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Japan Job Seeker Visa 2024
Future Creation Individual (J-Find) Visa
Future Creation Individual; J-Find Visa
Candidate
Comparison with UK’s High Potential Individual visa (HPI)
Designated Activities No.51　特定活動51号
Annex 13
Designated Activities No.52　特定活動52号
Reference Link:
University List
Nessesary Documents
How Can I Apply J-Find Visa? (Very important)
I obtained a COE while I was in Japan. What do I need to do after that?
My Opinion
What is a benefit to hire a lawyer in Japan?
I want to apply directly to the Japanese Embassy in my country.
Our advantage
Please feel free to contact us for advice!

Japan Job Seeker Visa 2024

Future Creation Individual (J-Find) Visa

On February 17, 2023, at a meeting of relevant cabinet ministers, the Japanese government began considering the establishment of a new framework for residence status in order to attract talented overseas personnel and increase the number of foreign high-level personnel working in Japan. The Japanese government hopes to implement the measure in April after public comments.

To achieve this, the following two new systems will be established as immigration control measures:

Japan System for Future Creation Individual Visa (J-Find): Foreign nationals who have graduated from one of the top 100 universities in the world university rankings will be granted “Designated Activities (Future Creation Individual Visa),” (特定活動（未来創造人材）) a status of residence that allows them to engage in job seeking activities in Japan for a maximum of two years. 中文頁→
Japan System for Special Highly Skilled Professionals (J-Skip): Please refer to: What is the Japan’s new policy “J-Skip” Visa?

Future Creation Individual; J-Find Visa

J-Find visa COE (Designated Activities No. 51)

The “Designated Activities (Future Creation Individual Visa)” :特定活動（未来創造人材）status of residence is an epoch-making system that changes the current “Temporary Visitor” period of 90 days for graduates of top-ranked universities in the world university rankings, allowing them to stay in Japan for job hunting. It also establishes a “Human Resources for Future Creation” category in the “Designated Activities” status of residence, allowing them to stay in Japan for up to TWO(2) years.

As competition to attract talented young people from Japan and abroad intensifies, countries in Southeast Asia and Europe have systems in place to attract them to their countries by offering preferential treatment. In Japan, on the other hand, graduates of overseas universities have been granted only a “Temporary Visitor”(短期滞在) status including visa waiver scheme of 90 days at most when they try to find employment. With this new system, the Japanese government aims to create an environment in which capable individuals can take the time to evaluate Japanese companies before settling down.

Specifically, graduates of universities ranked in the top 100 in two or more of three different university rankings issued by the world institutions will be eligible. They will also be allowed to work, which will enable them to participate in paid internships. During the two years of their stay in Japan, they will be able to prepare for job hunting and entrepreneurship. They will also be allowed to work for a period of time until they find a job, and they will be allowed to bring their family members with them. The students must be within five years of graduating from an overseas university, and there is no age limit.

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida had announced that he would “promote reforms, including the creation of a new system of world-class standards,” regarding the acceptance of highly skilled human resources from overseas. The goal is to bring in talented people from overseas to improve the competitiveness of Japanese companies.

This J-Find visa is very similar to the High Potential Individual visa in the UK. Rather, the J-Find visa scheme was probably created by copying the UK’s High Potential Individual visa. Japan often imitates UK policies, with NISA also being a “Nippon (Japan)” version of the UK’s ISA (Individual Savings Account).

This visa has TREEE significant advantages.

NO JOB OFFER NEEDED
NO JAPANESE TEST
NO JAPANESE SPONSOR NEEDED

Reference page: J-Find Visa (Future Creation Individual Visa) FAQ

Candidate

Japan accepts applicants who have graduated from world-class universities with the aim of accepting high-potential human resources who are expected to play an active role in Japan. To that end, Japanese govenment grants “Designated Activities”(J-Find visa) status to those who have graduated from world-class universities (Future highly skilled talent) within 5 years of their graduation, on the condition that they have enough funds to support themselves during their initial stay in Japan, and allow them to engage in preparatory activities for employment or entrepreneurship for a maximum of 2 years. Additionally, family members (spouse and children) of the J-Find visa holder will be allowed to accompany them.

