Status of Residence: “Professor”

Overview of Status of Residence: “Professor”

This status of residence was established to accept university professors and others with the aim of improving academic research and higher education in Japan.

Scope of Status of Residence: “Professor”

The “Professor” section of the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act, Appended Table 1-1, stipulates the following activities that can be undertaken in Japan.

Activities such as research, research guidance or education at a university, equivalent institution or college of technology in Japan

Scope of the ‘Professor’ visa

Specifically, activities such as research, research guidance or education at the following institutions as a president, director, principal, vice-president, vice-principal, vice-dean, professor, associate professor, lecturer, assistant, etc. fall under this category.

Meaning of the term ‘Professor’ visa

The term ‘university’ includes four-year universities (including the Open University of Japan Foundation), junior colleges, graduate schools, special courses at universities, special courses at universities, and research institutes attached to universities.

‘Institutions equivalent to universities in Japan’ refers to institutions recognised as being equivalent to universities in terms of facilities and curriculum organisation, inter-university research institutions, the National Center for University Entrance Examinations, the National Institution for Academic Degrees and University Evaluation, and institutions that grant admission qualifications to graduates of universities as being equivalent to university graduates in terms of admission to university majors and graduate schools department or graduate school, as well as those who are eligible for the Educational Service Pay Schedule (1) (Appended Table 6 of the ‘Act on the Remuneration of General Staff’)

* ‘Institutions recognised as being equivalent to universities in terms of facilities and curriculum organisation’ include fisheries colleges, maritime academies (excluding branch schools), nautical training schools, civil aviation colleges, coast guard academies, coast guard schools, meteorological colleges, defence academies, defence medical colleges, polytechnics, vocational ability development colleges, vocational ability development universities, civil aviation colleges, vocational ability development junior colleges, national maritime technology junior colleges (specialised courses only), national nursing colleges, and national schools of nursing. University, Civil Aviation College, Junior College of Vocational Development, National Maritime Technology Junior College (specialised course only), National College of Nursing, and foreign educational institutions designated by the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology in accordance with Article 155, Paragraph 1, Item 4 of the School Education Act Enforcement Regulations, as well as the United Nations University.

* ‘Inter-University Research Institutes’ are defined in Article 5, Paragraph 2 of the “National University Corporation Act” and in Article 1 of the “Enforcement Regulations of the National University Corporation Act”, Appendix Table 1, and include the National Institute of Japanese Literature, the National Institute of Polar Research, the National Institute of Genetics, the Institute of Mathematical Statistics, the International Research Center for Japanese Studies Research Institute for Humanity and Nature, National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, National Institute for Fusion Science, National Institute of Informatics, Research Institute for Humanity and Nature, Institute for Molecular Science, National Institute for Basic Biology, National Institute for Physiological Sciences, Institute for Particle and Nuclear Studies, National Institute for Materials Science, National Museum of Ethnology, National Museum of Japanese History, and National Institute for Japanese Language and Linguistics.

* The National Center for University Entrance Examinations is an independent administrative institution under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, which administers the National Center Test for University Admissions and the Law School Aptitude Test.

* The National Institution for Academic Degrees and University Evaluation aims to improve the standards of education and research at universities, junior colleges, technical colleges and inter-university research institutions by evaluating their educational and research activities, as well as to evaluate the results of various types of learning at higher education institutions other than universities and to award degrees.

* The term ‘institutions that grant admission qualifications to graduates on the basis that they are equivalent to university graduates in terms of admission to university special courses and graduate schools’ refers to courses at foreign schools designated as equivalent to universities in Japan (Japanese branch schools of foreign universities designated by the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology) (Article 155, Paragraph 1, Item 4 of the MEXT Enforcement Regulations), including Temple University, Japan (Minato-ku, Tokyo), Senshu College of the Russian Far East, Hakodate Branch (Hakodate City, Hokkaido), Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Japan Campus (Kobe City, Hyogo Prefecture), as well as the National Defense Academy, Japan Coast Guard Academy, Japan Meteorological Academy, etc. Hakodate School of the Russian Far East (Hakodate City, Hokkaido), Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine (Kobe City, Hyogo Prefecture), as well as the National Defense Academy, the Japan Coast Guard Academy, the Japan Meteorological Academy, and other national academies (Ministry of Education Notification No. 5, 1953, Nos. 5-12; Ministry of Education Notification No. 39, 1955, No. 2).
In addition, the United Nations University is recognised as an institution equivalent to a Japanese university, as Article 156, Item 4 of the School Education Law Enforcement Regulations stipulates that those who have completed the courses at the relevant educational institution are granted eligibility for admission to a graduate school (doctoral course).

* Those who ‘receive the salary scale for educational positions (1) (appendix table 6 of the “Act on the Remuneration of General Staff”)’ are the vice-principal, assistant principal, professor, associate professor, lecturer and assistant lecturer of the Japan Meteorological College or the Japan Coast Guard Academy (Article 8 of the 1957 National Personnel Authority Rule 9-2).

