Hello, this is Hong from IMS Legal Professional Corporation. According to some reports, the Japanese government is expected to formulate a new basic policy on foreign national affairs as early as January 2026. It will be interesting to see what this policy will entail, and we will continue to monitor the latest developments closely.
Today, we would like to explain the simplification of required documents for applications for the "Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services" ("Engineering/Humanities" visa for short; also commonly known as the “Gijinkoku” visa). Under the current system, the documents required for submission vary depending on the category of the sponsoring organization (employer), and in certain cases, some documents may be omitted. Starting December 1, 2025, new operational rules have come into effect regarding the documents required for applications to change to the "Engineering/Humanities" visa. Under these new rules, if the conditions specified by Immigration are met, the scope of documents that may be omitted will be the same as those applicable to Category 2 organizations.
What Are the Sponsoring Organization Categories for "Engineering/Humanities" Visa Applications?
Sponsoring organizations are classified into four categories, from Category 1 to Category 4. This system is designed by Immigration to assess the size, stability, and reliability of the sponsoring organization (such as a company or institution). Depending on which category an organization falls under, the volume of required documents and the length of the review period can vary significantly.
At present, the statuses of residence that use this category classification system are as follows:
- Business Manager
- Researcher
- Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services
- Intra-Company Transferee
- Skilled Labor
Note: For “Highly Skilled Professional,” the category classification corresponding to the underlying status of residence also applies.
We have summarized which types of organizations fall under each category in the table below for your reference.
| Category 1 | Category 2 | Category 3 | Category 4 | |
| Category (Sponsoring Organization) | Organizations that fall under any of the following categories: 1. Companies listed on a Japanese stock exchange 2. Mutual insurance companies engaged in the insurance business 3. National or local governments of Japan or foreign countries 4. Independent administrative institutions 5. Special corporations or authorized corporations 6. Public interest corporations authorized by the national or local governments of Japan 7. Public corporations listed in Appendix 1 of the Corporate Tax Act 8. Companies eligible under items (a) or (b) in the “Special Bonus Points” column of the table in Article 1, Paragraph 1 of the Highly Skilled Professional Ministerial Ordinance (innovation-creating enterprises) For applicable entities, please refer to the “List of Innovation Promotion Support Measures” at the linked page. 9. Companies, etc. that meet certain conditions (PDF: 42KB) | Organizations that fall under any of the following: Organizations or individuals whose total amount of withholding tax for employment income, as stated in the statutory total withholding tax report (for the previous year), is JPY 10 million or more. Organizations that have submitted documents proving they fall under Category 3 and have been approved to use the Online Residence Application System. In cases involving a change of status from “Student,” applicants who fall under any of the following: a. Graduates (or expected graduates) of graduate schools, universities, or junior colleges in Japan b. Graduates of highly ranked overseas universities (limited to foreign universities ranked within the top 300 in at least two of the three major global university rankings) c. Individuals who changed their status from “Student” to a work status, subsequently renewed their period of stay while employed at the same sponsoring organization, and are currently employed by that organization | Organizations or individuals (excluding Category 2) that have submitted the statutory total report of withholding slips, etc., for employees’ employment income for the previous year. | Organizations or individuals that do not fall under any of the categories listed to the left. |
Expansion of Eligibility for Document Submission Exemptions
Starting in December 2025, new rules have come into effect, allowing applicants to omit required documents to the same extent as Category 2 organizations if any one of the following conditions is met.
Applicants changing status from “Student” who fall under any of the following:
- Graduates (or expected graduates) of graduate schools, universities, or junior colleges in Japan
- Graduates of highly ranked overseas universities (limited to foreign universities ranked within the top 300 in at least two of the three major global university rankings)
- Individuals who changed their status from “Student” to a work status, subsequently renewed their period of stay while employed at the same sponsoring organization, and are currently employed by that organization
The three major global university rankings:
- QS World University Rankings, published by Quacquarelli Symonds (https://www.topuniversities.com/university-rankings)
- Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings, published by Times Higher Education (https://www.timeshighereducation.com/world-university-rankings)
- Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU), published by Shanghai Ranking Consultancy (https://www.shanghairanking.com/rankings)
Required Documents for Category 2 Applications
If the sponsoring organization falls under Category 2, the following documents are required:
- Application for Permission to Change Status of Residence (with photograph attached)
- One of the following:
- Statutory total report of withholding slips, etc. for employees’ employment income for the previous year (copy)
- Document certifying approval to use the Online Residence Application System (such as the approval notification email)
[Limited to organizations that have submitted materials proving they fall under Category 3 and have been approved to use the Online Residence Application System] - Explanation Form Regarding Omission of Required Documents
If you wish to apply the document omission rules that came into effect on December 1, 2025, this form is required.
- Resume (any format is acceptable)
- Documents proving that the applicant meets the eligibility requirements for the "Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services" visa, such as educational background and work history
- Additional documents depending on the applicant’s individual circumstances
The above documents are the basic required documents only. Depending on the applicant’s situation, additional documents may be required, and Immigration may request further documentation during the screening process.
If you are a company representative experiencing difficulties with work visa applications for hiring foreign nationals, please feel free to contact us. At IMS Legal Professional Corporation, we provide one-stop support, from assessing application eligibility to delivering the final result.
Please note that this blog is based on information available at the time of writing. For the most up-to-date information, readers are responsible for confirming details through official government websites and other authoritative sources.
For more information, please contact us below ↓
https://imsvisa.support/en/contact/
