Highly Skilled Professional Visa Guide — Points System, J-Skip, J-Find, and Fast-Track Permanent Residence

The Highly Skilled Professional (HSP) visa is a points-based status of residence that grants foreign nationals who score 70 or more points a suite of immigration benefits unavailable under standard work visas, including the ability to apply for permanent residence in as little as one year. In April 2023, Japan also introduced J-Skip, which grants HSP status without the points calculation to professionals with high income, and J-Find, a separate status for graduates of top-ranked global universities.

For an overview of all residence status categories, see our guide to residence status types. For detailed permanent residence requirements, see our permanent residence guide.

What Is the Highly Skilled Professional Visa?

The Highly Skilled Professional visa is a status of residence established under Appended Table 1-2 of the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act (ICRRA) to attract foreign professionals whose skills contribute to Japan’s academic research and economic development.

How the Points System Works

The Immigration Services Agency of Japan (ISA) assigns points across categories such as academic background, professional experience, annual salary, age, and research achievements, based on the criteria set out in the Minister of Justice Order Providing the Criteria of Highly Skilled Professional (HSPMJO). Among those who meet the requirements for a work-related status of residence, applicants whose total score reaches 70 points or more are recognized as highly skilled foreign professionals and granted HSP status (ISA, “What is the points-based system?”).

HSP vs. Standard Work Visas

Feature	Standard Work Visa	HSP (Category 1)
Period of stay	5 years, 3 years, 1 year, or 3 months (for Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services)	5 years (uniform)
Scope of activities	Limited to one status	Multiple activities permitted
Spouse employment	Requires permission to work outside status	Permitted without academic/career requirements
Permanent residence	Generally 10+ years	As short as 1 year (80+ points)
Accompanying parents	Generally not permitted	Permitted under certain conditions
Processing	Standard	Priority processing

Three Activity Categories

HSP Category 1 is divided into three subcategories based on the nature of the applicant’s activities. Each has its own dedicated points calculation table.

Category 1(a) — Advanced Academic Research Activities

Research, research guidance, or education based on a contract with a public or private organization in Japan.

• Typical applicants: University professors, researchers, and scientists
• Scope: In addition to the primary activity, applicants may also manage a related business, or conduct research, research guidance, or education under a contract with another organization
• Points emphasis: Research achievements (published papers, patents) carry significant weight

Category 1(b) — Advanced Specialized/Technical Activities

Work requiring specialized knowledge or skills in the natural or human sciences, based on a contract with a public or private organization in Japan.

• Typical applicants: Persons developing new products at companies, and international lawyers
• Scope: In addition to primary professional duties, applicants may also engage in related business management activities
• Minimum salary requirement: Annual income must be JPY 3 million or more

Category 1(c) — Advanced Business Management Activities

Management or administration of a business in Japan.

• Typical applicants: Executives of companies operating globally
• Scope: In addition to primary management activities, applicants may also manage related businesses
• Minimum salary requirement: Annual income must be JPY 3 million or more

Category 2 — Further Relaxation of Activity Restrictions

Individuals who have been engaged in HSP Category 1 (a, b, or c) activities for three or more years may apply to change their status to HSP Category 2.

Key benefits of Category 2:

• Unlimited period of stay: no need to renew your period of stay
• Nearly all work activities permitted: together with Category 1 activities, you may engage in activities corresponding to Professor, Artist, Religious Activities, Journalist, Legal/Accounting Services, Medical Services, Instructor, Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services, Nursing Care, Entertainer, Skilled Labor, and Specified Skilled Worker (ii) (ICRRA, Appended Table 1-2)
• Same preferential measures as Category 1: relaxed permanent residence requirements, spouse employment, accompanying parents, and domestic workers continue to apply

How the Points System Works

Points are calculated using a separate table for each activity category (1(a), 1(b), and 1(c)). The passing score is 70 points. The points below follow the ISA points calculation table (as of October 2026).

