Working in Japan: The 2026 Textbook. Status of Residence, Gijinkoku, Designated Activities, the 70 Point Highly Skilled Professional Status, and Permanent Residence: 7 Basics English Speakers Should Know First

Hi, I'm Emi Sakashita from Alpha Advisors!

The other day, a student overseas sent us this question: "I earned my bachelor's degree in my home country. I want to go on to graduate school in Japan and then find a job there. Can I get a visa?"

This is the first question everyone runs into when they start thinking about working in Japan. Once you begin researching, unfamiliar terms come at you one after another: status of residence, Gijinkoku, Designated Activities, Highly Skilled Professional. On top of that, 2026 was a year of major change in Japan's policies on foreign nationals.

Let me give you the conclusion first. If you want to work in Japan, earn your master's degree in Japan!
It is the most reliable and most advantageous route. The numbers show why.

• International students who graduate from Japanese universities and graduate schools fall into a category that requires fewer documents when switching to a work visa. The approval rate for international students overall is 96.7%
• A master's program takes 2 years. If you already hold a bachelor's degree from your home country, it is the shortest route
• You can take part in Japanese job hunting while enrolled, and even if you have no offer by graduation, you can keep job hunting for up to 1 year
• A master's degree is worth 20 points toward Highly Skilled Professional status. At age 29 or under, with an annual income of 4 million yen or more and JLPT N1, a new graduate reaches the passing score of 70 points. A bachelor's graduate under the same conditions scores 60
• With 70 points or more, the period of residence required to apply for permanent residence is shortened to 3 years

And from winning admission to a Japanese master's program through job hunting and your job offer, Alpha supports you all the way!
Alpha Advisors has supported the careers and education of more than 80,000 people over 18 years. From choosing a graduate school to research proposals, interview preparation, application essays, and choosing companies, we support your study and your job search as one continuous path!

Many of you are probably thinking, "But how does the Japanese visa system work in the first place?" or "Can't I work in Japan with just a bachelor's degree from overseas?" 2026 was also a year in which Japan's policies on foreign nationals shifted significantly.

From here, I will explain the seven basics that English speakers considering a career in Japan should know first. By the time you finish reading, you will see why a Japanese master's degree is the main road.

Basic 1: To work in Japan, you need a status of residence

Let's sort out the terms first. A visa is the document for entering Japan. The qualification for staying and working in Japan is called a status of residence. What people usually call a work visa is in fact this status of residence.

Each status of residence is defined by the type of work. When a university graduate works as a company employee, the status most people use is Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services, commonly called Gijinkoku. It covers engineers, interpreters, designers, marketing staff, and similar roles, and is granted for 5 years, 3 years, 1 year, or 3 months.

The order also matters. In Japan the job offer comes first and the status of residence procedure comes after. The basic rule is that your employer is decided, and you apply together with that company's information.

Basic 2: You don't need points to get a job. The three conditions for Gijinkoku

We are often asked, "How many points do I need to work in Japan?" But Gijinkoku, the regular work visa, is not a points system. What is examined is the following three conditions.

• Condition 1: Education or work experience
A bachelor's degree or higher is the standard, and degrees from universities outside Japan are accepted. Graduates of Japanese vocational colleges who have earned the title of Senmonshi also qualify. Without the education, 10 years or more of work experience (3 years or more for international services) can take its place.

• Condition 2: The content of the job
The job must use specialized knowledge or skills, and the central point of the review is whether the work is connected to what you studied at university.

• Condition 3: Pay and the company
Your pay must be equal to or higher than that of a Japanese employee. Companies are also divided into four categories, based on factors such as whether they are publicly listed, and the volume of documents required differs by category.

Let's look at the real numbers. In 2024, international students filed 41,142 applications to change their status of residence for employment, and 39,766 were approved. The approval rate is 96.7%. With a job offer that meets the conditions, you can obtain a Japanese work visa with high probability.

By nationality, approvals included 401 from India, 370 from the United States, 78 from the United Kingdom, 61 from Canada, and 44 from Australia. The route is open, and still few English speakers are taking it.

There is also a harder reality. The most common monthly pay, at 46.1%, was 200,000 yen to under 250,000 yen. Beyond whether you can get the visa, which company you join and what work you do there will shape your career.

Basic 3: Points matter for Highly Skilled Professional status. What decides the 70 points

Points come into play for Highly Skilled Professional, a status of residence that ranks above Gijinkoku. Education, work experience, annual income, age, and other factors are converted into points, and a total of 70 or more qualifies.

