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Working spouse of an HSP professional: Designated Activities

By · Last reviewed:

Guidance updated 15 November 2026. Full-review date shown above.

A separate Designated Activities permission allowing a qualifying cohabiting HSP spouse to do specified professional work with education/experience relaxations. J-Skip spouses have a wider specified occupational list; neither version permits every job.

Qualifying HSP spouse relationship and cohabitation, specified permitted work, comparable remuneration and actual host evidence where requiredConditional PR application pathwayThe period actually designated by the Minister of Justice, within the Designated Activities framework of up to five years. Do not assume the spouse automatically receives the principal's five-year period.
Processing time
ISA's ordinary COE standard is one to three months. Evidence requests, visa appointments and the separate consular decision can add time; this is not an end-to-end guarantee. Coordinate the principal's and spouse's actual applications; an HSP priority target is not a guaranteed family travel date.
Government fees
Certificate of Eligibility: no government application fee. For overseas visa applications accepted from 1 July 2026, MOFA gives approximate single-entry JPY 15,000 and multiple-entry JPY 30,000 fees, collected in local currency. Nationality, purpose and reciprocal exemptions can change the amount; no visa-issuance fee is collected if the visa is not issued. Agency, document and translation costs are separate. For status-change or renewal applications accepted from 1 October 2026, office fees depend on the period granted: up to three months JPY 10,000; over three to six months JPY 18,000; over six months to under one year JPY 25,000; one year JPY 33,000; over one to under three years JPY 48,000; three to under five years JPY 64,000; five years or more JPY 75,000. Online totals including the payment-processing charge are respectively JPY 10,330, 15,330, 21,330, 27,330, 42,330, 56,550 and 65,550. Applications received by 30 September 2026 retain the old office JPY 6,000 / online JPY 5,500 regime. Actual reductions, exemptions and special card charges require the authority's assessment; concession requests use the office procedure.
Typical duration
The period actually designated by the Minister of Justice, within the Designated Activities framework of up to five years. Do not assume the spouse automatically receives the principal's five-year period.
Required support
Qualifying HSP spouse relationship and cohabitation, specified permitted work, comparable remuneration and actual host evidence where required
Leads to permanent residency
Conditional — separate application
Reviewed Japan Immigration Services Agency ↗

In short

A separate Designated Activities permission allowing a qualifying cohabiting HSP spouse to do specified professional work with education/experience relaxations. J-Skip spouses have a wider specified occupational list; neither version permits every job. Guidance updated 15 November 2026. Costs, application stages and eligibility conditions are set out with their sources below.

Cite this: https://visaatlas.org/visas/japan/hsp-working-spouse#answer

What is the Working spouse of an HSP professional: Designated Activities in Japan?

Qualifying HSP spouse relationship and cohabitation, specified permitted work, comparable remuneration and actual host evidence where required. Follow the actual entry, status-change or renewal procedure and issued activity conditions. Indicative government fees are Certificate of Eligibility: no government application fee. For overseas visa applications accepted from 1 July 2026, MOFA gives approximate single-entry JPY 15,000 and multiple-entry JPY 30,000 fees, collected in local currency. Nationality, purpose and reciprocal exemptions can change the amount; no visa-issuance fee is collected if the visa is not issued. Agency, document and translation costs are separate. For status-change or renewal applications accepted from 1 October 2026, office fees depend on the period granted: up to three months JPY 10,000; over three to six months JPY 18,000; over six months to under one year JPY 25,000; one year JPY 33,000; over one to under three years JPY 48,000; three to under five years JPY 64,000; five years or more JPY 75,000. Online totals including the payment-processing charge are respectively JPY 10,330, 15,330, 21,330, 27,330, 42,330, 56,550 and 65,550. Applications received by 30 September 2026 retain the old office JPY 6,000 / online JPY 5,500 regime. Actual reductions, exemptions and special card charges require the authority's assessment; concession requests use the office procedure; indicative processing time is ISA's ordinary COE standard is one to three months. Evidence requests, visa appointments and the separate consular decision can add time; this is not an end-to-end guarantee. Coordinate the principal's and spouse's actual applications; an HSP priority target is not a guaranteed family travel date; typical duration is The period actually designated by the Minister of Justice, within the Designated Activities framework of up to five years. Do not assume the spouse automatically receives the principal's five-year period. Permanent residence is a separate application. The ordinary guideline generally requires ten continuous years in Japan, including five on qualifying work or residence statuses, and good conduct, a stable livelihood, timely tax, pension, health-insurance and notification compliance and the applicable maximum-period requirement. Technical Intern Training and Specified Skilled Worker (i) do not count as the qualifying five work years. Exceptions have their own conditions. The October 2026 guideline applies its new household-income/public-burden assessment to applications pending on 1 October and filed from 1 April 2026; most other new provisions commence on 1 April 2027. Check the rules and transitional treatment applying to the actual decision date. The principal's accelerated HSP or J-Skip residence exception does not automatically give the spouse the same PR timetable. The spouse must establish their own applicable basis.

