[Japan Visa] Expatriate (Employment) Visa ｜Certificate of Eligibility for Residence (COE)

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If you need to obtain a visa to dispatch an expatriate to Japan,
We will tell you what the types are and how they work.

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We are planning to dispatch an expatriate to our Japanese branch.
It is said that the qualifications and procedures for obtaining permission to work or engage in economic activities in Japan are very difficult.
How should I prepare specifically?

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1. What is a Certificate of Eligibility for Residence?

The Certificate of Eligibility for Residence is a certificate that can be applied for and issued by local immigration offices in Japan, and is a certificate that can be applied for and issued by representatives of Japanese companies or schools that wish to accept foreigners.

If you intend to stay in Japan for a long period of time, such as an expatriate, you can obtain a Japanese visa more quickly and preparedly by receiving a certificate of eligibility for residence.

Q. Is the Certificate of Eligibility for Residence a Japanese visa? A. The Certificate of Eligibility for Residence and the Japanese Visa are different certificates. The Certificate of Eligibility for Residence is used to obtain a Japanese visa when staying in Japan for a long period of time (usually 90 days or more). The Certificate of Eligibility for Residence is issued with permission from the Ministry of Justice of Japan. A Japanese visa, called shasho (査証) in Chinese characters and visa (ビザ) in Japanese loanword notation (katakana), refers to a landing permit that must be presented when entering Japan for a short or long-term stay. Foreigners (non-Japanese nationals) wishing to stay in Japan must obtain a Japanese visa from a Japanese embassy or Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

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2. Status of residence for employment activities

Foreigners who are recognized for employment must have the qualifications of a full-time employee (regular worker or contract worker for more than one year), and the status of residence is determined according to the applicant’s job, not the company’s industry. For example, if the official job of an applicant wishing to work for a food company is accounting, the applicant must be granted a status of residence for ‘legal/accounting work’.

. , etc. such as Those who hold a national qualification as a nursing care worker, such as 1

Status of residence	Duration of stay	Cases
Professor	1 year / 3 years / 5 years, etc.	University professor, associate professor, assistant, etc.
Art	1 year / 3 years / 5 years, etc.	Composer, lyricist, painter, sculptor, craftsman, photographer, etc.
Religion	1 year / 3 years / 5 years, etc.	Missionaries, monks, priests, etc. dispatched by religious organizations outside of Japan
Reporting	1 year / 3 years / 5 years, etc.	Reporters, camera operators, editors, anchors, announcers, etc. from news organizations outside of Japan
Management/Management	1 year / 3 years / 5 years, etc.	Corporate president, executives and managers of personnel, etc.
Lawyers, accountants, judicial scriveners, etc. with qualifications recognized in Japan,	such as 1 year/3 years/5 years of	legal/accounting work
Medical personnel, vulnerable persons, etc. with qualifications recognized in Japan	such as 1 year / 3 years / 5 years of	medical treatment
1 year / 3 years / 5 years	of research	Researchers affiliated with government-related organizations and private companies, etc.
Education	1 year / 3 years / 5 years, etc.	Elementary/middle school/high school teachers, etc.
Technology, humanities knowledge, international affairs	1 year / 3 years / 5 years, etc.	Science and engineering technicians, IT technicians, interpreters, translations, foreign language teachers, designers, general affairs, etc.
Persons who are transferred to a branch (branch, head office, etc.) in Japan of the same company,	intra-company transfer for	1 year / 3 years / 5 years
Skills:	1 year / 3 years / 5 years, etc.	Cook, pilot, trainer, etc.
year	/3 years/5 years of	nursing care, or those who have graduated or are about to graduate from a school designated by the Ministry of Education and Culture and the Ministry of Health, Welfare, and a training facility designated by a prefectural governor.
Box office success	6 months / 1 year / 3 years, etc.	Actors, singers, dancers, professional athletes, models, professional gamers, professional engineers, etc.
Technical Training	No. 1: Up to 1 year	No. 2 / No. 3: Up to 2 years,	technical trainee with nationality of 16 countries*
Advanced Professional	Class 1: Up to 5 years	Issue 2: Indefinite
Specific function	No. 1: 4 months, 6 months, 1 year	No. 2: 6 months, 1 year, 3 years, indefinite extension possible	Those who have taken and passed the exam corresponding to each category

