Visa (status of residence)

Skill visa

Updated: July 2026, 1




Skilled visas are mainly required for those who wish to work in Japan with specialized and skilled skills, such as foreign cuisine cooks, pilots, sports instructors, animal trainers, sommeliers, and precious metal and fur processing craftsmen. Residence status (visa).

Furthermore, under the Immigration Control Act, it is defined as "activities that involve engaging in work that requires skilled skills in a special industrial field based on a contract with a public or private institution in Japan."

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Skills visa requirements

To obtain a skilled worker visa, you must meet the following requirements:

  • work experience: A certain period of practical experience is required.
  • Employment contract: Have a formal employment contract with a Japanese company or organization.
  • Proof of Skill: Have qualifications and achievements that prove your skills related to the job.
  • Activities: The activities in Japan are appropriate.

For those who want to know more about skilled visasCLICK HERE

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Skilled visa application support

XNUMX.Service contents

➀Confirmation of requirements necessary for application and consulting

We conduct a hearing to understand your situation, confirm requirements, identify concerns, and propose solutions.
Based on our past cases, we will guide you to obtain approval even for challenging applications.

② Information on required documents

In addition to the documents to be submitted listed on the Immigration Bureau website, we will guide you through the necessary documents tailored to each customer's individual situation. In some cases, we may be able to obtain certificates on your behalf.

③Preparation of application documents

We prepare all the necessary documents and quickly create an application.
As needed, we will prepare a statement of reasons that addresses concerns and highlights key points.

④Application to the Immigration Bureau

Applications to the Immigration Bureau will be made by our administrative scrivener.
You do not need to go to the immigration office (although you may have to go in person).
If a request for additional documents is received after the application, we will handle it on your behalf.

⑤Receipt of Approval

Our administrative scrivener will also receive your Certificate of Eligibility or the new residence card.

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2. Application process

When hiring someone who lives in Japan

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The first consultation regarding your application is free of charge.
Consultations are available in Chinese, Korean, English, and Vietnamese, and after-hours and weekend consultations are also available if you make a reservation (negotiable).
Please contact us by phone or via the inquiry form.

Consultation and application


After confirming the current situation, we will explain our application policy.
Please consult with the person in charge regarding payment timing and success fees.
Once you are satisfied with the estimated amount and service content, please make your request.

Document Preparation


We will collect and prepare the necessary documents for the application.
We also translate documents in Chinese, Korean, English, and Vietnamese.
*Note: Additional costs for obtaining certificates (actual costs) and translation fees (1,000 yen per page) are to be borne by clients.

Apply to the Immigration Bureau


Our administrative scrivener will apply for a highly skilled professional visa to the Immigration Bureau on your behalf.
Customers can apply without going to the Immigration Bureau.

Notification of Approval


You will receive a notification from the Immigration Bureau, and then our administrative scrivener will go to the Immigration Bureau to process the issuance of a new residence card.

When inviting and employing people from overseas

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The first consultation regarding skill visa application is free of charge.
Consultations are available in Chinese, English, Vietnamese, and Korean, as well as after-hours and weekend consultations if you make a reservation.
Please contact us by phone or via the inquiry form.
Consultation and application

After confirming the current situation, we will explain our application policy.
Once you are satisfied with the estimated amount and service content, please make your request.
Please consult with the person in charge regarding payment timing and success fees.
Document Preparation

We will collect and prepare the necessary documents for skill visa application.
We also translate documents in Chinese, Korean, and English.
*Note: Additional costs for obtaining certificates (actual costs) and translation fees (1,000 yen per page) are to be borne by clients.
Application to the Immigration Bureau

Our administrative scrivener will apply for a visa at the Immigration Bureau on your behalf.
You do not need to visit Immigration Bureau yourself.
Receive certificate of eligibility(COE)

If there are no problems as a result of the review, we will receive the "Certificate of Eligibility" necessary for obtaining a visa.
After payment of the fee, we will give this certificate to the client.
If the application is denied, we will reapply according to the applicant's request.
Sending Certificate to the Applicant's Country and Visa Application

The client sends the Certificate of Eligibility to the applicant's home country. The applicant then applies for the visa at the local Japanese consulate. Once the visa is issued, the applicant can enter Japan. Please note that the Certificate of Eligibility is valid for three months from the date of issuance.

3. Benefits of requesting services from us

Specialized Visa Team

Our company provides support through a team of visa specialists with extensive experience and know-how.
Our staff, who have obtained permission for many difficult cases, will respond courteously and speedily.

