New to the Engineer Visa? Read Part 1: Eligibility Requirements first.
Meeting the basic eligibility requirements does not automatically result in approval.
Immigration examines the application as a whole. It considers the applicant’s qualifications, the actual duties, the employment conditions, the employer’s business, and whether all documents present a consistent and credible explanation of the proposed employment.
This Part 2 explains how applications under the Engineer / Specialist in Humanities / International Services status of residence are assessed in practice.
Immigration Examines the Actual Duties
The job title is not decisive.
A position described as “engineer,” “manager,” “international coordinator,” or “consultant” will not qualify unless the actual duties require the professional knowledge or abilities covered by this status of residence.
The official guidelines exclude work that does not require academic or professional knowledge, including duties that can ordinarily be performed after brief instruction or repetitive training. They also state that the qualifying professional work cannot represent only a small part of the applicant’s overall activities.
For example:
| Job title | Actual principal duties | Likely issue |
|---|---|---|
| Systems Engineer | Software design, programming and system testing | Professional duties |
| Marketing Specialist | Market research, campaign planning and overseas promotion | Professional duties |
| Hotel International Coordinator | Overseas sales, interpretation and international customer relations | Professional duties |
| Store Manager Candidate | Mainly cashier work, stocking and cleaning indefinitely | Duties may not qualify |
| Production Engineer | Mainly repetitive factory-line work | Duties may not qualify |
| Restaurant Manager | Mainly serving food, cleaning and kitchen assistance | Duties may not qualify |
Immigration therefore looks beyond the employment contract and examines what the applicant will actually do on a daily basis.
Non-Professional Work Cannot Be the Main Activity
A position may include some duties that do not independently fall within this status of residence. That does not always lead to refusal.
The central question is whether the applicant’s activities, viewed as a whole, principally consist of qualifying professional work.
For example, occasional filing, customer assistance or administrative support may be incidental to a professional position. By contrast, an application is unlikely to succeed where the professional duties exist mainly on paper but routine work occupies most of the working time.
One of the official refusal examples involved a university graduate with a degree in education who was hired to perform food-packing work in a bento factory. The application was refused because the proposed duties did not require knowledge in the humanities and therefore fell outside the scope of the Engineer / Specialist in Humanities / International Services status of residence.
The issue was not the employer’s industry or the applicant’s possession of a degree. The problem was that the duties themselves did not qualify.
Practical Training May Be Permitted
New employees sometimes complete workplace training before moving into their permanent professional roles.
Even where part of that training involves retail sales, restaurant service, factory-line work or other non-qualifying duties, it may be accepted when all of the following conditions are satisfied:
- the training is genuinely necessary for the applicant’s future professional duties;
- comparable Japanese university graduates undergo the same training;
- the training is limited and reasonable in the context of the employee’s expected career;
- the applicant will subsequently move into qualifying professional work; and
- the employer can explain the training schedule and career progression clearly.
The assessment is based on the entire anticipated period of employment, not merely the first period of residence granted by Immigration.
The guidelines include an approved case involving a university graduate employed as a general-track employee by a large food retailer. The applicant completed two years of in-store training, including stocking shelves, operating a cash register and serving customers, before moving into head-office sales, management or overseas business duties. The training was accepted because the same career path applied to Japanese university graduates and the later professional role was clearly documented.
However, the word “training” does not automatically make otherwise ineligible duties acceptable.
Immigration may request:
- a detailed training plan;
- the duration and purpose of each stage;
- the duties to be performed after training;
- the company’s organizational chart;
- the career paths of comparable Japanese employees; and
- information about other foreign employees holding the same status of residence.
Where practical training continues for more than one year, the official guidelines state that Immigration will examine the reasonableness of the period through a training plan and related evidence.
Immigration Also Examines the Employer
Eligibility depends not only on the applicant. The sponsoring organization must be capable of providing genuine, stable and continuing professional employment.
Depending on the employer’s category, Immigration may examine:
- the company’s registration;
- its history, organization and business activities;
- major clients and business results;
- its latest financial statements;
- the connection between its business and the proposed position;
- the employment conditions and salary;
- whether sufficient professional work actually exists; and
- a business plan where the organization is newly established.
The April 2026 document checklist also introduced a declaration concerning the representative of the sponsoring organization. Where the representative is neither Japanese nor a special permanent resident, the form requests the representative’s name and residence-card number. The company must acknowledge that false information may cause the application to be treated as misleading.
This does not mean that a small or newly established company cannot sponsor an applicant. It means that the employer may need to provide more evidence showing that the business and the proposed employment are genuine and sustainable.
The Duties Must Match the Employer’s Business
The proposed role must make sense in the context of the sponsoring organization.
For example, a software-development company hiring a programmer is straightforward. A trading company hiring an overseas sales specialist may also have a clear connection.
More explanation may be needed where:
- the position is unusual for the employer’s industry;
- the company has never employed anyone in a similar role;
- the business is very small;
- the applicant will perform several different functions;
- the professional duties appear disproportionate to the company’s operations; or
- the employer’s public information does not match the description submitted to Immigration.
An unusual position is not automatically ineligible. However, the application should explain what work exists, why the position is required, and how the applicant will perform it within the organization.
All Documents Must Tell the Same Story
Immigration does not assess each document in isolation.
