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Work Visa / Gijinkoku Support in Japan
Job Duties, Education, Work History and Language Evidence
Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services, often called “Gijinkoku” or simply a “work visa,” is one of the main work-related statuses of residence for foreign nationals working in Japan.
Immigration reviews not only the applicant’s education and work history, but also the employer’s business, proposed job duties, employment contract, salary, work location, and consistency of submitted documents. For applications filed on or after April 15, 2026, Category 3 and 4 employers and language-based customer-facing duties require additional attention.
This page is part of our Japan Immigration Services and explains support for Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services, commonly known as Gijinkoku or a work visa in Japan.
Quick answer: what should be checked first?
Gijinkoku is not approved simply because a Japanese company wants to hire a foreign national. The case should be checked from the applicant side, employer side, job-duty side and immigration-document side.
- Applicant: education, major, work history, certificates, Japanese or foreign-language ability, and past residence history.
- Employer: business activity, employer category, sales and financial documents, employment contract, salary, work location and acceptance structure.
- Job duties: whether the proposed duties require professional knowledge, technical skill, or thinking and sensitivity based on foreign culture.
- Relevance: whether the applicant’s education or work history can be connected to the proposed job duties.
- After April 15, 2026: Category 3 and 4 employers may need additional representative-related documents, and language-based customer-facing duties may require CEFR B2-equivalent language evidence.
- Job change or renewal: resignation from the previous employer, notification of contracting organization, eligibility of the new job, tax, social insurance and periods outside Japan should be reviewed.
In everyday conversation, people often call this status a “work visa.” However, Japanese immigration practice requires a more detailed review of the proposed activities and supporting documents.
The application should explain what the foreign national will actually do, how the work is connected to the applicant’s education or experience, and why the employer needs that person for the proposed position.
Practical immigration support for employers and foreign nationals in Japan
We review education, major, work history, current status of residence, job-change history, tax, social insurance, and past application history.
We check the company’s business, employment contract, job description, salary, work location, company documents, representative, and acceptance structure.
We organize job duty explanations, statements of reasons, dispatch or outsourcing issues, and additional document responses based on actual immigration practice.
Who this page is for
- Companies planning to hire foreign employees in Japan
- Employers hiring international students after graduation
- Companies inviting foreign nationals from overseas
- Foreign nationals changing jobs in Japan
- Applicants who are worried about renewal after a job change
- Employers who want to confirm whether the proposed duties fit Gijinkoku
- Hotels, trading companies, IT companies, marketing teams, design firms, and employers using foreign-language skills
- Category 3 or Category 4 employers, newly established companies, and companies with foreign national representatives
- Applicants or employers who have received a request for additional documents or are concerned about refusal risk
The key issue is the actual job description
Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services is a status for professional work requiring technical knowledge, humanities knowledge, or work based on foreign culture, thinking, or sensitivity. It is not enough to simply write “office work,” “sales,” or “translation” in the application.
The application should explain what the applicant will actually do, how the duties are connected to the applicant’s education or work history, and how the work relates to the company’s actual business.
Applicant-side points to check
| Item | Practical points |
|---|---|
| Education and major | Review whether the applicant’s university, junior college, vocational school or other education is related to the proposed job duties. For vocational school graduates, the relationship between major and duties is especially important. |
| Work history | If the case relies on work experience, employment certificates, actual job duties, experience period and the substance of previous employers should be reviewed. |
| Language ability | For translation, interpretation, hotel front desk or other duties mainly using language ability, language evidence may become relevant. |
| Past residence history | Check student-to-work change, job-change renewal, long absences from Japan, unemployment period, part-time work, tax and social insurance status. |
| Past applications | Review any refusal history, additional document requests, and differences between the previous application and the current application. |
Main procedures we support
| Procedure | Typical case | Practical points |
|---|---|---|
| Certificate of Eligibility | Inviting a foreign national from overseas | Company profile, employment contract, job duties, and the applicant’s education or work history must be consistent. |
| Change of Status | Changing from Student, Dependent, Designated Activities, etc. | Graduation timing, job offer, job duties, and relevance to education must be reviewed. |
| Extension of Period of Stay | Renewal for a current Gijinkoku holder | Current duties, salary, tax and social insurance, and continuity from the previous application should be checked. |
| Renewal after job change | A foreign national changed employers in Japan | Notification of contracting organization, new job duties, and transition history may become important. |
| Additional document response | Immigration requests additional documents | The request should be analyzed carefully and addressed with appropriate evidence. |
| Reapplication after refusal | The previous application was refused | The refusal reason, previous documents, and possible improvement points must be reviewed. |
Important updates after April 15, 2026
For applications filed on or after April 15, 2026, additional documents may be required when the sponsoring organization falls under Category 3 or Category 4. These may include a declaration concerning the representative of the affiliated organization.
In addition, where the applicant will mainly engage in customer-facing work using language ability, such as translation, interpretation, hotel front desk work, or similar duties, evidence of CEFR B2-equivalent language ability may become relevant.