Main Evaluation Criteria and Points

Academic Background

Academic Background	1(a) and 1(b)	1(c)
Doctoral degree (excluding professional degrees)	30	20
Master’s degree (including professional doctorates)	20	20
University graduate or equivalent education	10	10
Multiple doctoral, master’s, or professional degrees in more than one field	+5	+5

• In Categories 1(b) and 1(c), a professional degree in business management (MBA or MOT) earns an additional 5 points

• Junior colleges are included in “universities,” and graduates of colleges of technology (koto senmon gakko) and of specialized training colleges with the title of “Advanced Diploma” (kodo senmonshi) are treated as having received education equivalent to a university (ISA Q&A, Q4, in Japanese)

• However, those who received only the title of “Diploma” (senmonshi) from a specialized training college are not eligible

Professional Experience

Years of Experience	1(a)	1(b)	1(c)
10 or more years	15	20	25
7 or more years	15	15	20
5 or more years	10	10	15
3 or more years	5	5	10

Only practical experience in the work you intend to engage in counts. Category 1(a) has no “10 or more years” bracket; seven or more years earns 15 points.

Annual Salary

In Categories 1(a) and 1(b), the minimum salary that earns points depends on the age bracket.

Annual Salary (JPY)	Points	Eligible ages
10 million or more	40	All ages
9 million or more	35	All ages
8 million or more	30	All ages
7 million or more	25	39 or under
6 million or more	20	39 or under
5 million or more	15	34 or under
4 million or more	10	29 or under

Category 1(c) uses a different scale: 10 points for JPY 10 million or more, 20 for 15 million, 30 for 20 million, 40 for 25 million, and 50 for 30 million or more.

• Definition of “remuneration”: Includes base salary, bonuses, performance allowances, and adjustment allowances. Commuting, dependent, and housing allowances (except where taxable) and overtime pay are excluded (Q&A, Q7)
• If you are transferred from an overseas office and receive remuneration from abroad, that income is also counted
• Categories 1(b) and 1(c) require an annual salary of JPY 3 million or more. Applicants earning less are not recognized even if their other points total 70 or more

Age (Categories 1(a) and 1(b))

Age	Points
29 or under	15
30–34	10
35–39	5
40 or over	0

Key Bonus Points

Item	Points
Research achievements (patents, published papers, etc.; 1(a) and 1(b))	20 in 1(a) (25 if two or more apply); 15 in 1(b)
Employment at an organization receiving innovation-promotion support	10 (an additional 10 for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs))
Foreign qualifications, etc. related to the position	5
Japanese language proficiency (Japanese-Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) N1, or Business Japanese Proficiency Test (BJT) 480+)	15
Japanese language proficiency (JLPT N2 or BJT 400+; not if points were given for N1 or a Japanese degree)	10
Degree obtained from a higher education institution in Japan	10
Engagement in advanced projects in growth fields	10
Employment at an SME with R&D expenditure ratio exceeding 3%	5
Engagement in investment management or similar business	10

Important Notes on Points Calculation

• Points must total 70 or more at the time permission is granted (HSPMJO, Article 1)
• If your points drop below 70 during your stay (due to aging or salary changes), you do not immediately become unable to stay as a highly skilled foreign professional. However, if your points are below 70 at the time of extension of the period of stay, the extension cannot be permitted (Q&A, Q10 and Q11)
• The latest points calculation tables and the lists of qualifications and universities eligible for bonus points are available from the ISA page “How are points evaluated?” (in Japanese)

Benefits at 70 and 80 Points

Those recognized as highly skilled foreign professionals receive the following preferential measures (ISA, “What preferential measures are available?”, in Japanese).

Category 1 Benefits (70+ Points)

1. Permission for Multiple Activities

Unlike standard work visas, which restrict you to a single category of activity, HSP Category 1 allows you to engage in activities that span multiple residence status categories. For example, a university researcher (primary activity) may simultaneously manage a business based on their research.

2. Five-Year Period of Stay

The maximum period of stay permitted under law (five years) is granted uniformly.