Fast Response

 Our motto is fast response.

 We establish specialized teams for each project, and our systematized processes enable quick response.

 We handle your applications swiftly and reliably.

Thorough Examination of "Employer" and "Applicant" Requirements

To obtain a visa, you must meet the requirements of the company and the applicant who will be employed.
Visa application records are managed by the Immigration Bureau, and records of incomplete requirements are also left behind.
We fully understand the customer's current situation and make sure that there are no flaws in the application.

Multilingual Support

We can also provide support in Chinese, English, Korean, and Vietnamese.
We have many foreign employees, so foreign applicants can feel at ease.

Expiration Date Management

After obtaining a visa and hiring a foreigner, the visa must be renewed.
We also support deadline management, so we can also provide information on renewals upon request.

Nationwide Support

We have offices in Tokyo, Nagoya, and Osaka, and can handle applications to immigration bureaus across the country.

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4. Our application record

Case 1) We want to bring in Chinese food chefs from China.

・Consultation from a Chinese man (40s).
・I have just started running a Chinese restaurant.
・We want to bring in chefs from China.

This case is, ① Chef's technique,② Store menuwere the main points of the application.

①About the chef's skills
General requirements for skilled visasis to have“at least 10 years of practical experience”.
This requirement is not something that can be met simply by working at a restaurant for 10 years;You are required to have mastered advanced cooking techniques over a period of 10 years.


In the case of Chinese cuisine like this one, the chef is required to have the skills to be able to serve a full course of Chinese cuisine.
Therefore, regarding the practical experience that the chef has accumulated,
・What kind of restaurant was it?
・What kind of cooking experience do you have?
Regarding the above two points,proof of the years of practical experience 


②About the restaurant menu
Is there a need to hire a chef with advanced cooking skills?This will also be a point of review.
This restaurant had only recently opened, so the menu was limited. Therefore,We have created a tentative menu to show what kinds of dishes could be incorporated if a chef can be brought over. 

Regarding the above two points, I was able to get permission without any problems because I thoroughly understood the main points and proved them.


Your company also supported my investment management visa (currently a business manager visa), so I'm glad I asked them to help me with this application. I have many chef friends in China who wanted to work with me at the restaurant I manage. They've all been working as chefs for over 10 years, so I thought anyone would be fine.

If I had applied on my own, it might not have worked. I was approved the first time, and my friend and I were overjoyed.
Although it is still a small shop, we are working hard together with close friends. The temporary menu has successfully become the real menu (lol) Thank you very much.

Case 2) I want to renew the visa of a chef who has not paid resident tax.

・Consultation from a Japanese man (40s).
・I run a Thai restaurant.
・Six months ago, the cook at the Thai restaurant I run quit, so I hired another one.
・My chef's visa was about to expire, so I decided to renew it myself.
・While preparing the necessary documents, I discovered that I had not been able to pay my resident tax.
・I came to seek advice because I didn't know what to do.

Not limited to this case, there are many people who are worried about not being able to prepare the necessary documents for the application, but some of the documents required by the Immigration Bureau are actuallyThere are many other documents that can be used.


Regarding the documents required for permission,
Analyze what the officer wants to confirm during the examination

Submit another document or add an explanation

It will be possible to proceed with the examination

This is the flow.

As in this case, if there is a shortage of tax certificates, the application points are:Proof that there are no problems with livelihood stability or behavior.
This time, by adding materials and explanations that covered key points, we were able to get permission without any problems.

The visa deadline for the cook I had hired and got used to working with was approaching, and I had to apply as soon as possible, but I panicked when I realized that I couldn't prepare the necessary documents.
I was worried so I consulted with them, but they didn't really worry me and said, ``As long as you explain it properly and submit replacement documents, you'll be fine,'' which put me at ease.
They provided accurate advice on alternative documents and completed the application in a short period of time.
It was helpful to receive advice not only about immigration procedures, but also things to be careful of as an employer. Since then, I have consulted with him on various matters.

Case 3: I would like to invite my mother to work as a cook at a Russian restaurant in Shikoku.

・Consultation from a Russian man (30s).
・Currently staying on a permanent resident visa.
・Started a Russian restaurant in Shikoku.
・As it is a specialty restaurant, I would like to hire a chef who can bring out authentic flavors.
・I want to hire a mother who lives in Russia.
・My mother came to Japan on a short-term visitor visa.
・I want permission during my stay.
・I couldn't find an administrative scrivener who was knowledgeable about visas in my hometown, so I came to ask for advice.

