Visas · statuses of residence
Japan visa types: all 29 statuses of residence
Japan has 29 statuses of residence, each with its own rights. The tables below show all of them: what each allows, whether you can work, the periods of stay and a link to its own page.
Checked against the Immigration Control Act (入管法), ISA and MOFA on 6 October 2026 · All visas · Which documents do I need?
Terms first
A visa and a status of residence are not the same
In everyday speech everything is a “visa”, but legally these are two different things.
Reference
All 29 statuses of residence in four tables
The statuses are listed in the Immigration Control Act (Appended Tables I and II, 別表第一・第二); the periods of stay are in its Enforcement Regulation (別表第二). The “Work” column shows what the status itself allows.
On narrow screens the tables scroll sideways.
Group 1
Work statuses
Work in a profession: the status is granted for one specific activity. The first four rows are the most common work statuses.
| Status | Japanese | Who it is for | Work | Period of stay |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engineer / Specialist | 技術・人文知識・国際業務 | Office and specialist work: engineers, IT, translators, marketing | In the profession | 5 years, 3 years, 1 year or 3 months |
| Specified Skilled Worker | 特定技能 | Skilled trades in 19 sectors (17 already accept applications; new food-service (外食業) CoE applications received from 13 April 2026 are in principle not processed). Usually a skills test and Japanese | Only in your sector | (i) — up to 3 years at a time, 5 years in total; (ii) — 3 years, 2 years, 1 year or 6 months |
| Highly Skilled Professional | 高度専門職 | Specialists with enough points; faster permanent residence | In the profession; wider for HSP (ii) | HSP (i) — 5 years; HSP (ii) — no limit |
| Business Manager | 経営・管理 | Owners and managers of a business | Running the business | 5 years, 3 years, 1 year, 6, 4 or 3 months |
| Intra-company Transferee | 企業内転勤 | Staff of an overseas office transferred to a Japanese branch | In the profession | 5 years, 3 years, 1 year or 3 months |
| Skilled Labor | 技能 | Chefs of foreign cuisine, sommeliers and other experienced trades | In the profession | 5 years, 3 years, 1 year or 3 months |
| Nursing Care | 介護 | Care workers with the Japanese national qualification 介護福祉士 | In the profession | 5 years, 3 years, 1 year or 3 months |
| Technical Intern Training | 技能実習 | Trainee workers in a training program; replaced by Employment for Skill Development (育成就労) from 1 April 2027 | Only at the training site | Stage (i) — up to 1 year; (ii) and (iii) — up to 2 years |
| Professor | 教授 | University teachers and researchers | In the profession | 5 years, 3 years, 1 year or 3 months |
| Researcher | 研究 | Researchers at companies and public bodies under contract | In the profession | 5 years, 3 years, 1 year or 3 months |
| Instructor | 教育 | Teachers of languages and subjects at schools and vocational colleges | In the profession | 5 years, 3 years, 1 year or 3 months |
| Medical Services | 医療 | Doctors, nurses and other medical staff with a Japanese license | In the profession | 5 years, 3 years, 1 year or 3 months |
| Legal / Accounting Services | 法律・会計業務 | Lawyers and accountants with a Japanese qualification | In the profession | 5 years, 3 years, 1 year or 3 months |
| Artist | 芸術 | Painters, composers, writers — earning a living from their art | In the profession | 5 years, 3 years, 1 year or 3 months |
| Religious Activities | 宗教 | Clergy and missionaries sent by a foreign religious organization | In the profession | 5 years, 3 years, 1 year or 3 months |
| Journalist | 報道 | Journalists and photographers under contract with foreign media | In the profession | 5 years, 3 years, 1 year or 3 months |
| Entertainer | 興行 | Singers, dancers, actors, models, athletes — under contract with an organizer | In the profession | 3 years, 1 year, 6 months, 3 months or 30 days |
| Diplomat | 外交 | Diplomats, consuls and their families | Official duties only | For the duration of the mission |
| Official | 公用 | Staff of foreign governments and international organizations, and their families | Official duties only | 5 years, 3 years, 1 year, 3 months, 30 or 15 days |
Creative jobs fall under two statuses: painters, composers and writers come as Artist (芸術); singers, dancers, models and other performers as Entertainer (興行). The family of almost every work status comes on the Dependent visa, but not with Technical Intern Training or Specified Skilled Worker (i); families of Diplomat and Official holders get the holder’s own status. All work visas with their conditions: work visas.