* Other examples of institutions that are not included in the category of ‘institutions equivalent to universities (etc.) in Japan’ include university schools under the jurisdiction of each ministry (such as the National Police Academy), the Social Insurance University, the Small and Medium Enterprise University, prefectural agricultural colleges, as well as university schools established by corporations, vocational training corporations, educational corporations, foundations, and specified nonprofit corporations.

‘College of technology’ refers to technical colleges as stipulated in Article 1 and Chapter 10 of the School Education Act.

Points to note for the ‘Professor’ visa

The listed job titles (‘President, Principal, etc.’) are examples, and whether or not you are engaged in research, research guidance or education at the above-mentioned institutions, whether full-time or part-time, will be used to determine whether you are eligible for the status of residence.

If you are engaged in education at a school under the jurisdiction of a ministry that is not equivalent to a university (e.g. the National Police Academy, the National Institute of Land and Infrastructure Management), you will be granted a status of residence such as ‘Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services’ in accordance with your activities.

In order to be granted the status of residence of ‘Professor’, it is necessary for the applicant to be engaged in activities that correspond to the status of residence of ‘Professor’ in Japan, and to be able to earn sufficient income to lead a stable life in Japan through said activities.
If the income earned from activities that fall under the category of ‘Professor’ is not sufficient to support the applicant’s stay in Japan, the applicant will be asked about any other activities they are engaged in, and the decision will be made based on the income they receive from these other activities, including any remuneration they receive from engaging in activities other than those permitted under their visa status. In this case, if the remuneration received is more than that which can be earned through activities as a ‘Professor’, the eligibility of the other activities and the conformity with the criteria of the Ministerial Ordinance will be examined, and the status of residence pertaining to that activity will be decided.

Activities involving research at a Japanese university or equivalent institution fall under this status of residence, but if you do not receive any remuneration, you will fall under the status of residence of ‘Cultural Activities’ or ‘Temporary Visitor’.

Regarding ‘remuneration’

The term ‘remuneration’ includes remuneration received from institutions other than universities, etc., and also includes remuneration paid by foreign institutions in the home country, etc., for activities in Japan. Please note that some countries that have tax treaties with Japan have special tax exemption measures for working at universities for two years.

A scholarship that exceeds the actual expenses (i.e. accommodation, travel, etc. – the same applies hereinafter) or exceeds the remuneration of Japanese educators of a similar nature is considered to be remuneration.

Remuneration for lectures that are not carried out as a business and other remuneration for daily life’ as stipulated in each item of Article 19-3 of the Immigration Control Act Enforcement Regulations are not included in “remuneration”.

Relationship between the ‘Professor’ status of residence and other statuses of residence

The ‘Professor’ status of residence is limited to activities at ‘universities or equivalent institutions or technical colleges in Japan’, and unlike the ‘Research’ status of residence, it is not subject to the landing criteria ministerial ordinance, and unlike the ‘Cultural Activities’ status of residence, it allows activities that involve remuneration.

‘Professor’ is different from the ‘Research’ status of residence in that he/she can also engage in activities such as research guidance and education.

The activities of ‘Professor’ are limited to ‘universities or equivalent institutions or technical colleges in Japan’, and activities such as teaching at elementary schools, junior high schools, high schools, secondary education schools 中等教育学校, special support schools 特別支援学校, special training schools 専修学校 or miscellaneous schools 各種学校, or educational institutions equivalent to these in terms of facilities and organisation, fall under the ‘Instructor’ visa.

‘Research’ is the activity of conducting research for remuneration at an institution other than ‘a university or equivalent institution in Japan or a college of technology’ that falls under the ‘Professor’ status of residence.

‘Cultural activities’ includes those in which the foreign national bears the costs of their stay in Japan, etc., and conducts academic research under the guidance of a professor, etc., at a university research institute or professor’s laboratory, or those in which the foreign national conducts academic research under the guidance of a professor, etc., at a university research institute or professor’s laboratory, or at an institution or individual other than the relevant university, and receives a research allowance or other allowance within the scope of actual expenses reimbursement for living expenses, etc.

Points to consider when applying for the ‘Professor’ status of residence

When determining the status of residence:

The purpose of entry and desired status of residence on the application form must be ‘Professor’, and the place of activity must be one that corresponds to the ‘Professor’ status of residence, as indicated in the place of activity section of the application form and the supporting documents.

The salary or remuneration indicated on the application form and the supporting documents must be sufficient to cover the period of time the applicant plans to work in Japan with the status of residence of ‘Professor’.

At the time of extension of period of stay:

The activity must continue to fall under the status of residence of ‘Professor’ based on the place of activity section of the application form and the supporting documents.

The salary and remuneration section of the application form, as well as the certificate of residence tax taxation (or tax exemption) 住民税課税証明書 and tax payment certificate 住民税納税証明書, must show that the remuneration is sufficient for the applicant to engage in activities under the ‘Professor’ status of residence during the period in which he/she is scheduled to work in Japan.