{"MeShared":{"avatarFallback":"R","nav":{"portrait":"Profile","overview":"Home overview","profile":"Profile","exams":"My exams","career":"Job-hunt profile","applications":"Applications","timeline":"Timeline","membership":"Membership & Hatsuho","reviews":"Reviews","workbench":"Documents","assets":"Library","favorites":"Favorite professors","favorite-companies":"Favorite companies","favorite-schools":"School shortlist","matching":"Matches","shamusho":"Shrine office · Support","settings":"Account settings"},"navGroup":{"profile":"Profile & progress","output":"Outputs & saves","account":"Account"},"tiers":{"anonymous":"Signed out","unknown":"Loading plan","free":"Free","standard":"Standard","premium":"Premium"},"prices":{"free":"Free","perMonth":"/ month"},"matchLimit":{"unlimited":"Unlimited","topN":"Top {count}"},"matchTier":{"basic":"Basic","advanced":"Advanced"},"tierRows":{"quotaPerMonth":"{count} / month","reviewDims":"{count} dims","match":"{limit} · {tier}"},"profile":{"englishName":"English","scorePoints":"{score} pts","stage":{"senior_hs":"High school","vocational":"Vocational (専門学校)","undergrad_y1":"Undergraduate year 1","undergrad_y2":"Undergraduate year 2","undergrad_y3":"Undergraduate year 3","undergrad_y4":"Undergraduate year 4","master":"Master's student","phd":"PhD student","working":"Working","other":"Other"},"schoolTier":{"211":"211 (China)","985":"985 (China)","shuangyiliu_a":"Double First-Class A (China)","shuangyiliu_b":"Double First-Class B (China)","double_non":"Non-985/211 (China)","overseas":"Institution outside China","other":"Other institution in China"},"inJapan":{"overseas":"Outside Japan","lang_school":"Language school in Japan","japan_uni":"Studying at a Japanese university / graduate school","japan_work":"Working in Japan","other":"Other"},"hsStream":{"literature":"Humanities track","science":"Science track","mixed":"Mixed / no fixed track"},"gaps":{"currentStage":"current academic stage","school":"school","major":"major","graduationExpected":"expected graduation","japaneseLevel":"Japanese level","targets":"target schools / tier","english":"English score","educationDetail":"academic details","gpa":"GPA","nationality":"nationality","nativeLang":"native language","inJapan":"status in Japan"},"nationality":{"CN":"China","JP":"Japan","KR":"South Korea","TW":"Taiwan","HK":"Hong Kong","US":"United States","GB":"United Kingdom","OTHER":"Other"},"nativeLang":{"zh":"Chinese (Mandarin)","ja":"Japanese","ko":"Korean","yue":"Cantonese","en":"English","other":"Other"},"targetTier":{"S":"Reach S","A":"Target A","B":"On-par B","C":"Safety C","D":"Backup D","E":"Fallback E"}},"omikuji":{"great":{"level":"Great luck","theme":"Academic success","message":"Your direction is clear. Keep the rhythm and the work will compound."},"middle":{"level":"Good luck","theme":"Writing focus","message":"Today is a good day to polish your research proposal."},"good":{"level":"Luck","theme":"Steady progress","message":"Move steadily and read one more prior study."},"small":{"level":"Small luck","theme":"Connection","message":"Reach out with care; a useful reply may arrive."},"future":{"level":"Future luck","theme":"Careful steps","message":"Do not rush. Complete your profile before pushing ahead."}},"lanterns":{"profile":"Profile","direction":"Research direction","matching":"Professor match","contact":"Contact professor","documents":"Draft documents","interview":"Mock interview","application":"Application sent"},"omamori":{"gakugyoLabel":"Study charm · Gakugyo","gakugyoSignal":"Profile {pct}%","gakugyoLore":"A charm for progress in your studies — the fuller your profile, the stronger its blessing.","gakugyoCond":"Lights at 80% profile · now {pct}%","gakugyoCta":"Complete profile","memberLabel":"Member charm · Kaiin","memberSignal":"Plan · {tier}","memberLore":"Granted to every member of the shrine.","memberCond":"Always lit · current plan {tier}","memberCondPro":"Golden glow · highest plan","memberCta":"View membership","enmusubiLabel":"Bond charm · Enmusubi","enmusubiSignal":"{count} saved professors","enmusubiLore":"A charm for good bonds — may you meet the right professor.","enmusubiCond":"Lights at your first saved professor · now {count}","enmusubiCta":"Saved professors","bununLabel":"Letters charm · Bunun","bununSignal":"{docs} documents · {reviews} reviews","bununLore":"A charm for literary fortune — may your documents flow.","bununCond":"Lights at your first saved document or review","bununCta":"Open workbench","goukakuLabel":"Pass charm · Gokaku","goukakuSignal":"{count} applications submitted","goukakuLore":"A charm for passing — may your applications land.","goukakuCond":"Lights at your first submitted application · now {count}","goukakuCta":"Applications","kachiLabel":"Victory charm · Kachi","kachiSignal":"{count} mock interviews","kachiLore":"A charm for victory — steadiness before the real match.","kachiCond":"Lights at your first mock interview · now {count}","kachiCta":"Mock interview","shusseLabel":"Career charm · Shusse","shusseSignal":"{count} saved companies","shusseLore":"A charm for career rise — onward and upward.","shusseCond":"Lights at your first saved company · now {count}","shusseCta":"Saved companies","flipBack":"Flip the charm back"},"jobLanterns":{"profile":"Career profile","selfAnalysis":"Self-analysis","materials":"Material library","industry":"Industry & role","company":"Company research","es":"ES drafting","interview":"Interview prep","offer":"Offer"}},"ResidenceVisa":{"metaTitle":"Japan Residence Status and Visa Strategy","metaDescription":"From study to work, the Highly Skilled Professional status, permanent residence and naturalisation — a 'long stay in Japan' direction map for international students. Japan has no single unified 'work visa'; you match your actual activity to a specific residence status and switch via a Change of Status of Residence application. Permanent residence and the points system are the highest-risk topics on this site and the official rules keep changing, so all year-limits, scores and conditions are marked guideline / verify-official, and the latest criteria should be confirmed with Immigration.","kicker":"Life in Japan · Residence status & the long-stay strategy","title":"Residence and visa strategy for staying in Japan","intro":"This is a 'long stay in Japan' direction map based on the current pages of the Immigration Services Agency (ISA) and the Ministry of Justice — not individual legal advice or a window's final ruling. First, one misconception to clear: Japanese law has no single unified 'work visa' category. The official approach is to match your actual activity to a specific residence status, then switch via a Change of Status of Residence application. So this page can only point a direction; it cannot replace your own confirmation with Immigration.","disclaimerLead":"This is the highest-risk topic on the whole site. Acting on outdated requirements leads straight to denial and irreversible loss.","disclaimerBody":"The official rules keep being revised (see below). This page only draws a direction map; it never produces a copyable application checklist. Verify precise conditions, scores and year-limits yourself against the official same-day page and calculation table, and always make the final confirmation yourself with Immigration (your jurisdictional office). Last reviewed 2026-06-13.","updates":{"eijuuGuideline":"Permanent-residence permission guideline — revised","gijinkoku":"Engineer / Specialist in Humanities / International Services — explanation updated","hspUniRanking":"Highly Skilled bonus-point university list (world-ranking reference point)"},"misconception":{"aria":"First, clear one misconception","kicker":"Clear this first","title":"There is no single unified 'work visa'","body":"Immigration maps you to a specific residence status according to your actual activity, then switches you to it via a Change of Status of Residence application. So 'study → work' is not an automatic upgrade: it is a change of status, plus a match of actual activity, plus a track record of residence and public obligations that can withstand review.","step1":"Pin down the actual activity (what you will really do — not the job title).","step2":"Identify the specific residence status that matches it.","step3":"Switch via a Change of Status of Residence application before your period of stay expires."},"tocAria":"On-page contents","tocKicker":"On this page","sectionLabel":"Section {num}","badges":{"meyasu":"Guideline","verify":"Verify","pitfall":"Pitfall"},"sections":{"stairway":{"title":"The main ladder to a long stay","intro":"The most common 'long stay' line for most students. Its branch points are covered in the next section.","blocks":{"mainLine":{"title":"Study → status change → work → HSP → permanent residence","body":"For international students, the most common ladder can be read as this line: Student → Change of Status of Residence → a work-type status matching your job (such as Engineer / Specialist in Humanities / International Services) / a transitional Designated Activities status (continued job-hunting, post-offer waiting, or for some graduates the Notification No. 46 route) / Specified Skilled Worker in a designated field → if conditions are met, Highly Skilled Professional → if eligible, permanent residence. Naturalisation is not 'the next rung above permanent residence' — it is a separate system."