※ Learn more about special residence status
※ Learn more about status of residence that does not allow employment

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3. Japan expatriate entry procedure

When receiving a Certificate of Eligibility for Residence
: Preparation of documents → Application for Certificate of Eligibility for Residence → Issuance of Certificate of Eligibility for Residence → Application for mid- to long-term residence visa (visa) at diplomatic missions (embassies, consulates, etc.) outside of Japan → Issuance of visa → Submission of Certificate of Eligibility for Residence (original) when entering Japan

*In principle, all documents must be submitted within 3 months from the date of issuance.
**All submitted documents will not be returned to the foreign applicant. (It is recommended to prepare copies in advance before submission.)

If you do not receive a Certificate of Eligibility for Residence
: Document preparation → Document screening → Visa issuance under the authority of the Japanese Embassy (overseas diplomatic mission)

*In principle, all documents must be submitted within 3 months from the date of issuance.
**All submitted documents will not be returned to the foreign applicant. (It is recommended to prepare copies in advance before submission.)

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4. Certificate of Eligibility for Residence and Japan Visa Application Procedure

① Application for Certificate of Eligibility for Residence
Japan’s Certificate of Eligibility for Residence is similar to the invitation letter issued to applicants by the country where they wish to stay.
Therefore, the certificate of eligibility for residence is submitted to the Immigration Services Agency under the Ministry of Justice in Japan by the company, school, or spouse to which the applicant plans to work.

② Preparation of application documents
In addition to the application form, we prepare documents that prove the applicant’s qualifications.
At this time, you can receive help with guidance and preparation of necessary documents through an administrative scrivener certified in Japan.

③ Screening
The Immigration Services Agency will conduct review and screening.
The screening process usually takes 1 to 3 months, and the period varies depending on the Immigration Bureau and branch office.

④ Issuance
The Immigration Services Agency issues an (electronic) Certificate of Eligibility for Residence to the affiliated agency.

⑤ Visa application and issuance
The affiliated institution will deliver the (electronic) certificate of eligibility to the applicant by international mail or email.
Apply for and receive a visa at the embassy in the country of nationality of the applicant foreigner.
In the case of the Republic of Korea, each region is governed by the Embassy of Japan in Korea, the Consulate General of Japan in Busan, and the Consulate General of Japan in Korea.
Additionally, you can only apply for a visa through a company (travel agency, etc.) that has official access to a diplomatic mission abroad.

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5. Japan Visa Features

In order to obtain a Japanese visa, a more careful qualification review and document preparation process is required.

Although the Certificate of Eligibility is not a necessary document for a visa or stay in Japan, it is a certificate that must be prepared first for corporations wishing to dispatch expatriates to Japan, such as shortening the time required for residence permit and visa issuance.

At this time, since the Certificate of Eligibility for Residence Eligibility is issued within Japan and the visa issuance is issued outside of Japan (the country of nationality of the applicant foreigner), close communication with each visa support company is most important.

Since Japan’s Ministry of Justice is in charge of issuing certificates of eligibility, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is in charge of issuing visas, it is recommended to seek help from a company with expertise and reliability.

Unlike other countries, a visa to enter Japan cannot be applied for by an individual, and can only be issued through an agency approved by the diplomatic mission abroad.

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Softlanders Visa Service

One-stop Japanese expatriate visa service provided

Softlanders can issue everything from certificates of eligibility to visas through alliances within and outside of Japan. Meet an administrative scrivener certified in Japan and a visa agency approved by an overseas embassy all at once at SoftLanders!

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Customized visa consultation for expatriates

You can receive consultation on the status of residence that best suits the various nationalities and qualifications of the assigned expatriate. Talk to an expert about the most efficient and fastest residency status right now!

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Efficient visa preparation

Additional work such as translation and notarization required during the visa issuance process can also be performed through Softlanders Alliance. Get help from the Alliance, which specializes in translation and notarization, depending on the type of document, purpose of submission, and destination!

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More benefits and advantages

In addition to this, the Softlanders platform has many more diverse advantages. Check it out on our platform!