Japan has no cap or lottery for skilled workers: your employer applies in Japan for a Certificate of Eligibility (free, one to three months) under Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services, the standard status for graduates in IT, engineering, finance and translation, or under Highly Skilled Professional if you score 70 points for education, experience, salary, age and Japanese. You then take the ₹500 visa at VFS in about five working days. HSP brings a five-year stay, full work rights for your spouse and permanent residence after three years (one year at 80 points).
Who qualifies for a Japan work visa? Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services: a university degree (or Japanese vocational diploma) related to the job, or ten years' experience (three for international services such as translation), a Japanese employer and a salary equal to a Japanese national's in the role. Highly Skilled Professional: 70 points on the MOFA table, for example a master's (20), five years' experience (10), age under 30 (15), salary ¥5 million (15 to 20) and JLPT N1 (15). Regulated professions such as medicine need the Japanese licence.
What does it cost? The Certificate of Eligibility is free and the visa is ₹500 at VFS plus the service fee; there is no employer petition fee, levy or health surcharge. Costs arise in Japan later: from 1 October 2026 a change of status or extension costs ¥33,000 for one year, ¥48,000 for one to three years, ¥64,000 for three to five years and ¥75,000 for five years at the counter (¥27,000 to ¥65,000 online), and permanent residence ¥200,000.
How long does it take from India? The regional immigration bureau issues the COE in one to three months (faster for large employers using the online system and for HSP), the visa takes about five working days at the mission plus VFS handling, and you must enter within three months of the COE date. Plan two to four months from signed offer to first day.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Status | Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services (5, 3 or 1 year); Highly Skilled Professional (5 years) |
| Government fee | ₹500 visa; Certificate of Eligibility free |
| Qualification | Related degree, or 10 years' experience (3 for international services); HSP 70 points |
| Processing | COE 1 to 3 months; visa about 5 working days |
| Where to apply | Employer files the COE in Japan; you apply at VFS with the COE |
| In-Japan fees (from 1 Oct 2026) | Extension or change ¥33,000 to ¥75,000 counter; PR ¥200,000 |
| Family | Dependent status for spouse and children; HSP spouses may work full time |
| Verified | 29 Oct 2026 against mofa.go.jp, moj.go.jp/isa and in.emb-japan.go.jp |
| Status | Requirement | Period of stay | Key benefits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services | Related degree or 10 years' experience (3 for international services); Japanese-level salary | 5, 3 or 1 year, or 3 months | Standard route; change employer freely within the field; PR after 10 years |
| Highly Skilled Professional (i) | 70 points: education, experience, salary, age, Japanese, research, bonuses | 5 years | Spouse works full time; parents and a domestic worker can join at ¥8 million income; PR after 3 years (1 year at 80 points) |
| Highly Skilled Professional (ii) | 3 years as HSP (i) | Indefinite | Unrestricted activities across HSP categories |
| J-Skip (special HSP) | Master's and 10 years' experience with ¥20 million income, or ¥40 million as an executive | 5 years | HSP benefits without the points table; PR after 1 year |
| Specified Skilled Worker (i) | Skills test and JLPT N4 or JFT-Basic in 16 fields | Up to 5 years total | Mid-skilled work; SSW (ii) in 11 fields allows family and renewal |
Most Indian IT and engineering hires enter on Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services. The degree must relate to the work: an electronics engineer in software, a commerce graduate in finance or sales planning, a graduate of any field in translation with three years' experience. Immigration also checks the employer: capital, tax compliance, a contract at a wage equal to Japanese staff and a business need for the role. Dispatch (haken) employment is accepted when the dispatch firm holds the licence.
The HSP table is public: a bachelor's scores 10 points, a master's 20 and a doctorate 30; experience up to 15; salary 10 to 40 by age band (¥5 million minimum at under 30); age under 30 scores 15; JLPT N1 15 and N2 10; a degree from a Japanese university 10; and bonuses for research, patents and growth-field employers. Scoring 70 gives a five-year stay, permission for your spouse to work full time in a professional role, and permanent residence after three years, or one year at 80 points.