This case was a request from Shikoku, and the following two points were the key points of the review.
・It must be a restaurant in a country where there are not many specialty restaurants.
・Jurisdiction is a local city

The general review of residence status is basically subject to the discretion of each jurisdiction.Discretion means that free judgment is permitted within a certain range.


During visa screening, even if you meet the required conditions and submit all the required documents, it is not guaranteed that your application will be approved.Even for the same visa, the decision may be slightly different depending on the jurisdiction.
For this reason, having a track record of applications in various jurisdictions and in various cases will be a plus for the application process.

We are
- Offices in Tokyo, Nagoya, and Osaka
・We have a track record of nationwide support from Hokkaido to Kyushu.
・Understand the characteristics of jurisdiction and various cases
And based on that informationWe will carry out the procedure while keeping in mind the points that differ depending on jurisdiction and case.

This time it was a request from Shikoku.
As expected, there are fewer visa procedures than in the Kanto and Kansai regions, and there are fewer administrative scriveners who specialize in procedures.

We have a wealth of experience in a variety of areas, so you can rely on us with confidence.
This case was also successfully approved.

When applying for a work visa for my mother, I first looked for an administrative scrivener locally, but there was no one that specialized in visa procedures.
At a loss as to what to do, I searched on the internet and found out about this office, which covers all over the country, so I consulted with them.
The process progressed in a short period of time, mainly through email, phone calls, and postal mail, and I was successfully granted permission while staying in Japan. thank you very much.

Case 4) I applied for it myself several months ago and it was rejected, but I still want a visa.

・Consultation from a Japanese man (30s).
・I run an Indian restaurant.
・I applied for a visa on my own in order to bring in a skilled Indian cook, but it was rejected.
・Several months after the approval was denied, the chef who had been employed for a long time suddenly resigned.
・We are temporarily getting help from an acquaintance, but it will be difficult to manage the business as it is.
・We would like to somehow attract an Indian chef who was rejected last time.

Just because your previous application was denied doesn't mean you won't be granted permission this time.
In order to receive permission by re-applying,It is necessary that the situation that was the reason for refusal in the past has been improved..


Reason for rejection in previous application
・The store is in poor management condition.
・I can't afford to hire multiple cooks.
That was the decision that was made.

In this re-application
・Objective proof that the business situation is gradually improving through steady efforts.
・It has been proven that there is no problem in hiring a new chef.

The above two points were the key points.


as objective data
・Since the original chef has retired, the number of employees will not change, soexplain that the financial burden will not increase.
・Various contracts proving cost savings
・Based on trial balance, a comparative analysis of the business conditions with the previous year is conducted.
etc. with the client.prepare togetherBy doing so, I was granted permission.

 

 

I'm happy that this person and a carefully selected chef will be working with me in India.

I believe this will improve the store's sales. thanks so much.

Case 5) Business license has not been issued yet, but you would like to apply for a visa as soon as possible

・Request from a Nepali man
・I want to hire 5 people for the opening of a new restaurant.
・Business license has not been issued yet.
・Because we needed to hurry up with the application, we applied before the business license was issued and responded by making additional submissions.

If you apply before the business license is issued, as in this case,
I needed to use alternative materials to explain that I was preparing to open a store.


In response, we submitted the store's lease agreement, photos of the inside of the store, and a business permit application receipt, and the permit was successfully granted.

In addition, this time, five people applied at the same time, but by submitting documents explaining the size of the store and the small number of employees,
I think we were able to emphasize the need to invite five people.

 

 

I was able to apply with confidence because I was told exactly what documents were needed for the application.

Also, since the business permit was submitted to the Immigration Bureau as soon as it was issued, I was very relieved that it was delivered in time for the business start date.

I would like to continue to request your services in the future. Please come and visit our store.

Case 6) Want to increase the number of employees on skilled visas

・Manage Nepali Indian cuisine
・Apply for 3 people to secure staff for the restaurant
・Request for one more person to apply while applying

Basically, if there are employees already working on a skilled visa at one store,
Permits tend to be less likely.
Therefore, it is necessary to carefully explain the necessity of securing personnel.


After explaining the reason for the additional application to the Immigration Bureau and submitting documents proving that sales were increasing, permission was granted without any additional documents.

 

 

Thanks to you, the store is thriving and there are no problems with business.

If I hadn't hired another person at that time, I think it would have been difficult to keep the store open.

Next time I hire someone, I will ask Support Administrative Scrivener Corporation.

Case 7) We would like to invite a new chef to expand our store.

