J-Skip: What is the Japan’s new policy “J-Skip” Visa?

J-Skip Visa

Overview of the Special Highly-Skilled Professional System (J-Skip)

From April 2023, the the Special Highly-Skilled Professional System (J-Skip) will be introduced.

In addition to the current points system for Highly Skilled Professional (HSP) visa, you can stay in Japan as a “Special Highly Skilled Professional” if you have a certain level of education or work experience and earn a certain level of annual income.

Japan System for Special Highly-Skilled Professionals (J-Skip):

A J-Skip visa system will be established whereby overseas persons with an annual income of 20 million yen or more will be granted permanent residency (permanent residence visa) after one year. Researchers and professionals will have the opportunity to live in Japan permanently as long as they “have a master’s degree or higher plus an annual income of more than 20 million yen (approximately US$154,000)” or “have more than 10 years of work experience plus an annual income of more than 20 million yen”; in the case of business operators, they will need to have more than five years of work experience and an annual income of more than 40 million yen (approximately US$308,000).

After living in Japan for one year under the latest system, “J-Skip” visa holder can apply for permanent residency and increase the number of foreign domestic helpers employed from one to two under the previous Highly Skilled Professional visa; spouse can apply for full-time employment in Japan (subject to restrictions on the content of the work).

Requirements for J-Skip Visa

There are three types of status of residence for “J-Skip” depending on the activities that the foreigner himself/herself is carrying out in Japan (this is the same as the general Highly Skilled Professional visa);

1. “Highly academic research activities”: Activities that involve research, research instruction or education under a contract with a Japanese public or private institution (e.g. university professor, researcher, etc.).
2. “Highly professional/technical activities”: Activities based on contracts with Japanese public or private corporate bodies, law firms, etc., for work requiring natural science or humanities knowledge or technology.
3. “Highly business managerial activities”: Activities that involve running or managing a business in a public or private corporate institution in Japan (for example, a manager of a company engaged in global business development).

For the types of activities (1) to (3) above, the conditions for “J-Skip” visa are as follows;

(Persons of types (1) and (2)) who meet one of the following conditions;

• Those with a MASTER’s degree or higher with an annual income of 20 million yen or more in Japan.
• Have more than 10 years of work experience related to the business you will be doing in Japan with an annual income of 20 million yen or more in Japan.

(Persons belonging to (3) manager types)

• At least 5 years of experience in business management with an annual income of 40 million yen or more in Japan.

Preferential Immigration Policy for Japan

“J-Skip” visa holders are eligible for the following benefits, which are provided by the extension of the points system to Highly Skilled Professionals.

If you are deemed to be a “J-Skip” system person, you will be issued with a “Certificate of Special Highly-Skilled Professional”, which will be marked with the “Special Highly-Skilled Professional” stamp on the back of your “Resident Card” in the space provided.

Please note that there are no categories of residence status (visa) for “J-Skip” or “Special Highly-Skilled Professional”. The resident card you will receive is still “Highly Skilled Professional 1 (a), (b), or (c)”.

Benefits of J-Skip Visa

J-Skip 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 J-skip 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.

There is a “1 year” period of stay required for permanent residence. Normally, in order to obtain a permanent residence permit, you need to have lived in Japan for at least 10 years.

4. Receive priority treatment in immigration examination.

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

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 J-Skip 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.

Transfer from J-Skip Visa to Permanent Residence or Highly Skilled Professional Visa No.2

The relevant regulation has been changed, please refer to the following;

高度専門職の在留資格（法別表第一の二の表の高度専門職の項の下欄第一号イからハまでに係るものに限る。）をもって本邦に三年（特別高度人材にあっては、一年） 以上在留して同号に掲げる活動を行っていたこと。

According to this regulation, after receiving the Certificate of Special Highly-Skilled Professional (the visa type is still “Highly-Skilled Professional No. 1”), you can change to “Highly-Skilled Professional No. 2” after one year and maintaining the criteria for J-Skip visa system.

As well as, The Guidelines on permanent residence permits has been modified.

原則１０年在留に関する特例 (Special provisions on 10-year residence in principle)

（８）特別高度人材の基準を定める省令（以下「特別高度人材省令」という。）に規定する基準に該当する者であって、次のいずれかに該当するもの

ア　「特別高度人材」として１年以上継続して本邦に在留していること。(Must have resided in Japan continuously for at least one year as a “J-Skip” visa holder.)

イ　１年以上継続して本邦に在留している者で、永住許可申請日から１年前の時点を基準として特別高度人材省令に規定する基準に該当することが認められること。(Persons who have resided in Japan continuously for more than one year and are found to meet the criteria stipulated in the Special Highly Skilled Professional Ordinance as of one year prior to the date of application for a permanent residence permit.)

As you can see here, those who meet the criteria for J-Skip Persons can apply for permanent residence in one year. This is almost the same as the original 80 points for Highly Skilled Professional (HSP).

This time, it is particularly interesting to note that the relatively unpopular “Highly Skilled Professional No. 2” is also a good option. This is because, even for those with a HSP visa score of 80 or above, which has to wait for three years, now with this J-Skip visa can be applied for in one year.