The employment contract, application forms, job description, company materials, résumé, academic records and explanatory letters should all describe the same position.
Problems arise when, for example:
- the application form says “marketing,” but the contract says “general office work”;
- the job description emphasizes engineering, while the company materials show no relevant projects;
- the applicant’s résumé conflicts with employment certificates;
- the stated salary differs between documents;
- the employer describes the role differently in separate submissions; or
- the duties appear to have been rewritten only to fit the visa category.
Minor differences in wording are not necessarily harmful. Material inconsistencies, however, may cause Immigration to question the credibility of the application.
Salary Is Assessed Comparatively
As explained in Part 1, the applicant must receive remuneration equal to or greater than that paid to a Japanese worker performing comparable duties.
The official guidelines include a refusal case involving an engineering graduate offered ¥135,000 per month, while Japanese graduates hired at the same time for the same work received ¥180,000. The application was refused because the remuneration was not equivalent.
There is no single minimum salary that applies to every Engineer / Specialist in Humanities / International Services application.
The relevant comparison is with Japanese employees performing comparable work under similar conditions.
The Applicant’s Immigration History Matters
For applicants changing status from Student or another status of residence, Immigration also considers whether the applicant has complied with immigration rules and other legal obligations.
The official guidelines state that poor conduct can be treated as a negative factor. One refusal example involved a student who had worked more than 200 hours per month for over a year, substantially exceeding the permitted limit for part-time work. Although the proposed overseas-business position might otherwise have qualified, the change-of-status application was refused because the applicant’s previous residence record was not considered satisfactory.
Immigration may therefore consider:
- unauthorized employment;
- excessive work under a student work permit;
- failure to make required notifications;
- unpaid taxes or other public obligations;
- inaccurate previous applications; and
- compliance with the conditions of the current status of residence.
A qualifying degree and professional job offer do not erase serious immigration-compliance problems.
Common Reasons for Refusal
Applications are commonly refused or questioned where:
The duties are not professional
The work mainly consists of routine service, manual, retail, factory or clerical tasks that do not require academic or specialized knowledge.
The professional duties form only a small part of the job
A few qualifying tasks cannot support the application where most working time is spent on non-qualifying duties.
The applicant’s education or experience is insufficiently related
This is especially important for graduates of Japanese vocational schools, for whom a substantially closer relationship is generally required.
The salary is lower than that of comparable Japanese employees
The salary must satisfy the equal-remuneration requirement.
The employer cannot substantiate the position
The company may fail to show that it operates a genuine business, has sufficient work or can sustain the employment.
The documents are inconsistent
Different documents may describe different duties, salary, work location or employment arrangements.
A claimed training program is not credible
The training may be too long, apply only to foreign employees or lack a clear transition into professional duties.
The applicant has not complied with immigration rules
Excessive student employment or other violations can negatively affect a change-of-status application.
Before You Apply
Before submitting an application, the applicant and employer should be able to answer these questions clearly:
- What professional duties will the applicant perform?
- Which category—Engineer, Specialist in Humanities or International Services—covers those duties?
- What education or experience qualifies the applicant?
- How is that background related to the proposed work?
- Do the actual daily duties match the job title?
- If training is required, how long will it last and what follows it?
- Does the employer’s business genuinely support the position?
- Is the salary equivalent to that of comparable Japanese workers?
- Do all forms and supporting documents describe the same employment?
- Has the applicant complied with previous immigration conditions?
A weakness in one area does not always make approval impossible. It does mean that the issue should be identified and addressed before the application is submitted.
Key Takeaways
- Immigration examines the applicant, the employer, the proposed professional duties, and the supporting documents as a whole.
- The actual daily duties are more important than the job title when determining eligibility.
- Non-professional or routine work cannot be the applicant’s primary activity under this status of residence.
- Temporary on-the-job training may be acceptable if it is genuinely incidental to future professional duties.
- Careful preparation of clear and consistent supporting documents can significantly improve the likelihood of approval.
Official Sources
This article is based primarily on the Immigration Services Agency’s published guidelines, examination standards, operational guidance, and official refusal examples.
👉 Immigration Services Agency (ISA)
Related Articles
Need to review the eligibility requirements?
If you have not yet read Part 1, we recommend reviewing the eligibility requirements before preparing your application.
👉 Part 1: Engineer Visa Eligibility Requirements in Japan
Looking for a complete overview of Japanese work visas?
Our comprehensive guide explains the major Japanese work visa categories, eligibility requirements, and how to choose the appropriate status of residence.
👉 Complete Guide to Japanese Work Visas
Need a Professional Assessment?
Many Engineer / Specialist in Humanities / International Services visa applications are refused not because the applicant lacks qualifications, but because the proposed activities or supporting documents do not clearly satisfy the Immigration Services Agency’s requirements.
Before submitting your application, we can assess your eligibility, review your supporting documents, and identify potential issues that may affect the outcome of your case.
Global Visa Japan provides professional pre-application eligibility assessments for Engineer / Specialist in Humanities / International Services visa applications.
If you are unsure whether your education, work experience, or proposed duties satisfy the Immigration requirements, we would be happy to assist you.
This article provides general information only and does not constitute legal advice. Every application is assessed individually based on its own facts and supporting evidence by the Immigration Services Agency.