DESIGNATED ACTIVITIES FOR GRADUATES IN JAPAN designated no. 46 (特定活動 告示46号; hereinafter referred to as “GRADUATES in JAPAN“) is a VISA STATUS to engage in activities which require extensive knowledge, practical skills and high level of Japanese language proficiency acquired through the degree course in the university in Japan.

Different from ENGINEER/HUMANITIES visa status (技術・人文知識・国際業務), GRADUATES in JAPAN makes it possible to engage in the activities related to general hospitality/catering services, manufacturing works etc. at the same time as engaging jobs which require practical skills and extensive knowledge, while these activities is not allowed under Engineer/Humanities visa status.

However, there is a demerit you should note when you consider applying for the GRADUATES in JAPAN visa status: this visa status is to be given based on the employment at the contracting organization/company you specified when you apply for the visa status. Therefore, you will need to apply for Change of Visa Status when you leave the contracting organization/company and are hired by the different organization/company even if your job responsibility at the different company will be the same as or similar to the previous job.

Activities allowed under GRADUATES in JAPAN (No.46)

Activities must fall under either one of the below;

  1. Activities which requires smooth communication or mutual understanding by using Japanese language; job responsibilities relating to translation and/or interpretation, requiring mutual communication with others in Japanese language.
  2. Activities utilizing extensive knowledge and practical skills learnt at the university or graduate/postgraduate school in Japan; job responsibilities which generally requires academic knowledge learnt at the university etc., also being subject to Engineer/Humanities visa status (e.g. product development, public relations, planning, technology development, sales, management, education etc.) .

Examples of the activities allowed under GRADUATES in Japan (No. 46)

  • serving customers while engaging in the store management or the job as an interpreter at the restaurant/cafe
    → however, not allowed to engage in dish washing or cleaning only.
  • working on a production/assembly line while conveying and guiding the instruction of the Japanese workers to the foreign workers in foreign language at the production facility.
    → however, not allowed to engage in production/assembly line only.
  • serving customers at the store/shop while engaging in buying-in/sales jobs, product planning and interpretation work
    → however, not allowed to engage in unpacking/stocking goods and cleaning of the store/shop only.
  • public relations at the hotel/accommodation including development, establishment, update of the website as well as the translation work into foreign languages.
  • serving guests as a bellman or doorman at the hotel/accommodation while providing translation/interpretation as well as information for the foreign guests.
    → however, not allowed to engage in cleaning jobs.
  • working as a taxi driver at a taxi company who also serve as a tour guide and/or interpreter as well as planning of the tour (working as a general taxi driver is also OK)
    → however, not allowed to engage in cleaning and/or maintenance of vehicles only.
  • nursing care work at nursing and caring facility utilizing Japanese language while coaching foreign workers
    → however, not allowed to engage in cleaning/laundering at the facility only.
  • working on a production/assembly line while engaging in product planning and development communicating with other workers utilizing Japanese language at the food production company.
    → however, not allowed to engage in production/assembly line only.

IF YOU ARE NOT FAMILIAR WITH VISA PROCEDURES IN JAPAN,
JUMP TO INTRODUCTORY PAGES BELOW FIRST:

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BASIC REQUIREMENTS

Immigration Office judges your eligibility for the visa status comprehensively – In order to be eligible for this visa status, you need to have specific career, work experience and/or educational background in the related field you wish to engage in and to satisfy other basic requirements.

Here’s the list of basic requirements for GRADUATES in JAPAN (No. 46);

Basic Criteria

Regardless of which visa status you apply for, you need to satisfy basic criteria first;
>> WHAT IS VISA STATUS?