Another thing to note is that, like the “considered as” HSP visa, you can also apply for permanent residence by using that you are “considered as” J-Skip visa holder.

This means that if you are on a visa that is not a “J-Skip” visa, such as a “Engineer / Specialist in Humanities / Int’l activities” visa or a “Intracompany transferee” visa, but you have been in Japan for one year, you can apply directly for permanent residence if you have met the criteria for being a J-Skip visa person for the past year.

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

Application process for J-Skip visa

When you wish to enter Japan as a Special Highly Skilled Professional (J-Skip);

• Application for a Certificate of Eligibility (COE) for “Highly Skilled Professional No. 1 (a,b or c)” visa.
• The application must be submitted by a person acting as a representative of the organisation (workplace) that accepts foreign nationals planning to enter Japan (unless the applicant is present in Japan).
• Submit documents that prove that you meet the conditions for the proposed activity and apply for a certificate of eligibility for high level human resources.

When applying for a visa at a Japanese embassy or consulate;

A Certificate of Eligibility obtained through this J-Skip visa application is required. You cannot apply for a visa without a Certificate of Eligibility.

If a Certificate of Eligibility is obtained through this application, the examination of suitability for landing conditions related to the status of residence has been completed in advance, so the applicant must have this certificate and the visa Japan airport landing inspection at the time of application for smooth visa and landing inspection procedures.

When you are residing in Japan with a status of residence other than HSP visa, and wish to change your status of residence to Special Highly Skilled Professional (J-Skip);

Please apply for permission to change your status of residence to a Special Highly Skilled Professional No. 1 (a, b or c).

If you have been in Japan for more than 5 years as a Special Highly Skilled Professional and wish to remain in Japan, please apply for an extension of your period of stay.

If you are residing in Japan under the Highly Skilled Professional (HSP) Point System and wish to receive preferential treatment as a J-Skip visa holder

In addition, if you are residing in Japan under the HSP Point System with the status of residence of Highly Skilled Professional no.1 and wish to receive preferential treatment as a Special Highly Skilled Professional, please apply in the following process;

When the period of stay of your “Highly Skilled Professional No. 1” visa expires within 3 months or less:

When applying for an extension (renewal) of your period of stay, please indicate that you are a Special Highly Skilled Professional (J-Skip).

If the period up to the expiry of the period of stay of “Highly Skilled Professional No. 1” visa exceeds the above period:

You will need to apply for a “CERTIFICATE OF AUTHORIZED EMPLOYMENT” (Shurou Shikaku Shomeisho) to be recognised as a J-Skip person.

Other

Notwithstanding the above, if a spouse or domestic worker is applying for preferential treatment as a Special Highly Skilled Professional, you will need to demonstrate in your application that the person concerned is a Special Highly Skilled Professional and then apply for a visa for the spouse etc.

Nessesary Documents for Applying J-Skip

The first thing you need to do is to prepare documents that prove that the applicant is J-Skip person.

Also required are the applicant’s identity details, financial/tax/basic details of the Japanese employer (workplace) and proof of the content of the work to be performed in Japan, such as a labour contract.

Academic qualifications documents

Diploma and degree from a relevant educational institution.

Employment experience

The period of time during which the foreigner is working and the nature of the work he/she intends to do is the period of time during which the foreigner is working and the nature of the work. These documents must be prepared by the organisation to which the foreigner belongs.

Certificate of annual income

The document proving annual income is the amount of annual remuneration to be received in the future by contracting from a Japanese contractor (employer).

The annual income is not the past annual income, but the (expected) annual income from activities in Japan as a J-Skip foreigner.

The annual income is the total amount of compensation that can be received from the contracting organization (employer) in Japan and from the contracting organization in the home country prior to the expatriation. Generally, elite employees of global companies in their home countries are sent to Japan as expatriates. In this case, it is common for them to already have an income of 20 million yen or more in their home country. It is sufficient to maintain that standard salary even after the expatriate has moved to Japan. This is what this J-Skip Scheme is aimed at.

According to the regulations

出入国管理及び難民認定法（昭和二十六年政令第三百十九号）別表第一の二の表の高度専門職の項の下欄の規定に基づき、特別高度人材の基準を定める省令を次のように定める。
令和五年四月十四日法務大臣

特別高度人材の基準を定める省令

出入国管理及び難民認定法別表第一の二の表の高度専門職の項の下欄の基準を定める省令（平成二十六年法務省令第三十七号）第一条第一項の法務省令で定める基準は、次の各号のいずれかに該当することとする。

一 出入国管理及び難民認定法（以下「法」という。）別表第一の二の表の高度専門職の項の下欄第一号イ又はロに掲げる活動を行う外国人であって、法第三章第一節若しくは第二節の規定による上陸許可の証印若しくは許可（在留資格の決定を伴うものに限る。）、法第四章第二節の規定による許可又は法第五十条第一項若しくは第六十一条の二の二第二項の規定による許可（以下「上陸許可の証印等」という。）を受ける時点において、契約機関（契約の相手方である本邦の公私の機関をいう。以下同じ。）及び外国所属機関（外国の公私の機関の職員が当該機関から転勤して契約機関に受け入れられる場合における当該外国の公私の機関をいう。以下同じ。）から受ける報酬の年額の合計が二千万円以上であり、かつ、次のいずれかに該当するもの。