},"directHsp":{"title":"A qualifying job can lead directly to Highly Skilled status","body":"Highly Skilled Professional does not necessarily require 'a few years on 技人国 (engineer/humanities/international services) first'. Immigration offers both a flow to apply for HSP No.1 on new entry, and a flow to switch to HSP No.1 from within Japan via a change of status. So if your first post-graduation job already meets the activity content and the points threshold, in theory you can aim for HSP straight from the job. But whether this route is steadier than taking 技術・人文知識・国際業務 (the full name of that status) first depends on how well the post fits, how solid the score evidence is, and how complete the employer's documents are."}}},"branching":{"title":"Branch points when moving from study to work","intro":"The paths that diverge around graduation. The point is not 'which to pick' but first recognizing which track you are actually on.","blocks":{"gijinkokuMain":{"title":"Main route = 技人国 (examples; change before expiry)","body":"For most graduates, the most common main route is still to change 留学 (student status) into a work-type status that matches the actual post, the most common being 技術・人文知識・国際業務 (engineer / specialist in humanities / international services). Official examples for this status include engineers, interpreters, designers and language teachers at private firms; procedurally, you file a Change of Status of Residence application before your current period of stay expires."},"gijinkokuContent":{"title":"It's the actual work content, not the job title","body":"What matters most here is not the job title the company gives you, but what you actually do. Immigration has kept clarifying and updating the scope of 技術・人文知識・国際業務 in recent years; the core idea is to look at your overall activity across the period of stay, not just the offer's headline, and to require not merely that you 'can do the job' but that the work itself embodies academic, systematic expertise. Official materials also make clear that if your main activity is general service, manufacturing and the like, it usually cannot be treated as 技人国 as a matter of course; for posts with a service element, you should further check whether Designated Activities (Notification No. 46) or Specified Skilled Worker fits better."},"jobHuntingActivity":{"title":"Designated Activities for job-hunting is not a 'gap visa'","body":"If you have no formal job by graduation, Immigration provides a transitional Designated Activities route for continued job-hunting; if you already have an informal offer but face a gap between graduating and starting, there is a corresponding Designated Activities page too. But this status is not a 'just keep it after graduating and see how it goes' gap visa. The official Q&A states plainly: if you stay on Designated Activities for the purpose of job-hunting but do no job-search for 3 or more months without good reason, there is a status-cancellation risk; and whether you may still do part-time work after graduating is not automatic — it depends on what your school's recommendation letter records and on individual review. If you are already out of touch with your school and cannot obtain its support, taking this route for granted markedly raises the risk."},"designated46":{"title":"Notification No. 46 is not a fallback for 技人国","body":"Designated Activities (Notification No. 46: graduates of Japanese universities, etc.) is not a 'fallback visa for when 技人国 is refused'. It targets a class of graduates who finished a Japanese university and hold high Japanese-language ability; for some posts its employment scope is broader than traditional 技人国, but it has its own target group and criteria."},"specifiedSkilled":{"title":"Specified Skilled: No. 1 capped; No. 2 uncapped","body":"Specified Skilled Worker is a separate, independent route: Specified Skilled Worker No.1 in principle has a five-year aggregate cap, with the field and work content set by each field's operational guidelines; the aggregate period of stay for No.2 has no cap. If your long-term goal is permanent residence, note especially that the official PR guideline excludes Specified Skilled No.1 from the 'five years on a work/resident status' that the general PR route requires — so you must never merge Specified Skilled No.1 and 技人国 into the same single settlement logic."