Primary guidance checked with Japan Immigration Services Agency on 15 November 2026.

Overview

This route is distinct from Dependent status and its separately authorised limited work. The spouse must live with the qualifying HSP principal and receive at least Japanese-comparable remuneration for the permitted activity. For ordinary HSP families the scope covers specified Researcher, Instructor, Engineer / Humanities / International Services and eligible non-performance Entertainer activities. For a recognised special highly skilled J-Skip principal it additionally covers specified Professor, Artist, Religious Activities, Journalist and Skilled Labour work. The education and experience relaxation does not remove activity limits or any legally required professional licence.

Additional sources

Eligibility

Typical criteria

  • ✓Be the qualifying spouse of an HSP principal and live together. Confirm the principal's actual status and, for the wider occupational scope, special highly skilled recognition. The principal can enter first or the family can use the applicable coordinated or later application procedure.Japan Immigration Services Agency ↗
  • ✓For the ordinary HSP spouse arrangement, the work must fall within the specified Researcher, Instructor, Engineer / Humanities / International Services or eligible non-performance Entertainer activities. This is not a general full-time work authorisation for all occupations.Japan Immigration Services Agency ↗
  • ✓For a recognised special highly skilled principal, the expanded scope also includes the specified Professor, Artist, Religious Activities, Journalist and Skilled Labour activities. Skilled Labour remains limited to the specified skilled occupations; the expansion does not cover every manual job.Japan Immigration Services Agency ↗
  • ✓Receive remuneration at least equal to a Japanese person doing comparable work and maintain cohabitation with the principal. The stated education/experience relaxations do not waive the actual activity requirements or mandatory professional licensing.Japan Immigration Services Agency ↗
  • ✓For entry subject to JPETS, obtain the required TB clearance from a designated panel clinic for the COE or applicable direct visa application. Certificate submission began on 23 June 2025 for Philippine and Nepali nationals and 1 September 2025 for Vietnamese nationals. Indonesia screening is scheduled from 2 November 2026, but its certificate obligation is scheduled for 4 January 2027; China and Myanmar dates remain to be announced. Documented current residence outside the target countries and specified programme exemptions can change the requirement. Check the current official scope rather than assuming every national of the six listed countries already needs a certificate.Japan Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare ↗

Common blockers

  • !Dependent status alone does not authorise this full professional activity. A Dependent spouse normally needs separate outside-activity permission for limited work, generally up to 28 hours per week, or an appropriate change to a qualifying work permission before undertaking the new activity.Japan Immigration Services Agency ↗
  • !A non-qualifying occupation, an unrecognised claim to the expanded J-Skip scope, insufficient comparable remuneration or failure to live with the principal can prevent approval or continuing eligibility. Marriage alone does not grant unrestricted work.Japan Immigration Services Agency ↗

Typical evidence

  • ·Prepare the current application form, passport, required photograph, host or business documents and evidence for the actual activity. For an in-country application include the current residence card and status evidence. Follow the category-specific checklist and any Japanese-translation requests; an agent's appointment or a COE alone does not grant residence.Japan Immigration Services Agency ↗
  • ·Provide the marriage/relationship evidence, the principal's passport, residence-status documents and applicable special recognition, evidence of cohabitation, and the proposed work, pay and activity documents. Host and business evidence depends on the actual activity and category.Japan Immigration Services Agency ↗
  • ·Use the current COE, status-change or renewal checklist, including the applicable host representative declaration from 15 April 2026. For renewal, establish the continuing designated activity, actual work/pay, cohabitation and required residence/compliance evidence.Japan Immigration Services Agency ↗

Application pathway

  1. Identify the principal status and permitted work

    Confirm the marriage, cohabitation and the principal's HSP or special J-Skip recognition. Match the spouse's actual proposed activity to the ordinary or expanded permitted list and comparable remuneration.