These are the main point values in the Advanced Specialized/Technical field, which covers engineers, planners, and similar roles.

In this field, an annual income of 3 million yen or more is also required.

The great advantage of Highly Skilled Professional status is that it is a shortcut to permanent residence. With 70 points or more, the period of residence required to apply is shortened to 3 years. With 80 points or more, it is 1 year.

Basic 4: Two entrances to working in Japan

There are two main roads to a job in Japan.

• Entrance 1: Get hired directly from overseas
Under the system, a bachelor's degree from a university outside Japan is enough to obtain a work visa. However, this assumes that a Japanese company offers you a job while you are overseas and handles the application for your entry. If you do not yet have work experience or Japanese ability, the hiring itself is a higher wall than the visa.

• Entrance 2: Go through a Japanese university or graduate school
This is the route of coming to Japan as an international student and job hunting while enrolled. When changing from Student status, those who have graduated or will graduate from a Japanese graduate school, university, or junior college fall into a category that requires fewer documents. If you have graduated from a Japanese university, you are also treated as having the required Japanese ability under the language requirement newly introduced in 2026.

In both the procedures and the job hunt, Entrance 2 is the advantageous one.

Basic 5: The difference between a bachelor's and a master's degree

So which should you choose, a Japanese undergraduate program or a graduate school?

For regular employment, graduates of either one meet the conditions for a work visa. In fact, among international students who found jobs, 44.7% held a bachelor's degree as their highest qualification and 19.7% held a master's.

The difference appears in the points for Highly Skilled Professional status. Let's compare an estimate for new graduates.

A master's graduate reaches 70 points at the moment of graduation. A bachelor's graduate needs to make up 10 points through a higher income, national qualifications, or other items.

If you already hold a bachelor's degree from your home country, a 2 year master's program is the shortest route. If you are at the stage of finishing high school, entering a Japanese undergraduate program is also a strong option.

Basic 6: The main route, and the safety net if you run out of time

The main route is simple.

• Enroll in a Japanese university or graduate school
• Job hunt while enrolled and receive an offer
• Before graduating, apply to change from Student status to Gijinkoku or another work status. For those joining a company in April, applications are accepted from January of that year (December in Tokyo)
• Start working once approval is granted

There is also a safety net if you have no offer by graduation. If you switch to a status of residence called Designated Activities (continued job hunting), you receive a 6 month period of stay that can be renewed once, so you can keep job hunting in Japan for up to 1 year after graduating. You need a recommendation letter from the school you graduated from and a record showing that you are continuing your job search. With permission, you can also work part time for up to 28 hours a week.

Let's compare this with the United States. The US has a program called OPT that lets you work after graduation, for 12 months as standard and for up to 36 months including the extension if you hold a STEM degree. But the H1B work visa that comes after it has an annual cap, and not everyone who wants one can get it. Japan's Gijinkoku has no such cap. Even though the job hunting period is shorter, once you win an offer you can switch directly to a work visa. This is Japan's strength.

Basic 7: Five rules that changed in 2026

In 2026, Japan's system moved in the direction of "welcoming highly skilled talent, while making screening and costs stricter." There are five main changes.

• A new language requirement (from April 15)
For jobs that mainly use language ability in dealing with people, such as interpreting and customer service, companies in certain categories now require proof of language ability equivalent to JLPT N2.

• Stricter rules for dispatch work
Applications are no longer accepted when the client company has not been decided, and pledges are required from both the dispatching agency and the client company.

• Higher fees (from October 1)
The fee for changing or renewing a status of residence went from a flat 6,000 yen to as much as 75,000 yen, depending on the period granted. The fee for permanent residence went from 10,000 yen to 200,000 yen.

• Revised standards for permanent residence (planned for April 2027)
Standards are set to be added requiring an annual income above the average for Japanese households and a certain expected pension amount, and a certain level of Japanese ability will also be required.

• A change in how naturalization is handled (from April)
In reviews for naturalization, which means acquiring Japanese nationality, a period of residence of 10 years or more is now required in principle.

The stricter side tends to stand out, but the number of foreign workers has passed 2.57 million, a record high, and within that the professional and technical fields grew 20.4% from the previous year. The trend of Japan seeking people with expertise has not changed.

