Visa Rules for Foreign English Teachers in Japan

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Why Can It Be Unauthorized Work?
Examples
Working at Two Different Institutions
Important Case: Teaching at a High School via Dispatch from an Eikaiwa School (Company)
Summary
Legal Reference
Consultation
Reference page:

Many English teachers in Japan hold the “Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services” visa (commonly called 技術・人文知識・国際業務ビザ or “Gijutsu-Jinbun-Kokusai”). This visa is typically sponsored by private English conversation schools (eikaiwa) or companies that offer language education services. If you teach only at your sponsoring school or company, there is no problem with your visa status.However, many teachers misunderstand one important point: even though the job is still “teaching English,” your work can become unauthorized employment if you start teaching at a different type of institution, such as a university or high school, without the proper visa.

Why Can It Be Unauthorized Work?

The reason lies in Japan’s Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act. Each visa type strictly limits the kind of institution and activity you can engage in.

Visa Type	Authorized Workplace	Typical Example
*Professor (Kyoju)*	Universities, Colleges	Teaching or research at a university
*Instructor (Kyo-iku)*	Elementary, Junior High, or High Schools Senmon-gakko (a professional training college)	Teaching English at a public or private school
Engineer / Specialist in Humanities / International Services	Private sector (companies, eikaiwa, etc.)	Teaching English at a private language school

Visa Type

Authorized Workplace

Typical Example

Professor (Kyoju)

Universities, Colleges

Teaching or research at a university

Instructor (Kyo-iku)

Elementary, Junior High, or High Schools

Senmon-gakko (a professional training college)

Teaching English at a public or private school

Engineer / Specialist in Humanities / International Services

Private sector (companies, eikaiwa, etc.)

Teaching English at a private language school

In the legal definition of the Engineer/Humanities/International Services visa, there is an important clause that often goes unnoticed:

“…excluding activities listed under the categories of Professor, Artist, Journalist, Manager/Administrator, Education, Intra-company Transferee, and Entertainer.”

This means that if your work falls under “Professor” or “Instructor” activities, it is explicitly excluded from what you can do under the “Engineer/Humanities/International Services” visa.

Examples

[OK] Teaching at a private eikaiwa school → OK under Engineer/Humanities/International Services visa
[NG] Teaching at a junior high school, high school or Senmon-Gakko → Requires an Instructor visa
[NG] Teaching at a university → Requires a Professor visa

So even though both jobs are “teaching English,” the type of institution determines which visa you need.

Working at a school without the proper visa type is considered unauthorized employment.

Working at Two Different Institutions

You cannot hold two visa statuses at the same time.

Therefore, you must decide which activity is your main occupation.

Main Job	Visa to Obtain	Additional Permission Required
70% teaching at private eikaiwa, 30% teaching at high school	Engineer/Humanities/International Services visa	Apply for *Permission for Other Activities (Shigkakugai Katsudo Kyoka* 資格外活動許可)** for school teaching
70% teaching at high school, 30% teaching at eikaiwa	Instructor visa	Apply for Permission for Other Activities for eikaiwa work

Without this additional permission, working at both places may be regarded as unauthorized employment.

Important Case: Teaching at a High School via Dispatch from an Eikaiwa School (Company)

There are cases where an English teacher, employed by a private eikaiwa school, is dispatched to teach at a Japanese high school.

The teacher holds only an Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services visa, and the employment contract is signed solely with the eikaiwa company.

At first glance, this may seem acceptable — after all, the teacher is still under contract with the eikaiwa, not the high school.

However, under Japan’s Immigration Law, this situation is not permitted.

What matters is not just the contract, but the actual work activity being performed.

Even if the teacher has no direct contract with the high school, teaching at a high school is considered an “Instructor (教育)” activity, not an “Engineer/Humanities/International Services (技術・人文知識・国際業務)” activity.

Therefore, the teacher must obtain Permission for Other Activities (Shikakugai Katsudo Kyoka 資格外活動許可) specifically allowing them to teach at the high school.

Many private companies and dispatch agencies are unaware of this rule, but the legal responsibility and risk fall primarily on the foreigner, not the company. Unauthorized work can result in visa cancellation, deportation, or a ban on re-entry.

Always ensure that your actual teaching activities match what is permitted under your visa status — not just what your company contract says.

Summary

The type of institution determines the correct visa category.
Engineer/Humanities/International Services → for private companies and eikaiwa schools
Instructor → for elementary, junior high school, high schools and Senmon-gakko
Professor → for universities
To combine different teaching jobs, apply for Permission for Other Activities (Shigkakugai Katsudo Kyoka 資格外活動許可).

Legal Reference

Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act (Japan), Appendix 1 (Table 1).

Definition of “Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services”: “…excluding activities listed under the categories of Professor, Artist, Journalist, Manager/Administrator, Education, Intra-company Transferee, and Entertainer.”

Consultation

If you are unsure which visa category fits your case, or if you plan to teach at multiple institutions, you can consult our office for an individual assessment and visa documentation advice.

After more than 10 years supporting foreign nationals in Japan, one principle guides our work: it’s better to be prepared—and a little paranoid—than not. With regulations tightening year after year, we anticipate questions, document every detail, and build applications that stand up to stricter reviews—so your case isn’t just submitted, it’s defended.