE confirms that your entry and activity meet immigration requirements. Without a COE, you cannot obtain a work visa at the consulate (except in rare cases). COE processing takes 2–6 weeks. The COE is valid for 3 months — you must enter Japan within that period.

It is possible. The Engineer/Specialist visa requires either a relevant university degree OR 10+ years of professional experience in the field, alongside a qualifying job offer from a Japanese employer. Having neither a relevant degree nor 10 years of experience is a common reason applications are refused. Confirm how your background is assessed with the Immigration Services Agency.

Yes. Despite its name, this visa explicitly covers specialists in the humanities — business, economics, law, and sociology — and international services such as translation, interpretation, language instruction, and international business, not just engineers and IT professionals.

For knowledge-work roles the Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services visa is described as Japan's most common work visa — covering engineers, IT professionals, translators, designers, and business staff. It requires a job offer from a Japanese employer plus a relevant university degree (or 10+ years of experience).