Hello, this is Ito of IMS. Before going to work, I came across a news story about a foreign student who made a reservation to attend a company information session, but had their reservation cancelled without prior notice by the company. According to the company's explanation, this was because there had been a case in the past where an application to change the status of residence to “Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services" was not approved.
Allowable work under the "Engineer / Specialist in Humanities / International Services" visa
Although it depends on the nature of the work you plan to engage in, it is certainly a difficult application to obtain the status of residence of “Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services" in the food service industry. Simply put, “Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services" is a status of residence for those with specialized knowledge and skills, so it does not apply to jobs that involve serving customers or cooking in a restaurant.
If there is no set period of time for working onsite, as is often the case in the food service industry, which expects employees to first gain experience onsite for several years first before they are assigned to a department at the headquarters based on their demonstrated qualifications, the “Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services" visa status cannot be granted. On the other hand, if an employee is expected to be assigned to the headquarters as an executive candidate from when they first join the company, they are allowed to gain experience in the field for a certain period of time as part of their training to understand the company. The Immigration Services Agency of Japan provides the following information on its website.
Difference from Specified Activities (No. 46) visa
◎Work experience training allowed under the status of residence of "Engineer/Humanities/International Services”:
https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/content/001343659.pdf
In the case that changing your status of residence to “Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services" is difficult, if you have graduated from a Japanese four-year university or above and have Japanese language skills equivalent to Level 1 of the Japanese Language Proficiency Test, there is another status of residence called "Designated Activities (No. 46)". This status encompasses a broader range of activities than the “Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services" status, and allows the holder to serve Japanese customers in stores, which is not allowed under the “Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services" status. This status of residence was established as a means of providing relief to foreign students that have studied in Japan but have no choice but to return to their home countries because they were unable to find employment despite their attempts to find a job.
https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/publications/materials/nyuukokukanri07_00038.html
Even if you only meet the requirements, this indicates that you are an excellent student and possess high qualifications as a potential hire. We also handle applications for change of status to "Designated Activities (No. 46)," and our impression is that these students are very talented. In addition, there is no restriction on the period of activity under this status of residence, and in the case that the student begins working at the head office after a period of work experience at storefronts, it is possible to apply for a change of status of residence to "Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services". However, it is also true that many students prefer to apply for change of status of residence to "Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services".
I have the impression that the screening process for the “Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services" status of residence has become stricter since the "Designated Activities (No. 46)" and "Specified Skilled Worker (i) (food service industry)" were established. Although the student that experienced this incident turned out to be a Japanese citizen and did not actually need to consider residence status, we hope that companies will be more willing to consider a wider range of residence statuses and expand the possibilities for foreign students who wish to find employment in Japan, rather than canceling their attendance at job fairs. They may turn out to become outstanding talents in the future.
For more information, please contact us below ↓
https://imsvisa.support/en/contact/