3. Relaxed Permanent Residence Requirements

Permanent residence generally requires at least 10 continuous years of residence in Japan. For highly skilled professionals, this is substantially shortened:

Points	Required Period of Residence
80 or more	1 year
70 or more	3 years

Applicants with 80 or more points must have resided in Japan for one year or more while maintaining that score; for 70 or more points, the period is three years. Points can also be calculated as of one year (or three years) before the application date (see “The Shortest Path to Permanent Residence” below).

The Guidelines for Permission for Permanent Residence, revised on October 1, 2026, keep these one-year and three-year exceptions. Applicants who meet the Special Highly Skilled Professional criteria also need only one year of residence. Highly skilled foreign professionals and their families are exempt from the Japanese language ability factor (B1) considered for applications filed on or after April 1, 2027. However, the other new factors, such as household income level and expected pension benefits, also apply to them.

4. Spouse Employment

The spouse of an HSP holder may work under the Designated Activities status without meeting the academic or career requirements normally needed for work visa categories such as Researcher, Instructor, or Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services. The spouse must live with the HSP holder and receive remuneration equal to or greater than that of a Japanese national performing the same work.

5. Accompanying Parents (Under Certain Conditions)

Normally, parents of foreign nationals on work visas are not permitted to reside in Japan. However, HSP holders may bring a parent (of either the HSP holder or their spouse) under the Designated Activities status when:

• Caring for a child of the HSP holder or spouse who is under seven years of age, or
• Assisting a pregnant spouse or pregnant HSP holder

Key requirements:

• Household annual income of JPY 8 million or more
• Cohabitation with the HSP holder
• Limited to a parent of one side only (either the HSP holder’s parent or the spouse’s parent, not both)

6. Domestic Workers (Under Certain Conditions)

HSP holders may employ foreign domestic workers under three categories:

Type	Key Requirements
Accompanying type	Household income JPY 10M+, employed for 1+ year before entry, monthly salary JPY 200K+
Family circumstances type	Household income JPY 10M+, child under 13 or ill spouse, monthly salary JPY 200K+
Financial professional type	Household income JPY 10M+ (2 workers permitted at JPY 30M+), engaged in investment management, monthly salary JPY 200K+

7. Priority Processing

HSP applications receive priority processing. The ISA’s target periods are as follows; they may be exceeded where, for example, the submitted materials need to be checked in detail.

• Certificate of Eligibility applications: Target of within 10 days from receipt
• Extension/change of status applications: Target of within 5 days from receipt

Additional Benefit at 80+ Points

At 80 or more points, in addition to all of the above, the required period of residence for permanent residence is reduced to one year.

J-Skip (Special Highly Skilled Professionals)

Introduced in April 2023, the Japan System for Special Highly-Skilled Professionals (J-Skip) allows exceptionally qualified individuals to obtain HSP status without going through the points calculation.

Overview

J-Skip grants HSP status based on a combination of academic qualifications or professional experience and high annual income, bypassing the standard points-based assessment entirely. Those recognized receive a Special Highly Skilled Professional Certificate, which is attached to their passport (ISA, “J-Skip,” in Japanese). The criteria are set out in the Ministerial Order establishing the criteria for Special Highly Skilled Professionals.

J-Skip Requirements

Activity Category	Academic/Career Requirement	Annual Income Requirement
Advanced Academic Research (1(a))	Master’s degree or higher OR 10+ years of relevant experience	JPY 20 million or more
Advanced Specialized/Technical (1(b))	Master’s degree or higher OR 10+ years of relevant experience	JPY 20 million or more
Advanced Business Management (1(c))	5+ years of business management experience	JPY 40 million or more

J-Skip Benefits

Special Highly Skilled Professionals receive expanded benefits compared with the standard HSP system. The main additions are:

• Accelerated permanent residence: Eligible to apply after just one year of residence (equivalent to 80+ points under the standard system)
• Priority lane access at major airports

Transition to Category 2

Special Highly Skilled Professionals who have been engaged in Category 1 activities for one year or more may change to Category 2 (unlimited period of stay). Under the standard points system, three years are required, making this a significant acceleration.

