The points calculation for a Highly Skilled Professional (i) visa: how high-class talent from China and Taiwan build up 70 points

In short: the Highly Skilled Professional (i) status of residence is a status under appended table I-2 of the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act, granted to foreign nationals who reach a total of 70 or more points under the "points-based system for highly skilled foreign professionals," which scores education, career, salary and so on. By type of activity it divides into (i) academic research, (ii) specialist/technical work, and (iii) business management. The points for each item are set in the "points calculation table" published by the Immigration Services Agency, and what high-class talent from China and Taiwan can realistically build up is the bonus items — passing the Japanese-Language Proficiency Test, graduating from a Japanese university, and a degree from a university listed in world university rankings (Peking University, Tsinghua University, National Taiwan University and others may be included). The procedure splits at the entrance: a Certificate of Eligibility application to bring someone from abroad, or a change-of-status-of-residence application for a person already living in Japan. We (an administrative scrivener qualified to file applications) handle only the preparation and filing of the application documents; payroll, social insurance and working-conditions arrangements are for a labor and social security attorney, income tax and tax treaties for a tax accountant, and the outlook of an individual review or a dispute over a denial for a lawyer — each on the premise that you contract with each as an independent business. The lease or purchase of housing after arrival is handled by Yotsuba Real Estate Co., Ltd., a separate business. This article is general information and does not guarantee individual point eligibility or the grant of a status. Because the points may be revised, check the official table immediately before applying. Our office receives no referral fee.

For which activity type, and at how many points, is Highly Skilled Professional (i) granted?

Highly Skilled Professional (i) is a status of residence set out in appended table I-2 of the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act, in the following three types. You are evaluated on the points table for the type you choose, and a total of 70 or more points is the requirement for permission. The 70 points is the criterion at the time of application, and 70 or more points is also required at the time of a renewal of the period of stay (you need not maintain it at all times; it is judged at renewal).

Type	Content of activity (roughly corresponding work statuses)	Focus
Highly Skilled Professional (i)(a)	"Professor," "Researcher" (research, guidance of research, education)	Advanced academic research
Highly Skilled Professional (i)(b)	"Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services," "Intra-company Transferee," "Medical Services," etc.	Advanced specialist/technical work
Highly Skilled Professional (i)(c)	"Business Manager," etc. (management of a business)	Advanced business management

Points are given and summed per item — education, career, salary, age, research achievements, qualifications, and special additions (bonus). Because the evaluation items and scores differ by type, first decide which type you will apply under, then calculate. This is a different system from permanent residence and naturalisation: permanent residence is organised in Requirements for a permanent-residence application (for specialists from China and Taiwan), and naturalisation in Requirements for a naturalisation application (Nationality Act; China/Taiwan). For the status of residence on the side of running a company, see also Residence status for foreign business owners (Business Manager visa) and company formation.

How are the points for education, career, salary and age counted?

Points work by adding up the score of the bracket you fall into for each item. There are common rules for the counting. Because the specific figures are set in the Immigration Services Agency's "points calculation table," this article shows the framework of the counting, and you should confirm the scores on the official table immediately before applying (accessed 2026-10-20).

• Education is scored by brackets such as doctorate, master's, professional degree, and university graduation, with a separate addition for holding degrees in more than one field. In principle you count the single highest one.
• Career is scored by years of practical experience related to the work engaged in. The higher the bracket of years, the higher the score.
• Salary is judged on the annual amount of remuneration received from the contracting organisation at the time of application. In the advanced specialist/technical field (b) and the business-management field (c), an annual salary of 3 million yen or more is a precondition for scoring; below that, no salary points are given. The salary score has a lower limit set in combination with age, so the same salary gives different points depending on age.
• Age is scored higher for younger brackets (mainly in the specialist/technical and business-management fields).

Because of this, even with the same background, the total changes with "which type you apply under" and "the combination of salary and age." Whether you reach 70 points is most reliably checked by applying each item along the table. Because salary and the terms of the contract are central to the review, preparing the employment contract, the withholding slip and pay statements is the key.

