What are the procedures and necessary documents for foreigners with a highly skilled professional visa to change jobs?
Updated: July 2025, 3
"I have an advanced professional visa, but what procedures do I need to go through when changing jobs?" "Reapplying for a visa seems like a hassle, what should I do?" I'm sure many of you have questions like these.
This article explains in detail what procedures and necessary documents foreigners who hold a highly skilled professional visa need to go through when considering changing jobs in Japan.
Highly Skilled Professional No. 1 is a status of residence given to foreigners with advanced specialized knowledge and skills. This includes activities in areas such as research, technology and business management, and is expected to contribute particularly to Japan's economic growth and strengthening of its international competitiveness.
To obtain this visa, you will need to go through a points-based evaluation system, and you will need to earn at least 70 points in areas such as your educational background, work history, and annual income.
The points system is assessed based on the following criteria:
Educational History If you have a college degree or higher, you will receive extra points. You can expect to get a high score, especially if you hold a PhD.
Career history The more work experience you have, the more points you will receive. In addition, among the activities that fall under the status of residence of "Engineer / Specialist in Humanities / International Services", Please note that "international business" (translation, interpretation, overseas trading, etc.) does not apply. *Excluding those who have majored in and completed related subjects at a university, etc.
annual income If you earn a certain amount of annual income or more, you will receive points according to that amount. The higher your annual income, the more points you can earn.
age The younger the age group, the higher the points. This is an evaluation that takes into account the individual's future contributions to Japan.
Advanced Professional 2
Highly-skilled professional No. 2 is a status of residence that can be transferred to if you continue the activities of No. 1 for more than three years and meet certain conditions. Type 2 allows for a wider range of activities, making it possible to engage in almost all activities permitted under employment-related residence status. In addition, Type 2 holders will be granted preferential treatment that makes their period of stay "indefinite." The specific benefits are as follows:
Freedom of work Compared to Type 1, Type 2 makes it possible to take on multiple tasks and duties simultaneously, expanding your career path after changing jobs.
"Unlimited" period of stay For Highly Skilled Professional No. 2, the period of stay is "indefinite." You can stay in Japan long-term just by renewing your residence card. This is a great advantage for those who want to take advantage of the preferential treatment for highly skilled professionals.
Reapplication required for changing jobs on an advanced professional visa
If a foreigner with an advanced professional visa changes jobs, they will need to reapply. This is to ensure that your new employer offers you equal or better conditions than your previous employer.
Required documents
You will need to submit the required documents listed below and be evaluated again using the points system. These documents will be submitted to the Immigration Services Agency for review. After the examination, you will be able to obtain a new residence card.
The process can take anywhere from a few weeks to a few months, so it's best to start the process as soon as you've decided to change jobs.
In the case of Advanced Professional No. 1
Application for permission to change status of residence
4 photo (3cm x 1cm)
Passport and residence card
Point calculation table
Copy of employment contract
Company overview
Documents verifying your educational and employment history
Documents verifying annual income (salary statement, tax withholding slip, etc.)
Other points of evidence
[Caution] Changing your place of employment may mean you are no longer able to meet the points requirements
When a foreign national with a Highly Skilled Professional visa changes jobs, they must apply for permission to change their residence status from Highly Skilled Professional to Highly Skilled Professional. The points-based system for highly skilled professionals is a system in which applicants are evaluated based on various factors such as educational background, work history, annual income, and age, and residence status is granted if they meet certain criteria. Therefore, since these points are only recognized by your current company, if you change jobs, you will need to have your points re-evaluated.
Therefore, when changing jobs, you must carefully consider whether you will be able to meet the same benchmarks at your new employer. If the conditions at your new workplace change after changing jobs, and your annual salary becomes lower than your previous job or your job duties change, your points may be recalculated and fall below the benchmark.
If your points do not reach the standard when you reapply, your application will be rejected. You will need to change your status of residence from an Advanced Professional visa to a different visa, such as an Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services visa. Please be aware that making changes not only takes time to process, but also requires new conditions to be met in order to obtain a new residence status.
Specific points to note
Fluctuations in annual income
If your annual income decreases as a result of changing jobs, there is a risk that your points will decrease significantly. Since annual income has a large impact on point evaluation, it is important to carefully check the salary conditions.
Changes in job description
We will check whether the job content of your new workplace meets the points evaluation criteria for the Highly Skilled Professional Visa. If the job content is not a specific job such as research or technological development, points may not be added.
Evaluation of the workplace
Whether the new employer is stable as a company and has a good business situation will also affect your points. It is important to take into account the company profile and financial situation of the new employer.
Other conditions
How your educational and work history relate to the new job will also affect your points, so it's important to look at the conditions comprehensively.
When planning a job change, it is important to check these points in advance and carefully decide whether you can meet the benchmarks. Also, just in case you need to change your status of residence, it would be a good idea to understand the conditions and procedures for alternative status of residence.
No need to reapply for other visas
Example: For Engineer, Specialist in Humanities, and International Services visas
In principle, if you hold an Engineer, Specialist in Humanities, or International Services visa, you do not need to apply for a residence status when changing jobs. All you need to do is notify the change in your place of employment in the "Notification regarding your affiliation."
Detailed information about your place of employment will be submitted when you renew your residence status, provided that the duties of your job remain essentially the same. The procedures for changing jobs are relatively simple, but unlike highly skilled professional visas, there may be fewer benefits available.
*Please note that the job content of the new job does not necessarily qualify as "Technical/Specialist in Humanities/International Services" activities. If you are unsure, you can apply for a Certificate of Authorized Employment. It is possible to get approval from the immigration authorities that your activity is relevant.
Benefits of Highly Skilled Professional Visa
The biggest advantage of the highly-skilled professional visa is that it allows you to apply for permanent residence early. If you have a score of 1 for the Highly Skilled Professional No. 70, and have resided in Japan for more than three years, you can apply for permanent residency if you have a score of 3 or more and have resided in Japan for more than one year. There are also many other benefits, such as being allowed to bring your parents along (subject to conditions) and no restrictions on your spouse's working hours. Another major benefit is that visa renewal can be completed smoothly thanks to a points system based on annual income and educational background.
Specific benefits of the highly skilled professional visa
Faster Permanent Residency Application
Compared to regular residence status, the requirements for applying for permanent residence are relaxed, and it is possible to obtain permanent residency sooner. This allows you to stabilize your long-term life base in Japan.
Preferential treatment for families
Usually, the spouses of foreign workers can work if they obtain permission to engage in activities other than those permitted under the status of residence permitted under the visa, but they are limited to working 28 hours a week. However, the spouses of highly skilled foreign professionals can work without restrictions on the number of hours they can work. In addition, they can engage in certain residence activities even if they do not meet the requirements for educational background or work history.
Degree of freedom in work
Normally, you can only engage in one activity permitted by your status of residence. With an advanced professional visa, you can take on multiple jobs. This allows you to engage in multiple activities, such as conducting research at a Japanese university while also managing a business, broadening your career path.
Allowing parents to accompany
Other types of residence status do not allow parents to stay in Japan, but in the case of highly-skilled professionals, if certain requirements are met (pregnant or with a small child, annual income of 800 million yen or more, etc.), highly-skilled foreign nationals or their spouses' parents (including adoptive parents) can also be granted residence in Japan.
Summary
When a foreigner with an advanced professional visa changes jobs in Japan, they will need to apply for a change of status. However, by having a solid understanding of the procedures and necessary documents, they will be able to make the change of job smoothly. It is especially important to meet the requirements for evaluation based on a points system, so it is necessary to make sufficient preparations before changing jobs.
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