26 April 2023
[Immigration]
Impact [Medium]
Summary
On 21 April 2023, the Japan government implemented two new visa systems targeting highly skilled workers and “young people with high potential”: J-Skip for academic researchers, specialized/technical workers and business managers; and J-Find for job seekers who have graduated from top foreign universities.
The Detail
1. J-Skip
The original Highly Skilled Professional (HSP) visa scheme has a points-based system of qualification under which a person who engages in one of the below three types of work and scores 70 points or more in the “Point Calculation Table” may be granted a Highly Skilled Professional (i) visa.
(a) Academic research
(b) Specialized/ technical work
(c) High-level management positions
Points are allocated to various categories such as education level, professional experience, annual income, age, professional qualifications, Japanese proficiency, etc. The HSP (i) visa comes with certain preferential treatment, and after working in Japan for three years the person will be able to apply for an HSP (ii) visa, which comes with an indefinite duration of stay (provided that the person works in Japan) and very little limit to the type of work permitted.
J-Skip aims to add further incentives for highly skilled workers as follows:
(1) Additional simplified criteria for HSP (i) visa Besides the current points-based system, under which individuals can qualify for an HSP (i) visa if they score a minimum of 70 points, under the new J-Skip system, a person can also be granted an HSP (i) visa if they fulfil the below simplified criteria. (a) Academic research / (b) Specialized/ technical work
-Master’s degree or higher and annual income of JPY 20 million or more Or
– 10 years or more of relevant work experience and annual income of JPY 20 million or more
(c) High-level management positions
– 5 years or more experience in high-level management positions and annual income of JPY 40 million or more
(2) Additional preferential treatments for those who qualify for HSP (i) visa under the J- Skip system
In addition to the current preferential treatments given to those who qualify for HSP (i) visa under the points-based system, additional preferential treatments may be available as follows:
– Able to apply for HSP (ii) visa after 1 year
– Able to apply for Permanent Residency after 1 year
– Allowed to employ two foreign domestic helpers
– Fewer restrictions on the spouse’s work in Japan
– Able to use Priority Lanes available in major airports
2. J-Find
Currently, foreign nationals coming to Japan to search for employment can stay in Japan for a maximum of 90 days under the Temporary Visitor visa.
J-Find aims to attract “young people with high potential“ to work in Japan by granting them a Designated Activities (DA) visa for up to two years.
The criteria for this DA visa include the below:
– Graduated from a university that is ranked within the top 100 of at least two of the three university rankings designated by the Japanese government
– Less than 5 years since graduation
– Savings of minimum JPY 200,000 equivalent
The person may be granted stay for up to 2 years and can engage in the below activities as well as avail these benefits in Japan:
– Job searching – Starting a business
– Working to supplement the funds needed for the above activities
– May be able to have accompanying spouse and child(ren) who are dependents
What this means
These new policies show the Japanese government’s intent to lure high earners and top graduates amid global competition for talent. Unfortunately, the impact may be limited.
1. J-Skip
The application process is somewhat simplified, but usually, for individuals who meet the criteria of J-Skip, it has not been difficult to score 70 points or more in the original points-based system either.
Many of the additional preferential treatments are minor upgrades of the current preferential treatments. For example, even under the current points-based system, people who score 80 points or more are able to apply for Permanent Residency after 1 year.
We do not view this new scheme as a fundamental change, but it may still be of some interest for those who meet the criteria.
2. J- Find
There may not be many graduates of top-ranked universities who would want to spend up to 2 years in Japan searching for a job. For graduates who are planning to start a business in Japan, this new pathway may be convenient. The number of such individuals may be small.
How we can help
Vialto Partner’s Japan immigration team can assist employers and individuals to learn more about J-Skip or J-Find and apply for these new visa options.
Contact us
For a deeper discussion on the above, please reach out to your Vialto Partners point of contact, or alternatively: • Noriyuki Tominaga, Japan Immigration Partner | noriyuki.tominaga@vialto.com • Jia Ee, Japan Immigration Director | jia.ee@vialto.com • Yuko Furuya, Japan Immigration Manager | yuko.furuya@vialto.com Further information on Vialto Partners can be found here: www.vialtopartners.com
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