J-Find (Future Creation Talent)

Also introduced in April 2023, the Japan System for Future Creation Individual Visa (J-Find) enables graduates of the world’s top universities to come to Japan for job hunting or business startup preparation.

Overview

J-Find is not an HSP visa itself but a Designated Activities status (Future Creation Individual), allowing a stay of up to two years.

Eligible Universities

Universities that rank in the top 100 in at least two of the following three world university rankings:

1. QS World University Rankings
2. THE (Times Higher Education) World University Rankings
3. Academic Ranking of World Universities (Shanghai Ranking)

The full list of eligible universities is published on the ISA website.

J-Find Requirements

Item	Details
Education	Graduated from an eligible university, or completed a graduate program at one, and was awarded a degree or professional degree
Time limit	Within five years of the date the degree was awarded
Savings	JPY 200,000 or more in savings at the time of application
Period of stay	Up to two years
Permitted activities	Job hunting or business startup preparation

Benefits of J-Find

• Stay in Japan without meeting points or salary requirements
• Both job hunting and startup preparation are permitted
• Spouse and children may accompany the applicant
• Once employment or the business is decided, you can apply for a change to a work-related status whose requirements you meet

The Shortest Path to Permanent Residence

For highly skilled foreign professionals, the residence period required for permanent residence is shortened to three years or one year.

Comparison with Standard Permanent Residence

Route	Required Period of Residence	Overview
Standard work visa	Generally 10+ years (including 5+ on a work visa)	Most common route
HSP (70+ points)	3 years	Maintain 70+ points for 3 years
HSP (80+ points)	1 year	Maintain 80+ points for 1 year
J-Skip (Special HSP)	1 year	Equivalent to 80+ points

How It Works in Practice

The critical question is when you held the required points.

For 80 or more points:

You must meet either of the following:

1. You have continuously resided in Japan for one year or more as a “highly skilled foreign professional” recognized with 80 or more points, maintaining that score
2. A points calculation as of one year before your application date shows 80 or more points, and you have since continuously resided in Japan for one year or more while maintaining 80 or more points

For 70 or more points:

You must meet either of the following:

1. You have continuously resided in Japan for three years or more as a “highly skilled foreign professional” recognized with 70 or more points, maintaining that score
2. A points calculation as of three years before your application date shows 70 or more points, and you have since continuously resided in Japan for three years or more while maintaining 70 or more points

Other Requirements for Permanent Residence

A shortened residence period alone is not sufficient. You must also satisfy:

• Good conduct requirement: Compliance with laws, and a life as a resident that is not subject to social criticism
• Independent livelihood requirement: Sufficient assets or skills to support yourself independently
• National interest requirement: Your permanent residence must be found to be in the interest of Japan. Compliance with obligations under the ICRRA and proper payment of taxes, public pension premiums, and public health insurance premiums are among the factors considered

Category 2 as an Alternative

In addition to permanent residence, changing to HSP Category 2 is another compelling option:

• Unlimited period of stay: same as permanent residents, no renewal needed
• Nearly all work activities permitted: high degree of occupational freedom
• Continued HSP benefits: spouse employment, accompanying parents, and domestic workers remain available

HSP Category 2 differs from permanent resident status in that certain activity restrictions apply (you must continue to engage in activities corresponding to your status). However, it offers HSP-specific benefits such as spouse employment and accompanying parents that permanent resident status does not provide.

How We Can Help

AEGIS International Administrative Firm is a registered immigration specialist (shinsei toritsugi gyoseishoshi), a gyoseishoshi (a licensed specialist in Japanese government procedures, including visas) authorized by the Immigration Services Agency to file visa applications on behalf of clients. We provide comprehensive support for Highly Skilled Professional visa applications:

• Points simulation: Pre-assessment of whether you meet the 70- or 80-point threshold
• Document preparation and filing: Certificate of Eligibility applications, change of status, and extension of period of stay
• J-Skip and J-Find consultation: Strategic advice on leveraging the new systems
• Permanent residence applications: End-to-end support for HSP-based permanent residence

Please feel free to contact us.

---

For individual cases, we recommend consulting a qualified professional.