Group 2
Statuses with no limits on work
Family and residence: the status is tied to who you are. Spouses and Long-Term Residents can apply for permanent residence sooner than the usual 10 years — see permanent residency.
| Status | Japanese | Who it is for | Work | Period of stay |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Permanent Resident | 永住者 | Permanent residents | Any | No limit |
| Spouse or Child of Japanese National | 日本人の配偶者等 | Spouse or child of a Japanese citizen | Any | 5 years, 3 years, 1 year or 6 months |
| Spouse or Child of Permanent Resident | 永住者の配偶者等 | Spouse of a permanent resident, or their child born in Japan | Any | 5 years, 3 years, 1 year or 6 months |
| Long-Term Resident | 定住者 | Nikkei (people of Japanese descent), some cases after divorce, raising a Japanese child | Any | 5 years, 3 years, 1 year, 6 months or another period up to 5 years |
These statuses are tied not to an activity but to your personal situation — you can work in any field.
Group 3
Study, family and short stays
Statuses without the right to work: the status itself does not allow work. Immigration can permit part-time work for students and dependents — how to get permission.
| Status | Japanese | Who it is for | Work | Period of stay |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Student | 留学 | Study at a language school, vocational college or university | With permission: up to 28 h a week | Set individually, up to 4 years 3 months |
| Dependent | 家族滞在 | Spouse and children of a work-status holder, or of a university or college student | With permission: up to 28 h a week | Set individually, up to 5 years |
| Temporary Visitor | 短期滞在 | Tourism, family visits, business trips up to 90 days | No | 90, 30 or 15 days |
| Cultural Activities | 文化活動 | Unpaid cultural or academic activities: studying Japanese culture, learning from a master | Only with permission | 3 years, 1 year, 6 or 3 months |
| Trainee | 研修 | Learning skills at a Japanese organization without an employment contract | No — trainees are not paid a salary | 1 year, 6 or 3 months (doctors in proton therapy — up to 2 years) |
On a student visa you can work up to 28 hours a week with permission (資格外活動) and up to 8 hours a day during the long holidays set by your school. On a short-term stay you cannot work. Choosing a school and course: long-term programs.
Group 4
Designated Activities (特定活動)
One status — dozens of types. What you may do is written in the designation (指定書) attached to your passport, so each type has its own rights and periods.
| Status | Japanese | Who it is for | Work | Period of stay |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Designated Activities | 特定活動 | Job hunting, J-Find, Digital Nomad and many other types | Depends on the type | 5 years, 3 years, 1 year, 6 or 3 months, or another period up to 5 years (EPA-based types: 3 years or 1 year) |
| — Job hunting after graduation | 特定活動（就職活動） | Graduates of Japanese universities and vocational colleges | With permission: up to 28 h a week | 6 months plus one extension; one more year with a local-government program |
| — No. 46: Japanese university graduates | 特定活動（告示46号） | Graduates of Japanese universities with JLPT N1 — jobs that need Japanese | Only full-time work under No. 46 conditions | 5 years, 3 years, 1 year, 6 or 3 months |
| — J-Find | 特定活動（告示51号） | Graduates of universities in the top 100 of two of three world rankings, within 5 years of graduation | Work to cover living costs — no separate permission | Up to 2 years in total |
| — Digital Nomad | 特定活動（告示53号） | Remote workers earning ¥10 million a year or more, from eligible countries and regions | Only remote work for clients abroad | 6 months, no extension |
It also covers parents and domestic workers of HSP families, working spouses of HSP holders, medical stays, paid internships of foreign university students as part of their course, summer jobs and international cultural exchange. Do not confuse a student internship with Technical Intern Training (技能実習) — that is a separate work status. All types: Designated Activities.