Points employers should check
In Gijinkoku applications, the company-side explanation is just as important as the applicant’s background. Employers should check the following points before filing.
- Whether the company’s business can be explained clearly.
- Whether the proposed duties are connected to the company’s actual business.
- Whether the employment contract, working conditions notice, and job description are consistent.
- Whether the salary, working hours, and work location are clear.
- Whether tax, social insurance, withholding summary records, and financial documents can be organized.
- Whether the representative understands the application content and acceptance structure.
- Whether dispatch, outsourcing, or client-site work relationships can be explained properly.
Dispatch, outsourcing, and client-site work
If the applicant will work under a dispatch arrangement, at a client site, or in a structure similar to outsourcing or subcontracting, the employment relationship, work location, command structure, contract relationship, and actual job duties must be organized carefully.
Employment contracts, dispatch contracts, individual service contracts, outsourcing agreements, work location, contract period, and job duties should be consistent.
The duties described in the application should match the work the applicant will actually perform at the employer, dispatch destination, or client site.
Renewal after job change
If a Gijinkoku holder changes jobs in Japan, the next renewal application may review the resignation date from the previous employer, job duties at the new employer, salary, work location, notification of contracting organization, and differences from the previous application.
The fact that the person currently holds a residence card does not automatically mean that the new job fits Gijinkoku. Retail work, factory work, field work, customer-service-centered work, dispatch work, outsourcing and client-site work require careful job-duty explanation.
How Tommy’s Legal Service can support you
We check whether the proposed work fits Gijinkoku and whether it can be distinguished from simple labor or simple customer service.
We review applicant-side documents, company-side documents, employment contracts, statements of reasons, and supporting materials.
We prepare explanations regarding the job duties, hiring reason, company business, and connection with the applicant’s background.
If Immigration requests additional documents, we review the request and prepare the necessary explanations and evidence.
We can communicate with foreign applicants in English and explain key issues to both the applicant and employer.
We explain residence card procedures, future renewals, and required notifications after permission.
Common risk points
- Retail sales, restaurant hall staff, factory work, or other duties close to simple labor
- Job descriptions saying “translation” or “international sales,” while the actual work is mainly general customer service
- Weak connection between the applicant’s university major and the proposed work
- Vocational school graduates whose major must be directly connected to the job duties
- Job changes without proper notification
- Short-term resignation from the previous employer
- Weak explanation of the company’s business, sales, or hiring structure
- Companies with foreign national representatives where the representative’s own residence status or management involvement requires explanation
- Category 3 or 4 employers where additional representative-related documents may be required
- Cases where language ability is central to the job but language evidence or job-duty explanation is weak
Frequently asked questions
What kind of job can be approved under Gijinkoku?
The job should require knowledge or skills in natural sciences, humanities, or thinking and sensitivity based on foreign culture. In practice, the applicant’s education or work history, the job duties, and the employer’s business must be reviewed together.
Is translation or interpretation always accepted?
No. Even if the title is translation or interpretation, the actual work may be close to general customer service or simple work. For applications filed on or after April 15, 2026, where the work mainly uses language ability, CEFR B2-equivalent language evidence may become relevant.
Can a vocational school graduate apply for Gijinkoku?
It may be possible. However, the relationship between the vocational school major and the actual job duties is especially important. If the major and job duties are not closely connected, additional explanation or another status of residence may need to be considered.
What should be checked for renewal after a job change?
The new job duties, employment contract, salary, work location, employer documents, resignation date from the previous employer, and notification of contracting organization should be checked.
Are Category 3 and 4 employers disadvantaged?
Not automatically. However, the employer’s business, financial documents, representative, acceptance structure and job-duty explanation should be prepared carefully. For applications filed on or after April 15, 2026, additional documents for Category 3 and 4 cases should also be checked.
Process from consultation to filing
We confirm the current status of residence, planned application, company information, and procedure type.
We review the residence card, resume, education records, employment contract, and company documents.
We provide a quotation based on the application type, complexity, and required explanations.
We prepare application forms, statement of reasons, job duty explanation, and company-side documents.
Depending on the case, we handle filing as an authorized immigration application agent.
After permission, we explain residence card procedures, future renewals, and required notifications.
Related Pages
Official References
- Immigration Services Agency of Japan: Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services
- Immigration Services Agency of Japan: Clarification of Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services
- Immigration Services Agency of Japan: Certificate of Eligibility application
- Immigration Services Agency of Japan: Change of Status of Residence
- Immigration Services Agency of Japan: Extension of Period of Stay
This page provides general information only. The appropriate strategy may differ depending on the applicant’s background, job duties, employer category, company documents, and previous residence history.
Need support with a work visa application in Japan?
Gijinkoku applications are reviewed based on the applicant’s background, the company’s actual business, the proposed job duties, employment conditions, and consistency of all submitted documents.
If you are an employer planning to hire a foreign national, a foreign national concerned about renewal after a job change, or someone dealing with additional documents or a previous refusal, please contact us before filing.
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