“HSP” visa : What is the Japanese “Highly Skilled Professional” (HSP) Visa?

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Highly Skilled Professional Visa
7 Benefits of HSP Visa
1. Normally, foreign nationals can only engage in activities that are permitted under the visa. However, if you have a HSP visa, you can engage in activities that are equivalent to multiple visas.
2. The maximum period of stay is always “5 years”. Of course, this visa can be extended.
3. The conditions for permanent residency are relaxed.
4. Receive priority treatment in immigration examination.
5. Spouses are also allowed to work in Japan.
6. Visas are also available for parents who live in Japan.
7. Visas are also available for your domestic helper who live in Japan.
How can I become a Highly Skilled Professional person?
Benefits of choosing our office
What is the content of the HSP visa consulting service of Yokoyama Office?

Highly Skilled Professional Visa

The Highly Skilled Professional Point System was established from the viewpoint that it is important to attract and retain excellent human resources to Japan in order to further revitalise the Japanese economy and increase its competitiveness in the face of intensifying international competition for human resources.

There is another type of visa, called “J-Skip”, for more information on J-Skip visa, please refer to: What is the Japan’s new policy “J-Skip” Visa?

Highly Skilled Professional (HSP) Visa is a visa for outstanding foreign senior personnel working in Japan.

The “Japanese version of the Highly-Skilled Foreign Professionals Green Card (Visa for Permanent Residence) is now becoming more and more widely known in foreign countries. The new system is gaining more and more recognition.

However, by the end of 2019, there were 9,850 Chinese (including Hong Kong), 619 U.S. nationals, and 502 Taiwanese holding this visa. Are you missing out on the opportunity to apply?

7 Benefits of HSP Visa

Highly Skilled Professional Visa have 7 features that are more advantageous than regular work visas.

1. Normally, foreign nationals can only engage in activities that are permitted under the visa. However, if you have a HSP visa, you can engage in activities that are equivalent to multiple visas.

For example, if you are foreigner working for Japanese companies, at the same time, you can use your knowledge and skills to to start a business in Japan.

2. The maximum period of stay is always “5 years”. Of course, this visa can be extended.

3. The conditions for permanent residency are relaxed.

Normally, in order to obtain a permanent residence permit, you need to have lived in Japan for at least 10 years.

However, as of April 26, 2017, the Japanese version of the Green Card for Highly Skilled Professionals (Specialists) was implemented, and you can apply for permanent residence if you have been engaged in highly skilled professional activities in Japan for THREE consecutive years or ONE year. This is the fast track to obtain permanent residency in Japan.

Learn more about Permanent Residency in Japan, please refer to “Benefits of Permanent Residency in Japan“.

4. Receive priority treatment in immigration examination.

Priority treatment in immigration examination. The so-called “VISA FAST TRACK.”

Applications for recognition of status of residence for HSP visa are in principle within 10 working days.

5. Spouses are also allowed to work in Japan.

Even if the spouse’s education and occupation does not meet the qualifications for working visa, the spouse can still obtain a work visa.

6. Visas are also available for parents who live in Japan.

In principle, there are no visas for parents of foreigners in Japan. However, if a foreigner with a highly skilled professional (HSP) visa has an annual income of 8 million yen or more and needs to take care of a child under the age of 7, two parents of the HSP visa holder or spouse can obtain a parents visa.

7. Visas are also available for your domestic helper who live in Japan.

If the annual income is 10 million yen or more and the monthly income of the helper is 200,000 yen or more, a visa for carrying a domestic helper is available.

How can I become a Highly Skilled Professional person?

Highly skilled professional are rated on a score according to the highly skilled professional point calculation table that calculates education, work experience, annual income (future income after coming to Japan), age (the more you come to Japan, the more you will be able to work in Japan), and the number of years you have to work. If you score 70 points or more, you can become a HSP. You can apply before coming to Japan via your employer.

If your employer has a valid “Management Innovation Plan Approval” (Keiei kakusinn keikaku), 10 points will be added. If it is considered a “small or medium-sized enterprise”, the more 10 points will be added to the total of 20 points. This should be a very significant bonus.

For the detail, please see the page.

The highly skilled professional point calculation table was updated from April 26, 2017. In addition to Japanese university graduates, extra points will be awarded to graduates of famous universities ranked within 300 in the world or those with master’s or doctoral degrees in a variety of disciplines, and extra points will be awarded for the Japanese Language Proficiency Test N2. Additional points will be awarded for the Japanese Language Proficiency Test N2. Now it is easier than ever to obtain visas for HSP from abroad.

Benefits of choosing our office

Our office caters to the needs of our clients and has applied for and received many HSP visa. When you want to transfer from a head office to a branch office in Japan, when you want to invite talented people from abroad, or when you want to change from a student visa to a HSP visa, when you want to change jobs, etc., you are welcome to consult us in all cases.

What is the content of the HSP visa consulting service of Yokoyama Office?

services available in English or Chinese,
provides professional assessment and consultation services according to your personal situation,
review and organize your documents according to the laws and policies of the immigration of Japan,
create your own legal opinion letter to prove that you are qualified as HSP foreigner,
prepare all necessary application documents, attachments and filing lists for you,
submitting your application to immigration offices throughout Japan (you do not need to be present),
respond to all inquiries and reports from the Immigration Bureau in the name of the immigration lawyer,
keep you updated on the progress of your application,
pick up your Residence Card or COE (Certificate of Eligibility) and return it to you,
we can assist you in applying for a accompanied visa for your spouse and dependent children to come to Japan (family reunion),
help you apply for extension of visa to continue working in Japan,
assist you in applying for permanent residence in Japan (green card), if you have lived in Japan continuously for a certain number of years.