}}},"hsp":{"title":"Highly Skilled Professional & the points system","intro":"Highly Skilled Professional is not a marketing label but a concrete residence status. The precise points are exactly where you must not 'go by impression'.","blocks":{"threeTypes":{"title":"Three HSP types, 70-point threshold, and bonus factors","body":"The authorities split Highly-Skilled Professional (高度専門職) into three categories: type 1(a) advanced academic research, 1(b) advanced specialized/technical work, and 1(c) advanced business management; the entry bar is a total of 70+ points on the official points table. The scoring dimensions that recur on the official pages and calculation sheet are: academic background, work history, annual income, age, Japanese ability, and research achievements, plus bonus points for specific universities, institutions, and special conditions."},"pointsDirection":{"title":"Use this score shape only; recalculate with the filing rules","body":"HSP points are the last thing to judge 'by impression.' The authorities themselves publish the evaluation mechanism, the preferential measures, the calculation-table Excel, and the bonus-point university list separately; and the bonus-university list page states explicitly that it is built on the world university rankings as of January 2026, and that you must re-check the latest three world-ranking sets when you apply. In other words, qualifying last year does not mean you still qualify this year. So this guide always does only this: describe how points are built, never give a fixed score answer; for exact points, defer to the official calculation table's version on the day."},"preferential":{"title":"HSP benefits, route to No. 2, and separate J-Skip route","body":"Once you reach 70/80 points, the official preferential treatment centers on a few directions: HSP type 1 may carry out multiple activities, generally receives the longest period of 5 years, enjoys a shortened permanent-residence timeline, and under certain conditions can arrange a spouse's employment, parents accompanying, and a domestic helper; HSP type 2 is for those who have already been active in Japan under HSP type 1 (or the corresponding HSP 'Designated Activities') for a certain period, its core advantages being an unlimited period of stay and the ability to do almost everything the work statuses allow. Under the ordinary points system the typical bar for 1 → 2 is 3+ years; but if you run into the Special Highly-Skilled Professional system (J-Skip), do not lump it together with the ordinary 70/80-point route — it is a separate side path."},"notForever":{"title":"Approval once is not a 'pass for life'","body":"HSP is by no means 'approved once, cleared for life.' The authorities state plainly: if, at your HSP renewal, your total points fall below 70, the renewal in principle will not pass. The same applies to the permanent-residence fast track: you are not finished just because you 'once calculated 70/80 points' on a single day — you must be able to prove, per the official requirements, that you reached and maintained the corresponding score both at the time of application and back at the key points 1 year or 3 years earlier. In other words, changes in income, age, a job change, or changes to the bonus-university list can all affect how your path is judged."}}},"permanent":{"title":"The permanent-residence application & recent tightening","intro":"The official frame for general permanent residence, plus the recent tightening you cannot ignore (records of tax, pension, insurance and notification compliance), organized as direction and pitfalls.","blocks":{"generalFrame":{"title":"PR basics: 10 years, 5 on work status, and a clean record","body":"The official framework for ordinary permanent residence is still three blocks: good conduct, an independent livelihood, and conformity with the interests of Japan. On 'interests of Japan,' the current guidelines are clear: in principle you need 10+ continuous years of residence in Japan, of which 5+ continuous years must be under a work-based or residence-based status; your current status usually also needs to be at the longest period listed in the enforcement rules, with no fines, imprisonment, and the like."},"hspSpecial":{"title":"HSP PR fast-track: 80 points in 1 year; 70 points in 3","body":"The HSP permanent-residence special case is the second main route this topic must make clear. The authorities now give two tiers: 80 points → 1 year, 70 points → 3 years. And this special case is not reserved only for 'people who currently hold HSP'; the authorities set up a dedicated page for another situation — even if you are not currently residing as HSP, if at the time of the PR application and back at the key reference points you can prove, per the official rules, that you reached 70/80 points, you may also use this special case. This is exactly why this guide must not frame it as a linear story of 'get HSP first, then automatically get PR after a few years.'"