J-Find Visa refers to applicant who meet the following qualifications:

Graduated (including Bachelor, Master or Doctor degree) from a university listed in the top 100 in two or more of the three major world university rankings.
Five (5) years have not passed since the date of graduation from a university.
Have a savings account with a balance of at least 200,000 yen (approx. 1460 US dollar).
Engaged in activities related to job hunting and preparation for starting a business in Japan.
To engage in daily activities in Japan as the spouse or child of the applicant.

The revised notification was published in the Official Gazette on 14 April 2023.

Good news for freelancers who have been working as active professionals for more than five years after university graduation: on 2 February 2024, the Japanese Minister of Justice made specific reference to the digital nomad visa. Details on the procedure are still to be finalised, but will be made available soon through public comment to the Japanese public. Please refer to this page first. “Japan’s New Digital Nomad Visa: Extended Stays and Remote Work Opportunities in 2024”

Comparison with UK’s High Potential Individual visa (HPI)

In the case of the UK HPI, the universities are ranked in the top 50, whereas J-Find is ranked in the top 100.
In the case of the UK HPI, university rankings are checked for each year of graduation, whereas J-Find is a current ranking (at the time of visa application). Therefore, your school may or may not be in the list at the time of your visa application.
In the case of the UK HPI, if the university you graduated from was not an English-speaking institution, you would need to have an English language proficiency of at least CEFR B1 level. However, the J-Find visa does not require Japanese language skills.
For UK HPIs, the length of time you can work on the visa is two years for bachelor’s and master’s degrees and three years for doctoral degrees. However, the J-Find visa is only for two years in both cases.

Designated Activities No.51　特定活動51号

Activities to search a job or secure a place of business and preparatory activities necessary to start a trade or other business in Japan (hereinafter in this item referred to as “preparatory activities for starting a business”) by a person aged 18 or over who falls under any of the following categories and who stays in Japan for a period not exceeding TWO years. Activities to receive remuneration to the extent necessary to supplement the funds required to carry out these activities and activities to receive remuneration incidental to preparatory activities for starting a business (excluding adult entertainment business activities).

a) At the time of application, the indicators listed in Annex 13 (all of which must be the most recent) Graduated from a university listed in the top 100 in two or more of the indicators listed in Annex 13 (all of which must be the most recent), or completed a postgraduate course at a university and received a degree or a professional degree (a professional degree as defined in Article 5-2 of the Degree Regulations, including equivalent degrees awarded in a foreign country). Five years have not elapsed since the date of conferment of the degree or professional degree (professional degrees as defined in Article 5-2 of the Degree Regulations, including equivalent degrees conferred abroad).

b) At the time of application, the applicant’s savings account must amount to at least 200,000 Japanese yen.

Annex 13

QS (Quacquarelli Symonds) World University Rankings
The Times Higher Education World University Rankings
The Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU) by the Center for World-Class Universities (CWCU), Graduate School of Education of Shanghai Jiao Tong University

Designated Activities No.52　特定活動52号

Daily activities performed as a dependent spouse or child of a person whose residence is designated for the activities listed in the preceding item.

Reference Link:

