2025-06-30

The status of residence Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/Int’l Services(Gi-Jin-Koku) is a work-related visa that many foreigners working in Japan have obtained. In addition, in the past few years, many foreigners with “Tokutei Gijinko” status have also started working in Japan. What is the difference between these two statuses of residence?

What is “Gi-Jin-Koku”?

“Gi-Jin-Koku“ refers to the status of residence ” Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/Int’l Services". About 90% of foreign nationals working for domestic companies fall under the category of “Engineer Country. Therefore, it is the most representative visa status among the work-related visas (status of residence).

The “Gi-Jin-Koku ” visa status is a combination of the ‘Engineer’ visa status and the “Specialist in Humanities/International Services” visa status. In other words, it used to be divided into two categories: science-related (technical) work and humanities-related (humanities/international services) work.

However, as the work became more complex and mixed, it became difficult to clearly divide it into science-related and humanities-related work.

What are specific skills?

Specified Technical Skills is a system for accepting foreign nationals with expertise and skills in industrial fields where it is difficult to secure human resources. Officially, there are two types of “Specified Technical Skills”: “Specified Technical Skill No. 1” and “Specified Technical Skill No. 2.

Specified Technical Skills No. 1 is a status of residence for foreigners who can engage in work that requires skills necessary for a specific industrial field. The “Specified Technical Skills II” category is a status of residence for foreign nationals who possess the skilled skills necessary to engage in a specific industrial field.

In the case of “Specified Technical Skills I,” support is provided by the receiving organization (employing company) and registered support organization, but in the case of “Specified Technical Skills II,” support is not provided by the receiving organization or registered support organization.

Differences between the two

There are four major differences between “Gi-Jin-Koku” and “Tokutei Gijutsu”.

First, there are differences in the types of jobs and industrial fields that can be engaged in by “Gijinkoku” and “Tokutei Gijutsu”. The “Gijinkoku” category covers specialized fields such as IT-related businesses, law, education, etc., and does not allow for work that is primarily simple in nature. On the other hand, the “Specified Skills” category allows for the acceptance of personnel suited to the specified industrial field.

Second, there are different educational and other requirements. The “Technical/Humanities” category is a status of residence available to foreign nationals who have graduated from a university or vocational school, or who have work experience. The Technical/Humanities category requires at least 10 years of work experience, while the International Services category requires at least 3 years of experience. On the other hand, “Specified Technical Skills” can be obtained by passing the “Specified Technical Skills Evaluation Test” designated for each industrial field and the “Japanese Language Proficiency Test”.

The third difference is the period of stay. The period of stay for “Gijinkoku” is 3 months, 1 year, 3 years, or 5 years, with no upper limit on renewal. For new applicants, the period of stay is usually one year, and renewal can be extended to three years or five years by repeating the renewal process. Permanent residence can also be obtained by meeting certain conditions.

On the other hand, the period of stay for “Specified Technical Skills” is limited to a total of five years, renewable every four months, six months, or one year. There is no upper limit to the period of stay for the No. 2 visa, which can be renewed every 6 months, 1 year, or 3 years. In addition, permanent residency can be obtained by meeting certain conditions.

Finally, the fourth difference is in family accompaniment. Family members are allowed to accompany the applicant in the “Gi-Jin-Koku” and “Tokutei Gijutsu 2” categories, but not in the “Tokutei Gijutsu 1” category.

Summary

“Gi-Jin-Koku” and “Tokutei Gijutsu” are the residence statuses we often hear about. However, they are different in terms of job category/industrial field, educational background name and other requirements, period of stay, and whether or not family members can accompany the foreign national.