What specific educational and work experience requirements must be met to apply for a work visa?

work visaEducation Requirementswork experienceVisa applicationImmigration policyRelocating to Japan
Created At: 8/11/2025Updated At: 8/17/2025
Answer (1)

Hello! I see you're asking about this, so I'll share my understanding to help clarify things for you. For applying for a Japanese work visa, academic qualifications and work experience are indeed two core requirements, but the specific details depend on the type of visa you're applying for.

First and foremost, the most important point: Japan doesn't have a single unified "work visa." Instead, visas are categorized based on your job type, such as Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services, Cook, Business Manager, etc. For most people, the most commonly applied-for visa is the one below.

The Most Common Category: "Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services" Visa

This visa has a long name, but it essentially covers the vast majority of white-collar jobs, such as:

  • Technical Fields: Programmers, engineers, designers, and other science/engineering-related roles.
  • Humanities Fields: Planning, marketing, HR, finance, and other liberal arts-related fields.
  • International Services: Translation, interpretation, international trade, language teaching, and other roles requiring foreign language skills.

For this visa category, the requirements regarding academic qualifications and work experience can be summarized simply: you need to meet one of the following conditions:

1. Academic Qualification Path (The Mainstream & Simplest Route)

This is the most straightforward route. As long as you have a bachelor's degree or higher (including a nationally accredited associate's degree) and the job you find is related to your field of study, you essentially meet the academic requirement.

  • Specific Requirement: Possess a full-time bachelor's degree or a nationally accredited three-year associate's degree.
  • Examples:
    • You studied Computer Science and are going to Japan to work as a programmer – a perfect match, with a high approval rate.
    • You studied Japanese or International Trade and are going to Japan to work as a translator or trade representative – also perfectly acceptable.

2. Work Experience Path (If Qualifications Don't Match or No Degree)

If your academic qualifications don't meet the requirement (e.g., only high school diploma) or your job is completely unrelated to your university major, you'll need to compensate with work experience.

  • Specific Requirements:
    • For "Technical" or "Humanities" roles, you need at least 10 years of relevant work experience (including experience gained in your home country).
    • For "International Services" roles (e.g., translation, interpretation), you need at least 3 years of relevant work experience.
  • Examples:
    • You studied History but have been working as a programmer for 10 years. You can apply for the "Technical" visa based on this 10-year experience, not your History degree.
    • You graduated high school but have worked in an international trade company for 5 years, proficient in English and business processes. You can apply for the "International Services" visa based on this 5-year experience.

⚠️ A Crucial Point: The "Relevance" Between Qualification and Job

This is the absolute top priority during Immigration Services Agency (ISA) review! They need to be convinced that the skills you possess (whether through education or experience) are genuinely required for the job you will be doing in Japan.

  • High Relevance: Japanese language major working as a translator, Mechanical Engineering major working in mechanical design.
  • Moderate Relevance: Business Administration major working in marketing. This is broader; the company needs to clearly explain in the application materials how your job duties relate to your academic background.
  • Low Relevance: History major applying to be a programmer. In this case, without sufficient IT work experience (the 10 years mentioned above), getting a visa based solely on your degree is almost impossible.

Other Special Categories

Besides the most common category above, there are others with different requirements:

  • Highly Skilled Professional (HSP) Visa: This is a points-based visa. Points are awarded based on academic background, work experience, annual income, age, Japanese language ability, etc. If you score high enough (70 points or above), you can apply. This visa offers better benefits, such as a faster path to permanent residency. It's suitable for highly educated, high-income professionals.

  • Specified Skilled Worker (SSW) Visa: This primarily targets specific industries facing labor shortages, such as nursing care, construction, food services, and agriculture. It has minimal academic requirements but requires passing specific skill proficiency tests and a Japanese language proficiency test.

Key Takeaways for You

  1. Academic Qualifications Are Your Best Bet: If you have a bachelor's or associate's degree and the job aligns with your field of study, this is the most reliable and simplest way to get a work visa.
  2. "Relevance" is the Soul of Your Application: Whether relying on education or experience, you must convince the visa officer that "I am qualified for this job because I have studied/done this before."
  3. Experience is Your Backup Plan: Without relevant academic qualifications, you need solid work experience to compensate. Remember: 10 years for technical/humanities roles, 3 years for translation/interpreter roles.
  4. The Company is Key: Finding a legitimate, stable Japanese company willing to hire you is the prerequisite for everything. All application materials are submitted to the Immigration Services Agency by your employer. The company's size and reputation also impact your visa success rate.

Hope this information helps! Best of luck with your job search in Japan!

Created At: 08-11 12:14:22Updated At: 08-12 02:17:37