2025-08-17

The “intra-company transfer” visa is a status of residence required for foreign workers who work for a branch office of a Japanese corporation overseas to be transferred to a branch office in Japan. This section explains the Certificate of Eligibility for the “intra-company transfer” visa.

What is a Certificate of Eligibility?

A certificate of eligibility certifies which status of residence a foreign national wishing to enter Japan is qualified to engage in.

The Certificate of Eligibility is for foreigners who will stay in Japan for a medium to long term. However, short-term visas for sightseeing, visiting relatives, etc. are not covered by the Certificate of Eligibility. For this temporary visitor visa, the applicant should apply to the Japanese embassy or consulate in the foreign country.

To obtain a Certificate of Eligibility, the applicant applies to the Regional Immigration Office that has jurisdiction over the location of the host institution (company, etc.). There are two ways to apply: the foreigner himself/herself may come to Japan to apply, or the host institution may apply on behalf of the foreigner in Japan. However, in the former case, the foreign national must come to Japan, so the latter method (where the host organization applies on behalf of the foreign national in Japan) is most commonly used.

What is an “intra-company transfer” visa?

An “intra-company transferee” visa is a visa that is issued by a Japanese company. This is a work visa granted to foreign employees who are transferred from an overseas branch of a Japanese company to an office in Japan.

While other visa statuses have requirements such as academic background and experience, the “intra-company transfer” visa places emphasis on continuity of service, and does not have particularly strict requirements. However, as with other statuses of residence, there are certain requirements regarding the content of activities.

“Intra-company transfer” visa requirements

The content of work permitted under the “intra-company transfer” visa must be the same as or related to the work that was performed overseas. In principle, the following types of work must be applicable.

Technical work must be work that requires skill or knowledge in the field of science in general, such as science, engineering, or other natural science for legal purposes. Specifically, IT engineers, mechanical and civil engineering architectural designers, etc. fall under this category. In humanities knowledge work, the work must be in the field of cultural affairs generally, which legally requires knowledge of jurisprudence, economics, sociology, or other humanities. In international work, the work must be in fields that require thinking and sensitivity based on foreign culture, such as interpreters and translators, designers, creators, language school teachers, trade, public relations, advertising, and product development.

The relationship between the source of transfer (e.g., overseas branch office) and the destination (e.g., business office in Japan) is allowed not only within the same company but also between companies with which there is a capital relationship. Therefore, not only transfers between head office and branch offices, but also transfers between a parent company and its subsidiaries are allowed. However, transfers between affiliated companies are not eligible.

Although the requirements for foreign nationals applying for this status are more relaxed than those for other statuses of residence, the following requirements apply.
The applicant must have worked at the company from which he/she is being transferred overseas for at least one year.
・Equivalent remuneration to that of a Japanese national.

Summary

The income requirement for the “Intra-company Transferee” visa is somewhat more relaxed than other residence statuses, since the emphasis is on continuity of service. However, requirements such as having worked overseas for at least one year must be met.