In addition to all the items listed on 1 – 4 below, you need to satisfy BOTH (A) and (B) ;

  1. You must engage in the activity allowed for GRADUATES in JAPAN No. 46.
  2. You should receive the same amount of salary or more compare with Japanese workers who engages in the same or related job responsibility. It is considered that you should be paid 200,000 yen or more monthly on average to make living in Japan.
  3. Your contracting organization/company must operate the business appropriately and the business and financial situation must be recognized as stable and continuous.
  4. Employment agreement must be recognized as continuous terms corresponding to the period of stay for the visa status you claims.
(A)Academic requirements
  • You have obtained bachelor or higher degree at the Japanese university.
  • 2-years collage (短期大学/Tanki-daigaku) is not applicable.
(B)Japanese proficiency requirements

You are applicable to one of the items listed below;

  • You have obtained N1 on JLPT (日本語能力試験 / Japanese Language Proficiency Test)
  • You have obtained 480 points or more on BJT(ビジネス日本語能力テスト / Business Japanese Proficiency Test)
  • You have obtained degrees major in Japanese language major at the university or graduate/postgraduate school in Japan or outside Japan.
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POINTS TO NOTE

  • GRADUATES in JAPAN (No. 46) visa status does not allow you to engage in only simple jobs which is to work as you are instructed.
  • Your work must be a full-time.
  • It is not allowed to work as a dispatch worker under GRADUATES in JAPAN (No. 46) visa status.
  • You will need to apply for Change of Visa Status when you start working at the new company after leaving the contracting organization/company even if the job responsibility is still applicable to the same GRADUATES in JAPAN visa status.
    >> CHANGE of VISA STATUS
  • You can bring/invite your spouse and children under this visa status. However, the visa status for your spouse and children will be “Designated Activities”, not “Dependent”.
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HOW to PROCESS

In case you are currently residing outside Japan yet or you are staying in Japan as a TEMPORARY VISITOR:
>> COE APPLICATION

In case you have been living in Japan under specific status and holding RESIDENCE CARD already:
>> CHANGE of VISA STATUS

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PERIOD of STAY

Each visa status has the expiration date – you can stay in Japan under the visa status during the specific period stated on Residence Card issued by Immigration Office.

Period of stay shall be decided by Immigration Office depends on the applicant’s circumstance, and it shall be either of 5 years, 3 years, 1 year, 6 months or 3 months.

In case you wish to extend the period of stay granted, you may apply for EXTENSION of PERIOD of STAY before the expiry date.
>> EXTENSION OF PERIOD OF STAY (VISA RENEWAL)

In case you would like to travel outside Japan temporarily under the visa status.
>> RE-ENTRY PERMIT

In case you start working at the new company after leaving the contracting organization/company.
>> CHANGE of VISA STATUS

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BASIC REQUIRED DOCUMENTS

The immigration office considers your eligibility for the visa status by your situation/career and by documents you provide. You must prepare documents which certify that the contents of the application are true and correct. The Immigration Office will request you additional documents at any time if they have any questions or would like to confirm the information you provided case by case.

Specific documents are varied depending on the situation of each applicant and the host organization/company, however, the basic documents for this visa status are as follows;

In case of COE APPLICATION and CHANGE of VISA STATUS

  1. Application Form
  2. Photo
  3. [In case of application for Change of Visa Status] Passport and Residence Card
  4. Documents to certify your job position/responsibility, salary, and term of employment
    • Employment Certificate, Notice of Employment etc.
    • Letter of Reason for Employment (not necessary in case that the required items are already listed on Employment Certificate etc.)
  5. Documents to certify your academic background; e.g. Certificate of Degree etc.
  6. [In case that your degree is based on the foreign university major in Japanese] Certificate of Degree etc.
  7. [In case that your degree is NOT based on the foreign university major in Japanease] Certificate of Level or Scoreon JLPT or BJT
  8. Documents to certify your visa sponsor and its business;
    • Certificate of Company Register
    • Company Overview
    • Company leaflet or copy of website (if any)

In case of EXTENSION of PERIOD of STAY

  1. Application form
  2. Photo
  3. Residence Card and Passport
  4. Tax/Income Certificate and Tax Payment Certificate for the latest year’s Resident Tax (直近の住民税の課税・所得証明書および納税証明書)

NOTE / REMARK

  • All the documents written in foreign languages need to attach the Japanese translation.
  • Additional documents may be requested by the Immigration Office during the screening.
  • Any certificate issued by the Japanese authorities (Tax/Income Certificate, Certificate of Residence, Certificate of Company Register etc.) has to be the one issued within 3 months before the date of application.
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