J-Find Visa (Future Creation Individual Visa) FAQ

University List

Boston University ボストン大学　米国
Brown University ブラウン大学　米国
California Institute of Technology カリフォルニア工科大学　米国
Carnegie Mellon University カーネギーメロン大学　米国
City University of Hong Kong 香港城市大学　香港
Columbia University コロンビア大学　米国
Cornell University コーネル大学　米国
Delft University of Technology デルフト工科大学　オランダ
Duke University デューク大学　米国
Erasmus University Rotterdam エラスムス大学　オランダ
Fudan University 復旦大学　中国
Georgia Institute of Technology ジョージア工科大学　米国
Harvard University ハーバード大学　米国
Heidelberg University ハイデルベルグ大学　ドイツ
Imperial College London インペリアル・カレッジ・ロンドン　イギリス
Institut Polytechnique de Paris パリ工科大学　フランス
Johns Hopkins University ジョンズ・ホプキンス大学　米国
Karolinska Institute カロリンスカ研究所　スウェーデン
King’s College London キングス・カレッジ・ロンドン　イギリス
Korea Advanced Institute of Scienceand Technology 韓国科学技術院（KAIST）韓国
KTH Royal Institute of Technology スウェーデン王立工科大学　スウェーデン
KU Leuven ルーベン・カトリック大学　ベルギー
Kyoto University 京都大学　日本
LMU München ルートヴィヒ・マクシミリアン大学ミュンヘン（ミュンヘン大学）ドイツ
Lomonosov Moscow State University モスクワ大学　ロシア
London School of Economics and Political Science ロンドン・スクール・オブ・エコノミク
ス・アンド・ポリティカル・サイエンス　イギリス
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) マサチューセッツ工科大学　米国
McGill University マギル大学　カナダ
Monash University モナシュ大学　オーストラリア
Nanjing University 南京大学　中国
Nanyang Technological University 南洋理工大学　シンガポール
National University of Singapore シンガポール国立大学　シンガポール
New York University ニューヨーク大学　米国
Northwestern University ノースウェスタン大学　米国
Paris-Saclay University パリ＝サクレー大学　フランス
Peking University 北京大学　中国
Princeton University プリンストン大学　米国
PSL Research University Paris PSL研究大学　フランス
Purdue University – West Lafayette パデュー大学　米国
Seoul National University ソウル大学校　韓国
Shanghai Jiao Tong University 上海交通大学　中国
Sorbonne University ソルボンヌ大学　フランス
Stanford University スタンフォード大学　米国
Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne(EPFL) スイス連邦工科大学ローザンヌ校スイス
Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich(ETH Zurich) スイス連邦工科大学チューリッヒ校　スイス
Technical University of Munich ミュンヘン工科大学　ドイツ
The Australian National University オーストラリア国立大学　オーストラリア
The Chinese University of Hong Kong 香港中文大学　香港
The Hong Kong Polytechnic University 香港理工大学　香港
The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology 香港科技大学　香港
The University of Edinburgh エディンバラ大学　イギリス
The University of Glasgow グラスゴー大学　イギリス
The University of Hong Kong 香港大学　香港
The University of Manchester マンチェスター大学　イギリス
The University of Melbourne メルボルン大学　オーストラリア
The University of New South Wales（UNSW Sydney）ニューサウスウェールズ大学　オーストラリア
The University of Queensland クイーンズランド大学　オーストラリア
The University of Sydney シドニー大学　オーストラリア
The University of Texas at Austin テキサス大学オースティン校　米国
The University of Tokyo 東京大学　日本
Tsinghua University 清華大学（中国）中国
University College London(UCL) ユニバーシティ・カレッジ・ロンドン（UCL)　イギリス
University of Amsterdam アムステルダム大学　オランダ
University of Bonn ボン大学　ドイツ
University of Bristol ブリストル大学　イギリス
University of British Columbia ブリティッシュコロンビア大学　カナダ
University of California, Berkeley カリフォルニア大学バークレー校　米国
University of California, Irvine カリフォルニア大学アーバイン校　米国
University of California, Los Angeles カリフォルニア大学ロサンゼルス校　米国
University of California, San Diego カリフォルニア大学サンディエゴ校　米国
University of California, Santa Barbara カリフォルニア大学サンタバーバラ校　米国
University of Cambridge ケンブリッジ大学　イギリス
University of Chicago シカゴ大学　米国
University of Groningen フローニンゲン大学　オランダ
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaignイリノイ大学アーバナ・シャンペーン校　米国
University of Michigan-Ann Arbor ミシガン大学　米国
University of Minnesota, Twin Cities ミネソタ大学ツインシティ校　米国
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hillノースカロライナ大学チャペルヒル校　米国
University of Oxford オックスフォード大学　イギリス
University of Pennsylvania ペンシルベニア大学　米国
University of Science and Technology of China 中国科学技術大学　中国
University of Southampton サウサンプトン大学　イギリス
University of Southern California 南カリフォルニア大学　米国
University of Toronto トロント大学　カナダ
University of Washington ワシントン大学（州立）米国
University of Wisconsin – Madison ウィスコンシン大学マディソン校　米国
University of Zurich チューリッヒ大学　スイス
Vanderbilt University ヴァンダービルト大学　米国
Washington University in St. Louis セントルイス・ワシントン大学米国
Yale University イェール大学　米国
Yonsei University 延世大学校　韓国
Zhejiang University 浙江大学　中国