},"taxPensionRecord":{"title":"Tax, pension, insurance, and notification records","body":"What you can least afford to take lightly in recent years is your record of paying taxes, pension, the various insurances, and fulfilling other public duties. The 2026-02-24 PR guidelines put it bluntly: you must properly fulfill obligations such as taxes, public pension, public health-insurance premiums, and notifications under immigration law; and even if you have paid everything off by the time you apply, if you did not pay within the original statutory deadlines you will in principle be evaluated negatively. This is not a slogan — the PR application branch pages already require documents proving public-pension and public-health-insurance payment status; many branches ask to see the past 2 years of enrollment and payment, and some work-related / long-term-resident branches explicitly require the most recent 3 years. And do not assume these records are checked only at the final PR push: immigration's general guidelines for status changes and renewals likewise list unpaid tax obligations, long-term or large unpaid national-health-insurance premiums, and not actually doing the activity you are supposed to be doing as negative factors."},"tighteningContext":{"title":"PR review now centers on a long compliance record","body":"If you sum up the official signals from around 2024 through 2026 in one line, it is this: the PR system is being read within an 'appropriateization (適正化)' framework. The 2024-06-14 amendment to the Immigration Act and related laws explicitly lists 'appropriateization of the permanent-residence permit system' as a reform item; subsequent official Q&As and policy materials keep tying the 'interests of Japan' requirements more clearly to compliance with immigration-law obligations, payment of public dues, and grounds for revocation in egregious cases. The safest way to put it is not a vague 'it got stricter lately,' but plainly: PR screening now treats a long-term compliance record as core evidence."}}},"naturalization":{"title":"Naturalisation vs permanent residence","intro":"'PR approved' does not mean 'naturalisation is just paperwork left'. They differ in authority, legal basis and criteria.","blocks":{"twoSystems":{"title":"PR is residence status; naturalisation is nationality","body":"Permanent residence and naturalization are not the same thing. PR is a foreigner, on the basis of an existing status, applying to the Minister of Justice to change to 'Permanent Resident'; it is essentially a residence-status matter, handled by the immigration system. Naturalization is the acquisition of Japanese nationality, under the Nationality Act, applied for in person at the Legal Affairs Bureau / District Legal Affairs Bureau with jurisdiction over your address. The official pages keep the two separate in entry point, competent authority, and procedural form."},"naturalizationDirection":{"title":"Naturalisation: residence, conduct, livelihood, and nationality","body":"For a comparative sketch only, naturalization's broad direction is: it is a permission granted by the Minister of Justice under the Nationality Act, with general official conditions including a certain number of years of residence in Japan, good conduct, the ability to maintain a livelihood, and in principle requiring the applicant to be stateless or to lose their original nationality upon acquiring Japanese nationality. But the authorities also stress repeatedly that the required documents vary greatly by nationality, family/status relationships, occupation, and family circumstances — so you cannot read 'I did PR' as 'naturalization is just filling in forms.'"}}},"myths":{"title":"Common misconceptions & pitfalls to watch","intro":"The misconceptions that recur in the map above, paired as myth → correct understanding. Each one bears directly on whether an application succeeds."},"official":{"title":"Official pages to verify against","intro":"The official pages this guide maps to directly. The body sticks to 'direction + pitfalls'; verify precise conditions, form versions, sub-branch application pages and the latest updates yourself from here."}},"stairway":{"aria":"Main long-stay ladder (5 steps)","asideTag":"Separate","aside":"Naturalisation is not a continuation of this ladder. PR is a residence status (Immigration); naturalisation is nationality (Nationality Act, Legal Affairs Bureau) — a separate system. See the 'Naturalisation vs PR' section.","ryugaku":{"label":"Student","note":"Starting point."},"henkou":{"label":"Change of Status","note":"Switch to match your activity."},"workTracks":{"label":"Work / Designated Act. / Specified Skilled","note":"e.g. 技人国, job-hunting, Specified Skilled."},"hsp":{"label":"Highly Skilled","note":"If conditions met (70 pts+)."