  2. Prepare a separate spouse application

    For entry, prepare the specific Designated Activities COE application with the principal and the relevant host evidence. For a resident spouse, use the actual status-change procedure. The principal's work approval does not automatically issue the spouse's permission.

  3. Complete the entry or residence-status decision

    Use the competent consular visa procedure for first entry, or obtain the approved in-country change. Follow the actual grant and designation before beginning the new professional activity; an ordinary Dependent title or application receipt alone is insufficient.

  4. Maintain cohabitation, work and renewal conditions

    Keep the permitted activity, comparable remuneration and qualifying principal/cohabitation basis. Renew before expiry using the relevant checklist, normally from three months before expiry for a permission of at least six months. Check the authority procedure if the job, family circumstances or principal's status changes.

After approval: prepare for your next step

For Working spouse of an HSP professional: Designated Activities, use the actual decision and the issuing authority’s instructions to establish what has been granted. A successful application, permission to enter, permission to work and a residence document are not interchangeable.

  1. 1. Check the decision. Confirm the name, passport, status granted, start date and any next action. Resolve an error with the authority before relying on the document for travel or employment.
  2. 2. Establish the travel step. Read any entry window, activation, collection or in-country registration instruction. For an extension or change of status, do not assume leaving the country is required or safe while a further step remains pending.
  3. 3. Confirm what you may do. Check the conditions for your own permission, including work, and keep evidence of the qualifying relationship. The principal applicant’s conditions may differ.
  4. 4. Organise the household. Check each accompanying person’s permission separately, then arrange healthcare, accommodation, access to money and the relevant local registrations. A tax number or bank account does not by itself prove a right to work.
  5. 5. Keep the ongoing conditions visible. Record the actual expiry, renewal process, permitted absences and any duty to report changes. An initial grant does not automatically establish permanent residence or citizenship.
Official Working spouse of an HSP professional: Designated Activities instructionsBuild my moving plan for this routeMoving to Japan

Plan the practical side of your stay

Once you have checked the official route, you can prepare for day-to-day life in Japan. These optional services are separate from the application and do not establish visa eligibility.

Official application links

Where to actually go next

Government links only

These are the official pages to use for this route. Open them before preparing documents: the forms, fees, appointment systems, and sponsor steps can change without warning.

  1. Official guidanceApplicant + sponsor
    Check the HSP working-spouse procedure ↗

    Select the ordinary or special highly skilled family basis and the actual work/activity checklist.

    Japan Immigration Services Agency · verified

  2. Official guidanceApplicant
    Check the principal's special J-Skip recognition ↗

    Confirm the documented special criteria before relying on the expanded spouse occupations.

    Japan Immigration Services Agency · verified

  3. Official guidanceApplicant
    Check your competent mission's work-visa documents ↗

    Use the competent Japanese embassy or consulate for your actual residence jurisdiction, nationality and purpose. Check accepted COE format, documents, appointments and the current local visa fee.

    Japan Ministry of Foreign Affairs · verified

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Frequently asked questions

Can an HSP spouse take any full-time job?+

No. This Designated Activities permission has a specified professional scope. J-Skip families have an expanded list but it is still limited. Cohabitation, Japanese-comparable pay and any mandatory professional licence remain relevant.

How is this different from Dependent status?+

Dependent status is a separate residence basis and does not itself permit full professional work. Separately granted outside-activity permission can allow limited work, generally 28 hours per week. This guide concerns a different designated work permission and its actual occupation conditions.

Do I need the normal degree and years of experience?+

The HSP spouse arrangement relaxes the stated education/experience landing conditions for its specified activities. It does not turn an ineligible activity into eligible work or remove a professional licence that the occupation legally requires.

Will I obtain PR when my HSP spouse does?+

Not automatically. The spouse must establish their own applicable PR conditions and qualifying history. The principal's one-year or three-year HSP residence exception is not automatically inherited.

Need tailored advice?

We do not provide legal advice. For an application that depends on your exact circumstances, consult a regulator-listed immigration advisor.

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How we verified this

We check every figure on this page against the primary government source, record the date it was last checked, and re-check it on a regular schedule. Rules change, so always confirm time-sensitive details with the official source before you rely on them. Visa Atlas is an information-only publication and does not give legal advice.

Primary source: Japan Immigration Services Agency

Last checked: 15 November 2026

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