What Is the Engineer/Humanities/International Services Visa?
The Engineer/Humanities/International Services (E/H/I) status of residence is Japan's primary work visa for professionals. Despite the name, it covers a wide range of skilled occupations — not just engineers and humanities graduates. The visa is employer-sponsored and tied to a specific employer and role. It is the most common way that international professionals work legally in Japan long-term.
It covers two broad categories:
Engineer / Specialist in Humanities: Roles requiring a university degree in a field relevant to the job. This includes software developers, engineers, data scientists, designers, marketing professionals, financial analysts, researchers, and educators.
International Services: Roles requiring skills in a foreign language or foreign cultural knowledge — such as international business liaison, overseas sales, translation and interpretation, and roles where the employer needs someone with a native understanding of a particular foreign market or culture.
Who Qualifies?
To qualify for the E/H/I visa, you need either:
- A bachelor's degree or higher in a field directly relevant to the job you are being hired to do, OR
- 10 years of relevant professional experience in the field (work experience can substitute for a degree — but the field and role must match)
This degree-to-job match requirement is strictly assessed. A degree in business administration cannot typically support an application for a software engineering role. A literature degree can support an international business role. If there is any ambiguity, your employer's CoE application should include a detailed explanation of how your qualifications relate to the duties.
The Certificate of Eligibility (CoE) — Why It Matters
The most important document in the E/H/I application process is the Certificate of Eligibility (CoE). Unlike most countries where the individual applicant applies to the immigration authority directly, in Japan it is your Japanese employer who applies for the CoE on your behalf through the regional immigration bureau.
The CoE confirms that your proposed status of residence is lawful. Without a CoE, the Japanese Embassy in your country will almost always refuse to issue the visa. The CoE process typically takes 1–3 months from the employer's application to receipt — this is the main bottleneck in the timeline.
Once the CoE is issued, your employer sends it to you. You then present it to the Japanese Embassy or Consulate in your country along with your visa application form and required documents, and the visa is usually issued within 5–10 business days.
Salary Expectations
The E/H/I visa does not set a fixed minimum salary in the legislation, but immigration officers assess whether the salary is equivalent to what a Japanese national doing the same role would earn. In practice, most applications involve salaries of at least JPY 200,000–250,000 per month (approximately AUD 2,100–2,600 or GBP 1,100–1,400). Significantly below-market offers attract scrutiny.
Japan's salary norms are lower than comparable English-speaking countries, but the cost of living in major cities (especially outside central Tokyo) is also lower than Sydney, London, or Toronto.
Key Documents Your Employer Needs for the CoE
- Company registration certificate (toki jiko shomeisho) — proves the company is a legally registered entity
- Most recent financial statements (or tax returns for smaller companies)
- Company brochure or website printout showing the business activities
- Your employment contract, specifying position, duties, salary, and start date
- Your degree certificate and academic transcripts (often requiring certified Japanese translation)
- Detailed description of your role and how your qualifications match
Larger, established companies (major corporations, listed companies) face less scrutiny than startups or very small businesses, which may need to provide additional supporting documentation.
Popular Sectors for E/H/I Visas
Japan's technology sector is growing rapidly and has significant demand for international talent:
- IT and software development: Japan has a significant developer shortage — bilingual (English/Japanese) engineers are particularly sought after
- Fintech and financial services: Tokyo is a major financial centre with active international hiring
- Education: International schools, bilingual schools, and university English-language programs
- Translation and localisation: Particularly for English, Chinese, Korean, and major European languages
- International business and trade: Liaison roles between Japanese HQ and overseas offices
Pathway to Long-Term Residency and PR
The E/H/I visa is renewable and leads directly to the Highly Skilled Professional (HSP) visa and eventually Permanent Residency:
- After accumulating work history and meeting income thresholds, apply for Highly Skilled Professional status — this is a points-based system (70+ points qualifies) that enables PR after 3 years (or 1 year with 80+ points).
- After 10 years of continuous residence (5 years in work-related status), you qualify for Permanent Residency through the standard route.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the E/H/I visa allow me to change employers?
Yes, but with restrictions. You must notify the immigration bureau when you change employers and ensure the new role falls within the same status-of-residence category. If you move to a significantly different type of work, you may need to change your visa status.
Can my family join me in Japan on this visa?
Yes. Spouse and dependent children can apply for a Dependent Visa (家族滞在) to accompany you. Spouses on a Dependent Visa can work up to 28 hours per week (increasing with employer permission in some circumstances).
Is JLPT Japanese required?
Not for the visa itself — the E/H/I visa has no Japanese language test requirement. However, most employers hiring for non-English roles expect Japanese proficiency, and JLPT N2 is often the threshold for professional environments.
This is general guidance only. Always verify current requirements with the Immigration Services Agency of Japan before applying.