Good to know
Only one status at a time
You cannot hold two statuses at once. When the purpose of your stay changes — for example, you finish school and start work — you apply for a change of status.
Work outside your status is allowed only with permission to engage in an activity other than that permitted (資格外活動) — how to get it. Working without permission can cost you your next extension and, in serious cases, lead to deportation.
How to get one
How a long-term status is obtained: CoE, visa, arrival
For study, work and family the route is almost always the same. Immigration in Japan examines the documents for the status; the embassy then only issues the visa.
Already in Japan? You extend or change your status at the immigration bureau for your address: an extension from 3 months before it ends, a change of status when the purpose of stay changes. Filed from 1 October 2026: ¥10,000 to ¥75,000 depending on the period granted (filed by 30 September 2026: ¥6,000, online ¥5,500); the fee can be higher if a specified residence card (特定在留カード) is issued with the permission — fee table. All procedures: immigration procedures. Once you have chosen a status: which documents do I need and the ISA forms library.
Short-term stays
Short trips of up to 90 days
All short purposes share one status, Temporary Visitor (短期滞在). You cannot work on it.
MOFA visa groups
Working, general, specified: where these names come from
Older articles group visas not by status but by MOFA’s visa groups. Here is how the two sets of names match.
| MOFA visa group | Statuses |
|---|---|
| Working | Engineer/Specialist, Specified Skilled Worker, Business Manager, Intra-company Transferee, Skilled Labor, Nursing Care, Professor, Researcher, Instructor, Medical Services, Legal / Accounting Services, Artist, Religious Activities, Journalist, Entertainer, Technical Intern Training (技能実習; replaced by 育成就労 from 1 April 2027) |
| Highly skilled professional | Highly Skilled Professional (高度専門職), including J-Skip |
| General | Student (留学), Cultural Activities, Trainee (研修), Dependent (家族滞在) |
| Specified | Spouse or Child of Japanese National, Spouse or Child of Permanent Resident, Long-Term Resident, Designated Activities (特定活動) |
| Startup | An entrepreneur whose business-preparation plan a local government has approved: first Designated Activities, then Business Manager |
| Diplomatic and official | Diplomats (外交) and staff of foreign governments (公用) |
| Short-term | Tourism, family visits, business trips up to 90 days (短期滞在) |
A visa only gets you into Japan. Your rights in Japan come from the status in the tables above.
FAQ
Questions about statuses of residence
Can’t find your question? Write to us — a real person replies.
Sources
Where this information comes from
Statuses and periods of stay were checked against the Immigration Control Act and its Enforcement Regulation (e-Gov), the website of the Immigration Services Agency of Japan (ISA) and MOFA on 6 October 2026. Form links come from a register of ISA files that our server refreshes every week: when ISA publishes a new version of a form, the button opens the new file.
- e-Gov — Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act (入管法): Appended Tables I and II (別表第一・第二) — all 29 statuses; Article 19 — activities outside your status; Article 20 — change of status
- e-Gov — Enforcement Regulation of the Act (入管法施行規則), Appended Table II (別表第二) — periods of stay for each status
- ISA — list of all statuses of residence (在留資格一覧表)
- ISA — Temporary Visitor (短期滞在): purposes of stay and periods
- ISA — Designated Activities (特定活動): internships of foreign university students, summer jobs, cultural exchange
- ISA — Certificate of Eligibility (16-1)
- ISA — permission to engage in an activity other than that permitted (資格外活動, 16-8)
- ISA — new fees from 1 October 2026
- ISA — Employment for Skill Development (育成就労) replaces Technical Intern Training from 1 April 2027
- MOFA — what a visa (査証) is
- MOFA — countries and regions exempt from visas for short stays
- MOFA — types of long-term visas
- MOFA — visa for medical stay (医療滞在)
- Tokyo Metropolitan Government — startup visa: questions and answers
This page is general information, not legal advice. Immigration decides each application and may ask for more documents. Where a rule is known only from practice, we say so.
