Explanation! What should I pay attention to in the status of residence “Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/Int’l Services”?
The status of residence “Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/Int’l Services” is the most common among the many residence statuses for foreigners working in Japan. However, obtaining this status is not an easy task. There are requirements such as having knowledge and educational background related to work in Japan, and having a good management of the company where you are employed.
What is the status of residence “Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/Int’l Services”?
The status of residence “Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/Int’l Services” is intended for foreign nationals with specialized knowledge and skills to work in Japan and contribute their knowledge, etc. to Japan. Mainly, they will be engaged in work that requires specialized knowledge in the natural sciences, humanities, etc., or knowledge of foreign cultures.
Since the name of the status of residence “Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/Int’l Services” is long, it is generally referred to as “Gijinkoku. It is not a status of residence established to solve the shortage of manpower, as is the case with the “Tokutei Gi-Jin-Koku” status, but is the most popular status of residence for foreigners working in Japan.
What kind of work is permitted under the status of residence “Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/Int’l Services”?
Foreigners with the status of residence of “Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/Int’l Services” can work in Japan with the knowledge they have learned, the experience they have gained through their work, or jobs related to their own culture and language.
The specific jobs are as follows.
In the “technology” category, they can be mechanical engineers, computer system engineers, programmers, etc. In the “humanities” category, they can be company planners, etc. In the “humanities” category, work in corporate planning, sales, general affairs, human resources, legal affairs, public relations, marketing, product development, etc. In the “international business” category, there are jobs such as foreign language translator/interpreter, designer, language school instructor, hotelier (interpreting is the main job), and so on.
However, the above jobs do not guarantee unconditional acquisition of a status of residence. The foreigner’s work history and the relevance of knowledge acquired at university or other institutions to the job will be examined.
What are the requirements to obtain the status of residence “Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/Int’l Services”?
There are four major requirements to obtain “Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/Int’l Services” status of residence.
The first is that the foreigner’s work experience and educational background must be related to the type of work he/she will be doing in Japan. If the foreigner cannot make use of the technology, skills, or expertise that he/she has acquired, the application will not be approved.
Second, if the foreign national graduated from a foreign university, that university must be a Japanese university graduate. If the foreigner applying for the visa graduated from a vocational school abroad, he/she will not meet this requirement. However, even in this case, if the applicant meets the requirements of 10 years or more of work experience in the case of “technology” and “humanities” fields, and 3 years or more of work experience in the case of “international business”, he/she will be permitted to apply for the visa.
The third is the business condition of the company where you are employed. If a foreigner is employed by a company that is not performing well, his/her life in Japan will become unstable and he/she may have to return to his/her own country.
The fourth is equal pay for equal work. In other words, the wage of the foreign employee must be equal to or higher than the wage of a Japanese person performing the same work.
Conclusion
The status of residence “Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/Int’l Services” is the most popular residence status for foreigners working in Japan. It allows you to make use of the knowledge you have acquired in your past work experience or at university at a Japanese company.