| Item | Amount | Paid by |
|---|---|---|
| Certificate of Eligibility | Free | Employer files |
| Visa fee (Indian nationals) | ₹500 | Worker, at VFS |
| VFS Global service fee | Set by VFS | Worker or employer |
| Residence card at the airport | Free | Issued on landing at major airports |
| Change of status or extension (from 1 Oct 2026) | ¥33,000 (1 year), ¥48,000 (1 to 3 years), ¥64,000 (3 to 5 years), ¥75,000 (5 years) counter; ¥27,000 to ¥65,000 online | Worker, on approval in Japan |
| Re-entry permit (absence over 1 year) | ¥3,000 single, ¥6,000 multiple | Worker |
| Health insurance and pension | About 15% of salary, split with the employer | Worker and employer |
Japan charges nothing for the petition stage, so the only pre-arrival government fee is the ₹500 visa, which Vistolane shows on the price card as listed. The 1 October 2026 revision raised in-Japan fees sharply and applies to applications received from that date.
| Stage | Typical time | What you do |
|---|---|---|
| Offer and document collection | 1 to 3 weeks | Degree, experience letters, contract |
| COE processing | 1 to 3 months | Employer files; HSP and large employers faster |
| Visa at VFS | About 5 working days plus handling | Lodge with the COE |
| Travel | Within 3 months of COE | Residence card on landing |
Plan two to four months from offer to start. There is no cap, lottery or registration window; the COE queue is the only variable, and it peaks before the April hiring season.
Engineer/Humanities holders can change employer within the same field by notifying immigration within 14 days; a move outside the field needs a change of status. Spouses and children join on a Dependent status and may work 28 hours a week with permission; HSP spouses can work full time in a professional role. Extensions are granted for the same or longer periods when tax, pension and health insurance are paid.
Permanent residence requires ten years of residence including five on a work status, or three years for HSP at 70 points and one year at 80, with tax and social insurance compliance and a guarantor; the fee is ¥200,000 from 1 October 2026. The Japan permanent residence route page sets out the file. Naturalisation after five years is possible but requires renouncing Indian citizenship.
| Document | Standard the officer applies |
|---|---|
| Passport valid for the stay | Two blank pages |
| MOFA visa application form and 45x45 mm photo | Signed |
| Original Certificate of Eligibility | Within 3 months of issue |
| Document | Standard the officer applies |
|---|---|
| Degree certificate and transcripts | Related to the job; apostille not required but translations help |
| Experience letters with dates and duties | 10 years where no related degree; HSP points evidence |
| JLPT or JFT certificates | HSP points; not required for the standard status |
| Document | Standard the officer applies |
|---|---|
| Employment contract with salary and duties | Japanese-level wage |
| Company registration, financial statements and tax documents | Category 1 to 4 employer classification |
| Letter of reason for hiring | Business need for the role |
A degree in one field for work in an unrelated field without ten years' experience.
The fix. Document the relationship between the course content and the duties, or rely on experience letters; translation and sales roles use the three-year rule.
A new or small company without financial stability, tax arrears or a vague job description.
The fix. The employer submits financial statements, a business plan and a detailed letter of reason; dispatch firms show the licence.
An offer under what Japanese staff earn in the role, or under ¥5 million for HSP salary points.
The fix. Align the contract with the company's wage table; recalculate HSP points.
HSP claims without certificates, experience letters or salary proof.
The fix. Attach each document the points table requires; immigration accepts only evidenced points.
Overstay, unpaid tax or pension on a previous stay, or an earlier COE revoked.
The fix. Settle arrears and disclose; a compliant history is checked at every extension.
No. Japan issues Certificates of Eligibility on merit with no annual cap or registration window; the one to three-month COE queue is the only variable.
A points-based status: 70 points for education, experience, salary, age, Japanese and bonuses give a five-year stay, full work rights for your spouse and permanent residence after three years (one year at 80 points). J-Skip grants it without points to earners of ¥20 million with a master's and ten years' experience.
Not for the Engineer/Humanities visa; the employer sets the language. JLPT N1 or N2 earns HSP points, and Japanese is needed for many client-facing roles and for naturalisation.
From 1 October 2026: ¥33,000 for a one-year permission, ¥48,000 for one to three years, ¥64,000 for three to five years and ¥75,000 for five years at the counter, or ¥27,000 to ¥65,000 online; paid on approval in Japan.
Work routes go to a licence-checked immigration partner (gyoseishoshi) who prepares the COE file with the employer, assesses HSP points and files the ₹500 visa at VFS; employers can start from Vistolane for business.