ア 博士若しくは修士の学位又は専門職学位（学位規則（昭和二十八年文部省令第九号）第五条の二に規定する専門職学位をいい、外国において授与されたこれに相当する学位を含む。）を有していること。

イ 従事する研究、研究の指導若しくは教育又は業務について十年以上の実務経験があること。

二 法別表第一の二の表の高度専門職の項の下欄第一号ハに掲げる活動を行う外国人であって、上陸許可の証印等を受ける時点において、活動機関（法別表第一の二の表の高度専門職の項の下欄第一号ハに掲げる活動を行う本邦の公私の機関をいう。）及び外国所属機関から受ける報酬の年額の合計が四千万円以上であり、かつ、事業の経営又は管理について五年以上の実務経験があること。

附則
この省令は、令和五年四月二十一日から施行する。

[English Translation]

Ministerial Ordinance Establishing Criteria for Special Highly-Skilled Professional

The criteria specified by a Ministerial Ordinance of the Ministry of Justice under Article 1(1) of the Ministerial Ordinance Establishing the Criteria under the Highly-Skilled Professional Section of the Table in Appended Table 1-2 of the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act (Ministry of Justice Ordinance No. 37 of 2009) shall be the following.

(i) The Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act (hereinafter referred to as the ‘Act’). (ii) Foreign nationals who engage in the activities listed in item (i) (a) or (b) in the lower column of the highly specialised personnel section of the table in Annexed Table No. 1-2 and who have obtained a seal of landing permission or permission (limited to those involving a decision on status of residence) under Chapter III, Section 1 or Section 2 of the Act. (iii) Foreign nationals who have obtained permission under the provisions of Chapter IV, Section 2 of the Act or permission under the provisions of Article 50, paragraph (1) or Article 61-2-2, paragraph (2) of the Act (hereinafter referred to as ‘seal of landing permission, etc.’). The same shall apply hereinafter) at the time of receipt of the contracting authority (meaning a public or private institution in Japan which is the counterparty to the contract. The same shall apply hereinafter). The same shall apply hereinafter) and the foreign affiliated organisation (in the case where an employee of a foreign public or private organisation is transferred from the said organisation to the contracting organisation and accepted by the said foreign public or private organisation. The same shall apply hereinafter). (2) The total annual amount of remuneration received from a foreign public or private institution (which means a foreign public or private institution in the case where an employee of a foreign public or private institution is transferred from the said institution and accepted by the contracting organisation) is 20 million yen or more and falls under any of the following

(a) A person who holds a doctor’s or master’s degree or a professional degree (meaning a professional degree prescribed in Article 5-2 of the Degree Regulations (Ordinance of the Ministry of Education, Science and Culture No. 9 of 1953), including degrees equivalent thereto conferred in a foreign country). (2) The applicant must have the following qualifications.

(a) Have ten years or more work experience in research, research guidance or education, or work engaged in.

(ii) Foreign nationals who engage in the activities listed in item (i)(c) under the highly specialised profession in the table of Appended Table 1-2 of the Law, and who, at the time of receiving the seal of landing permission, etc., have not received any remuneration from the activity organisation (meaning a public or private organisation in Japan which engages in the activities listed in item (i)(c) under the highly specialised profession in the table of Appended Table 1-2 of the Law) and the foreign organisation. (ii) The total annual amount of the remuneration received from the organisation (which means a public or private organisation in Japan that carries out the activities listed in item (i)(c) under the Highly Specialised Professionals section of Table 1-2 of Appended Table 1 of the Act) and the foreign organisation is 40 million yen or more, and the applicant has five years or more work experience in business management or administration.

Supplementary provisions

This Ministerial Ordinance shall come into force as from 21 April 2023.

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.

Case study

Case1: 

A new J-Skip visa as a business manager was applied for from the COE (Certificate of Eligibility) for a foreign CEO of a company located in Tokyo; as of 2023, this J-Skip visa was granted in about four and a half months, whereas a “normal” Business Manager visa takes more than six months to a year! Family members and domestic helpers were also granted at the same time.

For J-Skip managers, applicants must have at least FIVE years of work experience in the management of a business and annual income of at least 40 million yen.

Please note that the COE application requires a HR manager or staff from a Japanese company.

Visa requirements for domestic helpers also differ depending on whether they are employed by J-Skip’s Special Highly Skilled Professional or not. It is important to understand these differences in detail before applying.

Case2: 

Although not widely known, J-Skip visas can be applied for online. However, it can only be applied for while the applicant is in Japan. In addition, the online application, which is only supported in Japanese, is too difficult for the average foreigner to even open an account.

This J-Skip applicant was a highly skilled IT engineer. The applicant met the requirements with a master’s degree or higher from a prestigious university abroad and an annual income of at least 20 million yen.

We were a little worried because it was a small company, but the application was approved in about one and a half months. The next step is to apply for permanent residence after one year.

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.

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Other Question?

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