Status of Residency

Status of Residency (27 types)

Every foreigner living in Japan has a status of residence. Every status permits different activities and has different periods of stay.

A. Activity-based status of residence

1. All of these visas in this group allow for working in Japan. There are 16 types and they are: Diplomat Official, Professor, Artist, Religious Activities, Journalism, Investor, Business Manager, Law, Accounting, Medical, Researcher, Instructor, Engineer, Specialist in Humanities, International Services, Intra-company transfer, Entertainer, and Skilled Labor.

2. There are six visa types in which working cannot be permitted. These visas types are: Cultural Activities, Short Term Stay, College Student, Pre-College Student, and Dependent

3. The Designated Activities visa is decided on a case by case basis. Therefore, working may or not be permitted.

B. Family based status of residence

There are four visa statuses that are not influenced by occupation, because they are based on citizenship status, or the status of a spouse or dependent. They are: Permanent Resident, Japanese National Spouse or Dependent, Permanent Resident Spouse or Dependent and Long-Term Resident

Qualifications for different Visa Types

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Qualifications for different Visa Types 1

Status	Permitted Activities	Period of Stay
Diplomat Visa	This visa is for diplomats (and their dependents) from foreign countries. Verbal or documented proof of activities from the foreign government or international organization about the applicant is necessary.	This visa is valid until the end of the diplomatic mission, convention etc.
Official	This visa is for officials (and their dependents) from international organizations, such as the United Nations, or other foreign countries. Verbal or documented proof of activities from the foreign government or international organization about the applicant is necessary. If you are a diplomat, professor, clergy, or artist please apply for the appropriate visa.	This visa is valid until the end of the Official visit, summit, etc.
Professor	This professor visa is one the types of working visa. This visa is for college professors, or teachers at a technical or trade high school.	For 1 year or 3 years
Artist	The artist visa is for a musician, painter, writer, or other artist who comes to Japan to work and live. There is a separate category for Entertainer. In this context musician refers to classical musician, for a popular music band please apply for an entertainer visa.	For 1 year or 3 years
Religious Activities	This visa is one of the working visa types. This is for foreign religious groups who wish to send missionaries or ministers to Japan.	For 1 year or 3 years
Journalist	This visa is for foreign news organizations and their journalists, also for shooting a film under contract. This is also for any other journalistic activity, such as writing for a magazine.	For 1 year or 3 years

Qualifications for different Visa Types 2

Status	Permitted Activities	Period of Stay
Investor/Business Manager	This visa is for someone who is opening a new business in Japan, or managing funds for a Japanese firm. This is the visa type for persons with special skills, but no certification. Lawyers, doctors, researchers, teachers, engineers, and accountants cannot apply for this visa.	For 1 year or 3 years
Legal/Accounting/Various services	This visa is for foreign lawyers, public accountants and other jobs that involve the accounting and legal industries.	For 1 year or 3 years
Medical	This visa is for doctors, dentists, and other professions within the medical industry.	For 1 year or 3 years
Researcher	This visa is for researchers who will come to do research for a private or public company. If you are a professor, journalist, artist or instructor doing research; please apply for those visas instead.	For 1 year or 3 years
Instructor	For foreign nationals working at an elementary, junior high schoo, or high school. This also includes special needs school such as schools for the blind, and schools for the deaf. Technical schools are also inculded. Language schools and other instituations where the primary function is instruction are also grouped here.	For 1 year or 3 years
Engineer	For an engineer who comes to Japan to work for a private or public company on a contract. The work must be in the physical or chemical sciences or natural phenomenon. There are many fields that may intersect with engineering, however if qualify for a visa as a professor, artist, religious activities, journalism, investor/bank manager, medical, researcher, instructor, intra-company transfer, entertainer, or skilled laborer, please apply for those visas.	For 1 year or 3 years
Specialist in Human Services, International Services	This visa is for someone who is contracted to work in Japan for a public or private company for the following purposes; studying law, economics, sociology or any other humanities. This person must be recognized as an expert in their field. If you qualify for an artist, reporter, investor/bank manager, legal-accounting-various services, medical, researcher, instructor, intra-company transfer visas; please apply for those visas.	For 1 year or 3 years
Intra-company transfer	This visa is for members who work overseas but are transferred to a branch office or home office in Japan for a determined amount of time. As a transfer, this visa type is not for permanent relocation, only a temporary transfer.	For 1 year or 3 years
Entertainer	This visa is for visual performers, actors, sports athletes, singers, bands, and other aspects of the music industry. If qualified for a different visa, please apply for that visa.	For one 15 days, 3 months, 6 months, or 1 year
Skilled Labor	For skilled laborers for a public or private sector who come to Japan as part of their work to use gained expertise in Japanese companies.	For 1 year or 3 years

Qualifications for different Visa Types 3

Status	Permitted Activities	Period of Stay
Cultural Activities	This visa is for someone who specializes in an activity. It is a cultural or sport that is culturally important to Japan. Judo and tea ceremony are two examples. The applicant may be instructing or training. If these activities are going to be studied while attending language school or attending a Japanese university, please apply for the appropriate visa, either pre-college, college, or trainee.	For 1 year or 6 months
Short Stay Visitor Visa	The temporary visitor visa is for anyone who visits Japan for sightseeing, visiting friends, watching sports events, short term course, etc.	For 15, 30, or 90 days

Qualifications for different Visa Types 4

Status	Permitted Activities	Period of Stay
College Visa	This visa is for anyone who wants to enter a Japanese undergraduate/program, specialty school, or junior college.	For 1 year or 2 years
Pre College Visa	For students wishing to enter a Japanese high school, special needs school for the hearing-impaired, blind, or physically handicapped, or a specialty high school. Attending Japanese language programs in preparation for attending a Japanese university is also included in the Pre College visa. If entering into a four year institution however, the college visa is necessary, please apply accordingly.	For 1 year or 6 months
Trainee	For those wishing to study in a public or private technical school or institute where a skill is acquired. This visa is for learning a skill or trade. Attending a high school, language school, or university is not permitted. Please apply for pre-college or college visa instead.	For 1 year or 6 months
Dependent	This is for the dependents of someone with a working visa. This visa does not allow you to work, only to live in Japan. For dependents that come with a diplomat or an international Official, please apply for the diplomat or Official visa.	For 3 months, 6 months, 1, 2, and up to 3 years

Qualifications for different Visa Types 5

Status	Permitted Activities	Period of Stay
Specially Designated Activities	For activities that do not fall under other visa categories, there is this category. These activities are approved by the Minister of Justice on a case by case basis.	For 6 months, 1 year, 3 years, or a period of stay approved by the Minister of Justice.

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Qualifications for different Visa Types 5

Status	The status that is given by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs	Period of Stay
Permanent Resident	This visa status is given out by the Minister of Justice on a case by case basis	This visa status does not expire
Spouse of a Japanese national	This visa is for the spouse or dependent of a Japanese national or the adopted child of a Japanese national or a child born and raised in Japan.	For 1 year or 3 years
Spouse of a Permanent Resident	This visa is for the spouse or dependent of a permanent resident or for the child of a permanent resident. This visa is also eligible for a child born and raised in Japan with proper documentation proof provided.	For 1 year or 3 years
Long Term Resident	This visa status is available with special permission granted by the Minister of Justice.	For 1 year, 3 years, or a period of time determined by the Minister of Justice