If you're currently on a Dependent (家族滞在) visa and have a job offer in Japan, you can change your status of residence to the Gijinkoku (技術・人文知識・国際業務) work visa without leaving the country. The process is a 在留資格変更許可申請 — a change of status of residence application — filed at your local immigration bureau. This guide covers the exact process, the 2026 changes that affect it, the document requirements by company category, and the traps that catch people out before they even submit.
The Critical Rule — You Cannot Work Until Approval Is Issued
Application date ≠ permitted start date
Filing a change-of-status application does not give you permission to start working. You must wait until the application is approved and your new residence card is issued before beginning employment. Starting work before approval — even one day before — constitutes illegal work under your current Dependent visa status and can result in denial of the application, or worse, status revocation. Your employer must schedule your start date for after the approval date, not the application date. Processing typically takes 2 weeks to 2 months depending on the immigration bureau and company category — plan accordingly.
Before You Apply — Check These Four Things First
1. Your work must match Gijinkoku's scope. Gijinkoku covers professional and technical work in three categories: engineering and technical fields (IT, manufacturing, construction design), humanities and knowledge fields (accounting, planning, marketing, administration, translation), and international services (foreign language instruction, overseas trade). Manual labor, physical production-line work, and simple clerical tasks do not qualify regardless of the job title used. Immigration reviews actual duties, not job titles.
2. Your degree or experience must match the work. You need either a relevant university degree (or Japanese vocational school 専門士/高度専門士 qualification) or 10 years of professional experience in the relevant field (3 years for international services roles). The match between your educational background and the actual work content is one of the primary approval factors.
3. Your salary must be equivalent to Japanese employees in the same role. There is no fixed minimum salary, but immigration expects that a foreign worker's compensation is not lower than what a Japanese national would earn in the same position at the same company. In practice, ¥200,000-250,000/month is often cited as the practical floor, though this varies by industry and region.
4. Confirm your 28-hour work history if you've been working.
Past 28-hour violations can cause your change application to be denied
If you've been working under supplementary activity permission (資格外活動許可) on your Dependent visa, your work must have stayed within 28 hours per week, in the correct industries, with no working in prohibited categories (pachinko, entertainment venues). Immigration reviews your activity history when processing a status change application. Violations — even historical ones — can result in denial. If you've exceeded the limit or worked in a prohibited category, consult an immigration specialist before applying rather than hoping it won't be noticed.
The Company Category System — Why It Determines Your Documents
Japanese companies are classified into four categories by immigration based on size, compliance history, and public status. Which category your employer falls into determines what documents you need to submit.
Company Category 1 and 2 — simplified document requirements
Category 1: Companies listed on a Japanese stock exchange, insurance companies, financial institutions, or public organizations. Category 2: Companies with a superior compliance record on record with immigration. For both: document requirements are minimal — the application form, photo, passport, residence card, and employment letter. No detailed company financial documents required.
Company Category 3 and 4 — standard and new company requirements
Category 3: Companies that paid ¥1 million or more in withholding tax in the last year (covers most established SMEs). Category 4: New companies less than one year old, or companies that cannot yet demonstrate a withholding tax record. For Categories 3 and 4, significantly more documentation is required: company registration documents, most recent financial statements, explanation of the company's business activities, and detailed description of the applicant's specific duties. Category 4 faces the strictest scrutiny since immigration cannot rely on a track record.
The April 2026 N2 Requirement — Who It Actually Affects
N2 is NOT required for all Gijinkoku applicants — but the nuance matters
On April 15, 2026, the Immigration Services Agency revised Gijinkoku screening guidelines to require proof of JLPT N2 (CEFR B2) Japanese proficiency for specific applicants. The requirement applies to: applicants at Category 3 or 4 companies, whose primary job duties involve face-to-face interpersonal work primarily using Japanese language skills — specifically translation, interpretation, customer service, and similar roles. It does NOT apply to: applicants at Category 1 or 2 companies (exempt regardless of role), or applicants in technical roles such as IT engineering, programming, system design, or similar work where the primary activity is technical rather than language-based. If you're an IT engineer applying at an established SME, this requirement likely doesn't affect you. If you're applying for a customer-facing translation or customer service role at a small company, it does.
The Application Process — Step by Step
Step 1 — Gather documents. Core documents required for all categories: 在留資格変更許可申請書 (change of status application form, available from immigration website), one passport-format photo (4cm × 3cm, taken within 3 months), passport, current residence card, and the employment-related documents for your company's category.
For Categories 3 and 4 add: certificate of employment or offer letter detailing your specific duties, the company's articles of incorporation or business registration certificate, most recent financial statements (決算書), and a detailed explanation of the applicant's duties demonstrating alignment with Gijinkoku scope.
The duty description document is the most important thing you submit
For Category 3 and 4 companies especially, the document describing what you will actually do — what specific tasks, what specialist skills, how your education relates to the work — is the document that determines approval or denial more than almost anything else. A job title like "engineer" or "coordinator" on its own is not sufficient. Immigration needs to understand what the work actually is, why it requires specialist knowledge, and why your educational background qualifies you for it specifically. Ask your employer to prepare a thorough, specific duties description rather than a one-paragraph generic employment letter.
Step 2 — Submit at your local immigration bureau. Submit in person at the immigration bureau covering your registered address. Online submission via the Immigration Services Agency's online system is also available if your employer is registered to use it. Counter submission does not require an appointment at most bureaus, but wait times can be significant — arrive early.
Step 3 — Wait for processing. Processing times vary by bureau and category. Category 1 and 2 applications typically process within 2-4 weeks. Category 3 and 4 applications take longer — 1-2 months is common, with busy periods extending further. You will receive a notice of result (結果通知書) by mail, or can check status at the immigration bureau.
Step 4 — Receive your new residence card. On approval, bring the result notice, your passport, and current residence card to the immigration bureau to receive your new Gijinkoku residence card. The fee for status change approval is currently ¥3,000 in revenue stamps (収入印紙), though note that proposed fee increases are under review — see our visa fee changes article for the current situation.
What Happens to Your Family's Visa Status
Your spouse/children on Dependent visa are not automatically affected
If your spouse or children are currently in Japan on a Dependent visa tied to your original sponsor (for example, your own spouse is the work visa holder and you are all on Dependent status), their visas are tied to that sponsor's status, not yours. Your change to Gijinkoku doesn't affect their current status. However, once you hold a Gijinkoku visa yourself, your own dependents — if any — can apply for Dependent status tied to you rather than the original sponsor, which may be preferable depending on your situation.
Common Denial Reasons — What to Watch For
The most frequent reasons for denial at this specific transition: the work duties don't genuinely qualify as Gijinkoku-level specialist work (this is the leading cause), the degree-to-work match is weak or not clearly explained, the company's financial health is questionable and wasn't addressed proactively in the application, past 28-hour violations under supplementary activity permission, or required notifications to immigration (such as address changes) were not properly filed during the Dependent visa period.
When to consider using an immigration specialist
A Category 3 or 4 company application, a non-standard educational background, any history of supplementary activity permit use, or a job where the Gijinkoku qualification isn't immediately obvious from the job title — any of these is a reason to consider having an 行政書士 (immigration specialist) review the application before submission. The cost of professional preparation is modest compared to the cost of a denial and the subsequent process of reapplication.
Official Sources
This article references the following primary sources. Rules and figures change periodically — always verify current requirements directly before making decisions.