Designated Activities No. 46 Visa
Designated Activities No. 46 (graduates of Japanese universities) allows foreign nationals who have graduated from a university in Japan and have a high level of Japanese to work in a wide range of jobs that use Japanese. It permits jobs that include on-site work, which is not allowed under Engineer / Specialist in Humanities / International Services.
Main requirements
- Education: graduation from a Japanese university or completion of a Japanese graduate school. Graduates of junior colleges or colleges of technology qualify if they have obtained a bachelor's degree from the National Institution for Academic Degrees and Quality Enhancement of Higher Education. Those who completed a certified course at a Japanese vocational school and hold the title Kodo Senmonshi also qualify. Graduates of foreign universities do not.
- Japanese: JLPT N1 or a BJT score of 480 or more. Those who majored in Japanese at university are treated as meeting this requirement.
- Work: work that requires two-way communication in Japanese and makes use of what the applicant studied
- Employment: full-time employment (working at another company as a dispatched employee is not permitted)
- Pay: at least equal to that of a Japanese national doing the same work
Examples of permitted work
- Managing a restaurant while serving foreign customers and interpreting
- Instructing foreign workers in Japanese at a factory while also working on the production line
- Purchasing and product planning at a retail store while serving customers and interpreting
- Running a hotel's foreign-language website and assisting foreign guests
Work that legally requires a professional license (such as lawyers or doctors), adult-entertainment work, and work consisting only of simple labor such as dishwashing or cleaning are not permitted.
Differences from Engineer / Specialist in Humanities / International Services
Period of stay and family
The period of stay is 5 years, 3 years, 1 year, 6 months or 3 months. When changing from Student status and at the first renewal, it is generally 1 year. A dependent spouse and children can stay in Japan under Designated Activities.
We can check whether the job duties fit this status, prepare the application documents and file the application on your behalf. Please feel free to contact us.
Main requirements
- Education: graduation from a Japanese university or completion of a Japanese graduate school. Graduates of junior colleges or colleges of technology qualify if they have obtained a bachelor's degree from the National Institution for Academic Degrees and Quality Enhancement of Higher Education. Those who completed a certified course at a Japanese vocational school and hold the title Kodo Senmonshi also qualify. Graduates of foreign universities do not.
- Japanese: JLPT N1 or a BJT score of 480 or more. Those who majored in Japanese at university are treated as meeting this requirement.
- Work: work that requires two-way communication in Japanese and makes use of what the applicant studied
- Employment: full-time employment (working at another company as a dispatched employee is not permitted)
- Pay: at least equal to that of a Japanese national doing the same work
Examples of permitted work
- Managing a restaurant while serving foreign customers and interpreting
- Instructing foreign workers in Japanese at a factory while also working on the production line
- Purchasing and product planning at a retail store while serving customers and interpreting
- Running a hotel's foreign-language website and assisting foreign guests
Work that legally requires a professional license (such as lawyers or doctors), adult-entertainment work, and work consisting only of simple labor such as dishwashing or cleaning are not permitted.
Differences from Engineer / Specialist in Humanities / International Services
| Item | Engineer / Humanities / International | Designated Activities No. 46 |
|---|---|---|
| Education | Graduates of foreign universities and Japanese vocational schools (Senmonshi) also qualify | Graduation from a Japanese university or equivalent is required |
| Japanese | Depends on the work | JLPT N1 or BJT 480+ required |
| On-site work | Generally not permitted | Permitted together with instruction or customer service in Japanese (simple labor alone is not) |
| Dispatch | Possible if conditions are met | Not permitted |
| Changing jobs | Notification, if the new work is within the same scope | Application for change of status of residence required |
The period of stay is 5 years, 3 years, 1 year, 6 months or 3 months. When changing from Student status and at the first renewal, it is generally 1 year. A dependent spouse and children can stay in Japan under Designated Activities.
We can check whether the job duties fit this status, prepare the application documents and file the application on your behalf. Please feel free to contact us.