},"eijuu":{"label":"Permanent residence","note":"If eligible."}},"myths":{"mythLabel":"Myth","truthLabel":"Reality","tenYearsAuto":{"myth":"If I've been in Japan 10 years, I'll automatically get PR.","truth":"No. The official text gives an 'in-principle filing threshold', and they also assess conduct, livelihood, the longest period and fulfillment of public obligations. It is never an automatic grant."},"offerEqualsGijinkoku":{"myth":"Once I have a company offer, I can definitely switch from 留学 to 技人国.","truth":"Not necessarily. Immigration looks at whether the overall work content truly maps to a professional status — not just the company name or job title."},"jobHuntGap":{"myth":"After graduating I can take it easy on job-hunting — I have Designated Activities.","truth":"Very risky. The official Q&A explicitly places 'not job-hunting for 3+ months without good reason' in the context of status-cancellation risk."},"pointsForever":{"myth":"Once my HSP points hit 70/80, I'm set for life.","truth":"Wrong. The official rules state: dropping below 70 at renewal may fail; and the PR fast-track requires you to prove the score was maintained at the key points in time."},"payArrearsLater":{"myth":"I'll let pension, health insurance and resident tax slide, then pay them off before applying for PR.","truth":"This is exactly the high-risk trap. The current PR guideline is explicit: even if paid up by filing time, failing to pay within the original statutory period is in principle a negative."},"ssw1ToPermanent":{"myth":"Specified Skilled No.1 is like 技人国 — it naturally feeds into the general PR route.","truth":"Wrong. The current PR guideline explicitly excludes Specified Skilled No.1 from the 'five years on a work/resident status' that general PR requires."},"permanentEqualsNaturalization":{"myth":"PR and naturalisation are about the same — just different names.","truth":"No. The former is a residence status, the latter the acquisition of nationality; the authority, legal basis and criteria all differ."}},"official":{"note":"All links below are official moj.go.jp pages. The body sticks to 'direction + pitfalls'; verify precise conditions, form versions, sub-branch application pages and the latest updates by clicking through yourself (opens in a new tab).","groups":{"studyToWork":"Study → work & transition (change of status, 技人国, Designated Activities, Specified Skilled)","highlySkilled":"Highly Skilled Professional & points (evaluation, benefits, calculation sheet)","permanentNaturalization":"Permanent residence & naturalisation (PR guideline, sub-branches, Nationality Act)"}},"related":{"aria":"Related procedures and guides","kicker":"Related guides","title":"Move from long-term direction to time-sensitive steps","intro":"This page covers long-term direction only. Use the linked guides for deadlines and conditions around notifications, re-entry and part-time work, then verify the latest official rules.","arrival":{"title":"After-arrival procedures","description":"Review residence registration, status renewals and special re-entry in sequence."},"partTime":{"title":"Part-time work for students","description":"Review work permission, hour limits and residence-status risks."}},"footerLead":"This is a direction map, not an application.","footerBody":"Permanent residence, the points system and changing status are the highest-risk areas on this site, and the official rules keep being revised. Every year-limit, score and condition here is guideline / verify-official; the official same-day page, calculation table and your jurisdictional office's answer always take precedence. Always make the final confirmation yourself with Immigration. This guide is neither legal advice nor a guarantee of any permission.","footerReviewed":"Last reviewed: {date} (based on the current ISA / Ministry of Justice pages)"},"WorkbenchTierCard":{"defaultTitle":"Current Plan","fallback":{"statusUnavailable":"Your membership / Hatsuho status can not be confirmed right now. To avoid an accidental charge or release, generation is temporarily disabled.","loadingAccount":"Loading account information","loginPrompt":"Not signed in: you can browse free guidance, but you cannot start a real run."},"dims":"{n} dimensions","reviewMode":{"full":"Full 8-dimension review","basic":"Basic 5-dimension review"},"match":{"advanced":"Advanced","basic":"Basic"},"priorityQueue":{"on":"Priority support included","off":"Not included"},"interviewSim":{"on":"Booking eligible","off":"Not included"},"remaining":"{n} left","labels":{"reviewDims":"Review dimensions","reviewMode":"Review method","match":"Professor matching","priorityQueue":"Priority support","interviewSim":"Mock interview"}}}