Nessesary Documents

Application form
One photograph (a photograph that meets the required standard must be prepared and submitted with the application)
Documents proving that the applicant has graduated (or completed) from a university or graduate school with a bachelor’s degree or higher (a certificate of graduation (copy) from a university or graduate school or a certificate of graduation (or completion))
Curriculum Vitae
Description of intended activities
Documents showing the current balance of a bank or other savings account in the applicant’s name (copy of savings book, etc.)

How Can I Apply J-Find Visa? (Very important)

There are TWO (2) possible cases for an overseas resident (not in Japan) to apply for a J-Find Visa;

(1) You enter Japan on a tourist visa or other short-stay Temporary Visitor visa (短期滞在), meet with me to confirm your status, and we, our firm will submit the application to the Immigration Bureau on your behalf. You do not need to stay in Japan until the result of the examination.

Under current regulations and the Immigration Bureau’s internal review criteria, it is virtually impossible to choose a person to act as your application proxy and submit your application in the name of the application proxy when you are not in Japan. The scope of “application proxy” as defined by the Immigration Bureau is much narrower than we would like to think. It is very difficult for foreigners to understand, but we, Gyoseishoshi immigration lawyer, can only represent you, the applicant, while you are physically in Japan. You cannot appoint us as your representative from abroad online.

After you return to your home country, we will negotiate with the immigration officer and mail the COE (Certificate of eligibility) to you in your home country after it is approved.

Note that it is not permitted to change directly from a “Temporary Visitor” (short-stay visa, or Visa Waiver scheme) to a J-Find visa. You have to always apply for a COE before obtaining a J-Find visa.

If you are granted a COE while you are staying in Japan, you can convert your Temporary Visitor visa to a J-FIND visa. However, it is NOT known whether you will be granted a COE while you are in Japan. If you entered Japan with a 90-day’s Temporary Visitor visa and plan to stay in Japan for a couple of months, such a visa conversion may be possible. Changing from a Temporary Visitor to another visa, not just a J-FIND visa, requires various precautions. Please refer to: Complete Guide: Change of status from Temporary Visitor (Tourist) Visa to Spouse Visa and Other Visas

(2) You can apply directly to the Japanese Embassy in the country where you currently reside. However, although we can review your documents, you must make the application at the Japanese embassy yourself.

The Japanese embassy may not accept your application. In fact, we have heard that certain consulates in the US will not accept J-Find visas without a COE. This is probably because there is still low awareness of this visa in the field. This case may change in the near future. Since we are not in your country, it is difficult for us to negotiate with the Japanese embassy. However, some Japanese embassies and consulates in China have confirmed cases of J-Find visa applications being accepted without a COE. If you are applying at the local Japanese embassy or other Japanese consulates, our firm can still provide support, such as preparing a Legal Opinion Letter by Gyoseishoshi immigration lawyer.

Legal Opinion Letter from Gyoseishoshi

I obtained a COE while I was in Japan. What do I need to do after that?

Congratulations! If you were fortunate enough to have a Certificate of Eligibility (COE) issued while visiting Japan on a tourist visa, you’ve already cleared a significant hurdle.

Under normal circumstances, you would need to return to your home country or country of residence, visit a Japanese embassy or consulate, apply for the visa, and then re-enter Japan with your new visa. This process can be quite inconvenient, especially if your home country is far from Japan, adding not only travel expenses but also the cost of your time.

However, there is a way to bypass this hassle. It is possible to convert your tourist visa to a new visa without leaving Japan. That said, the process has specific conditions you must meet.