・Companies that operate multiple restaurants
・We have received repeated applications to invite chefs.
・We also requested to invite a Thai cuisine chef this time.

Because we receive a large number of requests on an ongoing basis, we have little interaction with the person in charge.
I was able to proceed with the application smoothly.

Visa procedures are complex, time-consuming, and time-consuming.
By contacting us, we can carry out the procedure efficiently and accurately.

This time, there were additional instructions from the Immigration Bureau,
As a result of responding quickly and in cooperation with the person in charge, we were able to receive the results safely within about two weeks after receiving additional instructions.

 

 

By always asking the support administrative scrivener firm for help, we were able to have the applications processed more smoothly than if we had done it ourselves.

By outsourcing your visa procedures, you can focus on your core business!
Thank you for your continued support.

Customer feedback

The visa deadline for the chef I had hired and had become accustomed to working with was approaching, and I had to apply as soon as possible, but I panicked when I realized that I couldn't prepare the necessary documents.
I was worried so I consulted with them, but they didn't really worry me and said, ``As long as you explain it properly and submit replacement documents, you'll be fine,'' which put me at ease.
They gave us accurate advice on alternative documents and completed the application in a short period of time.
It was helpful to receive advice not only on immigration procedures but also on things to be careful of as an employer.
Since then, we have been consulting on various issues.
Your company also supported me with my business manager visa, and I am glad I asked for this application as well.
I have many fellow chefs in China who I wanted to work with at the restaurant I run.
Everyone had been working as chefs for over 10 years, so I thought everyone would be fine.
However, if I had applied on my own, it might not have been possible.
I was approved the first time, and my friend and I were overjoyed. Although it is still a small shop, we are working hard together with close friends.
The temporary menu has successfully become the real menu (lol) Thank you very much.
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What is a skill visa?

1. Application requirements

In order to apply for a skilled worker visa, you must meet all three requirements below.

① Must have practical experience appropriate to the skill content

Occupations requiring 10 years or more of work experience

Cooks (excluding Thai cooks), construction engineers, foreign product manufacturers/repairers, precious metal/fur processing craftsmen, animal trainers, excavation surveyors

Occupations requiring 5 years or more of work experience

thai cook

Other duties requiring work experience

【pilot】
 Over 1,000 hours of flight experience
[Sports coach]
 3 or more years of work experience as a coach or experience participating in international competitions as an athlete
[Sommelier]
 Must have more than 5 years of work experience. In addition, one of the following applies.
 ・Achieved excellent results in competitions
 ・Participated in the International Sommelier Competition
 ・Have a qualification recognized by the national or local government (possible in foreign countries), etc., as determined by public announcement by the Minister of Justice.

② Receive compensation equal to or higher than that of a Japanese person

As a guide18 JPY or more per monthmust have received compensation.

③ Stability of the employer and the need to employ the visa applicant

First, the management of the place of employment must be stable.
Additionally, the visa applicant must be competent and have a strong need for employment.

XNUMX.Required documents

The documents required to apply for a skilled worker visa are as follows.
Please note that many materials from the inviting company/store will also be required.

*The documents below are just examples. Depending on the customer's situation,
 Please note that in some cases additional documents may be required.

For general new applications

[Required documents related to the person]

  • Application form for issuance of certificate of residence status
  • Photo (4cm x 3cm)
  • Reply envelope
  • A copy of your passport
  • Resume: Document that shows that you have engaged in work that requires the skills you are applying for.
  • Copy of employment contract
  • Copy of qualification certificate

 
[Required documents related to companies (stores)]

  • Statutory record total table
  • Copy of financial statements for the most recent year
  • Certificate of registered information for company (store) (copy of register)

For new chef applications

When a chef applies for a skilled worker visa, in addition to the above documents, the following documents are also required.
 

[For chefs (other than Thai chefs)]

  • Certificate of employment from the company (store) you previously belonged to
  • If there is a certificate issued by a public institution, a copy of the certificate (if you are a Chinese chef, hukou register or professional qualification certificate)

 
[For Thai chefs]

  • Documents proving 5 years or more of work experience as a Thai chef
  • Certificate of skill level as a Thai chef at beginner level or above
  • A document certifying that you have received reasonable compensation as a Thai chef in Thailand during the year immediately preceding the date of application.

Nationwide support

In principle, we respond to inquiries on the same day or the next business day.


If you do not hear from us for more than 2 business days, the message may not have been sent.
We apologize for the inconvenience, but please contact us again using this form.

 

We also accept consultations over the phone.
The first consultation is free.

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    Free consultation available!
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