Frequently asked questions

• Is Japanese required?
Gijinkoku does not require a Japanese test pass for every application. However, Japanese ability affects your bonus points for Highly Skilled Professional status, the new standards for permanent residence, and the number of companies you can apply to. We recommend aiming for N2, and N1 if you can.

• Is a bachelor's degree from overseas enough?
It meets the education condition. Prepare your documents so that you can show that your diploma states Bachelor and that your university is officially accredited in its country.

• What happens if I have no offer by graduation?
With the continued job hunting status explained in Basic 6, you can keep job hunting for up to 1 year.

• How many years does permanent residence take?
Permanent residence requires, in principle, that you have lived in Japan continuously for 10 years or more. As a Highly Skilled Professional, this is shortened to 3 years with 70 points or more and to 1 year with 80 points or more.

Conclusion: If you want to work in Japan, go to a Japanese university or graduate school

The seven basics point to a single answer. If you want to work in Japan for the long term, graduating from a Japanese university or graduate school is the most reliable and most advantageous route.

• Switching to a work visa goes smoothly
• You can take part in Japanese job hunting while enrolled
• You can keep job hunting for up to 1 year after graduation
• Your points for Highly Skilled Professional status go up, bringing permanent residence closer

And the race begins before you arrive in Japan. A master's program is only 2 years, and if you start on Japanese and job hunting after you enroll, it is often too late. Which lab at which university will you choose? What level of Japanese will you reach, and by when? Which companies in which industry will you aim for? The earlier you start this design, the more paths are open to you.

For advice on studying and working in Japan, talk to Alpha

Alpha Advisors has supported the careers and education of more than 80,000 people over 18 years. From application strategy for Japanese universities and graduate schools, research proposals, and interview preparation to job hunting after enrollment, application essays, interview practice, and choosing companies, we support your study and your job search as one continuous path. We are also strong in helping people join global companies, including foreign financial firms, consulting firms, and general trading companies.

"Can I apply to a Japanese graduate school with my academic background?" "Which university should I choose to have an edge in job hunting?" "What should I start preparing now?" The answers differ for each person. If you are serious about a future of studying and working in Japan, please talk to Alpha. Let's design the route that fits you, together!

Please note that the status of residence system changes frequently. When you apply, be sure to check the latest information from the Immigration Services Agency of Japan, and consult a specialist about individual procedures.

Emi Sakashita, Alpha Advisors

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Profile

TJ: Formerly with Sumitomo Corporation, where he worked in the Corporate Accounting Department overseeing budgeting, financial reporting, and performance management for over 800 domestic and overseas group companies, as well as IR (Investor Relations) activities. Selected as the youngest trainee for Sumitomo Corporation of America (New York), where he contributed to the restructuring of a U.S. electric arc furnace steel business invested in by Sumitomo. Later joined the Project Finance Department, where he was engaged in arranging large-scale financings for infrastructure projects in developing countries and financing for Jupiter Telecommunications. Selected as a company-sponsored candidate for overseas MBA programs.

Earned his MBA at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, with concentrations in Finance, Entrepreneurship, and Organizational Management. Founder of the University of Chicago Japanese Association. Initiated and executed the school’s first-ever “Japan Trip”, which has since become an annual tradition.

Subsequently joined Goldman Sachs Japan’s Investment Banking Division, where he advised on numerous M&A transactions in the media and consumer sectors, supported capital raising including IPOs, and worked on private equity investments and corporate restructuring assignments.

Selected as one of only six fellows (out of over 200 applicants) for the 4th Entrepreneurial Leadership Program of the Japan Association of Corporate Executives (Keizai Doyukai), where he received mentorship from leading entrepreneurs including Hideo Sawada, Chairman of H.I.S.

Served as President of the Chicago Booth Alumni Association in Japan (2006–2010). Has guided numerous candidates to admission at top MBA programs (Harvard, Stanford, and other leading schools in the U.S., Europe, and Asia), graduate schools, universities, and boarding schools. Track record of placing students at leading global firms including Mitsubishi Corporation, McKinsey & Company, Goldman Sachs, BlackRock, Google, Big 4 consulting/FAS, Dentsu, Toyota, MUFG Bank, Nomura Securities, among others.

Renowned for his rigorous one-on-one coaching for TOEFL, GMAT, IELTS, and GRE, with a reputation for pushing candidates to fully complete their preparation. Highly regarded for his ability to design and achieve career and academic goals with unmatched quality and precision. As a result, he is in high demand as an advisor, with numerous requests to work directly under his guidance.