For instance:

You must have stayed in Japan continuously since applying for and submitting your COE.
If you have left Japan and returned after applying for a COE, you will need to be careful. Specifically, you will not be able to complete this procedure unless you have continuously stayed in Japan from the day before the issue date of your COE to the present.
You need to keep track of the expiration date of your current tourist visa. Remember, obtaining a COE does not automatically extend your tourist visa. You’ll still need to complete the necessary procedures at the Immigration Bureau to ensure compliance.

If you’re unsure about any of these steps, feel free to reach out to us. We may be able to provide guidance or assistance.

Additionally, if you arrived in Japan on a tourist visa and only later learned about the new type of visa, it might still be possible to apply for and secure it without leaving Japan. Of course, you’ll need to have all the required documents ready—either stored on your PC or sent to you via email.

Navigating these processes can be tricky, but with the right support, you can successfully transition to the visa that best suits your needs.

My Opinion

The system for “Future Creation Individual Visa” will be established as a type of residence status called “Designated Activities”, which can be thought of as a kind of “other” visa status. Therefore, this will also only require a change in the public notice and will not necessitate a legal amendment. This approach is being taken to enable the new system to be implemented in a short period of time.

The two-year stay for those in the top 100 of the world ranking is very similar to the “Top Talent Pass Scheme (TTPS)” introduced in Hong Kong. The purpose of this scheme in Hong Kong is also to attract talented individuals with extensive work experience and excellent academic backgrounds from around the world to explore opportunities in Hong Kong.

Applicants who wish to apply for a visa under this system in Hong Kong do not need to secure an offer from an employer in Hong Kong at the time of application.

It is a significant change in this new system in Japan that visas will be granted on a non-sponsor basis, meaning they will be secured by the receiving Japanese company. Under Japan’s residency system, there are very few visas that can be applied for without a sponsor. J-Find visa is one of a few exception.

As an expert in immigration law, I was very concerned about what an application agent for a Certificate of Eligibility (CoE) should look like. In practice, the procedure is inconvenient, as the applicant has to enter Japan once to apply for CoE. I believe that it should be a little more convenient. However, at the moment there is no other way.

What is a benefit to hire a lawyer in Japan?

Since you have to come to Japan to apply for the COE actually, why don’t you just go to the immigration office and apply for it yourself while you are in Japan?

Indeed, that is one way to do it. You may be able to go to the Japanese Immigration Bureau yourself, and within a day, you can submit your application to the Immigration Bureau in plenty of time.

However, please think about it carefully.

Do you really understand what documents you need to submit to the immigration bureau?

Do you have a fixed contact address in Japan? If the immigration inspector has any doubts about your application, who should he/she ask?

The Japanese Immigration bureau does not contact persons who are in a foreign country.

If your COE is issued, it will only be mailed to the Japanese address. An electronic COE system has been introduced, and the COE application for this J-Find visa is subject to electronic application. However, the awareness of electonic COEs is still low at Japanese embassies and consulates outside Japan, and at their proxy application centres. And there are still many of them who know nothing about this new “J-Find visa” and have never seen it.

In this situation, obtaining a “paper COE” is very reassuring and avoids unnecessary problems. So, you still need a Japanese contact address.

These are tremendous benefits to be entrusted to an immigration specialist.

Japan’s COE (Certificate of Eligibility) Digitalization

I want to apply directly to the Japanese Embassy in my country.

Of course we can support you. Our services include guiding you through the documentation, checking the documents you have prepared, translating them into Japanese and writing a written opinion from us. You will need to go to the Japanese embassy yourself to submit your application, and we will support you until you receive your visa successfully.

We have helped people from several countries apply for J-Find visas remotely from Japan.

Our advantage

With the new J-FIND visa policy coming into effect on 24 April 2023, YOKOYAMA LEGAL SERVICE OFFICE already has several successful cases of COE approvals coming down. We highly recommend that your important application is made by an experienced professional legal adviser. In particular, when you are applying for this visa, I recommend you to ask your immigration adviser whether they have applied for J-FIND visas before, how many applications they have applied and what their success rate is.

We also provide assistance if you are unable to come to Japan and apply for a J-Find visa CoE, directly to the Japanese embassy or consulate in your country. Our lawyers will review all your documents and prepare a legal opinion.