Which bonus items can talent from China and Taiwan gain easily?

Even if education, career and salary alone do not reach 70 points, you may build up more with special additions (bonus). For high-class talent from China and Taiwan, the items realistically easy to gain are the following. For each, a list of eligible items or eligible schools is published by the Immigration Services Agency, and the scores are confirmed in that special-addition material.

Example of special addition	Ease for talent from China and Taiwan
Japanese-language ability	Points for passing JLPT N1, or N2. N1 is the higher addition bracket. May be counted separately from graduation from a Japanese university
Graduation from a Japanese university/graduate school	Points for those who obtained a degree at a Japanese university or graduate school. Suits talent with a study-in-Japan history
A degree from an eligible university	Points for a degree from a university that is continuously listed in the upper ranks of world university rankings, etc. Peking University, Tsinghua University, National Taiwan University and others may be included, but the eligible-school list is updated, so confirm the latest version at the time of application
Growth field / advanced business	An addition where engaged in an advanced business in a field expected to grow in the future

The list of eligible universities is updated annually, and whether a school is included changes with the version. Also, whether the Japanese-language addition can be counted together with the addition for graduating from a Japanese university is subject to rules, so check the notes on the table before counting them together. Even where points do not reach 70, the separate Special Highly Skilled Professional scheme (J-Skip) does not require a points calculation and targets talent who meet certain education or career plus a high salary. Which to apply under is chosen by matching the requirements.

How do the Certificate of Eligibility and a change of status differ?

The procedure for obtaining Highly Skilled Professional (i) splits at the entrance depending on where you are now.

Situation	Procedure	Overview
Newly bringing someone from abroad	Certificate of Eligibility application	The receiving organisation in Japan, etc., applies to the Regional Immigration Services Bureau. After issuance, you apply for a visa at the overseas mission in your home country, undergo landing examination, and enter. A visa is not issued if you apply without the certificate
Already in Japan under another status	Change-of-status-of-residence application	The person applies to the Regional Immigration Services Bureau and switches from "Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services," etc., to Highly Skilled Professional (i)
The organisation changes (change of job) while in Japan under Highly Skilled Professional (i)	Change-of-status-of-residence application	Because Highly Skilled Professional specifies the organisation and activity, a change application is again needed when the organisation changes

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Highly Skilled Professional (i) has the bonus of priority processing of entry and residence procedures: for a Certificate of Eligibility application they endeavour to process within 10 days of acceptance, and for a renewal of the period of stay or a change of status within 5 days of acceptance (cases with missing documents or doubts are excluded). Other preferential measures include being able to carry out composite activities spanning several statuses without permission for activities outside status; a uniform period of stay of 5 years; relaxation of the residence-history requirement for permanent residence (3 years at 70 points, 1 year at 80 points); the spouse's employment (no education/career requirement); and, where certain requirements are met, bringing a parent (household income of 8 million yen or more, etc.) or a domestic worker (household income of 10 million yen or more, etc.). After staying for 3 years or more under (i) and continuing the activity, you can consider a change to Highly Skilled Professional (ii), which has an indefinite period of stay.

What supporting documents should the hiring company gather, and what is the hand-off to other professionals?

The points calculation is supported by documents that substantiate education, career and salary. What the hiring company (the receiving organisation) can gather first to speed the procedure is the following. The specific forms and numbers of copies are confirmed against the Immigration Services Agency's latest guidance immediately before applying.

• Education: graduation certificates and diplomas (translate those issued abroad; authenticate if needed)
• Career: certificates of employment and other documents showing practical experience
• Salary: the employment contract and notice of working conditions; the withholding slip and pay statements (where there is income in Japan)
• Special additions: a JLPT pass certificate, a diploma from an eligible university, etc.
• Receiving organisation: a certificate of registered matters, financial statements and other materials showing the existence and scale of the business

Because the fields differ, they are divided and handed off on the premise that you contract with each as an independent business.

• Preparing and filing the application documents → an administrative scrivener qualified to file applications (Article 1-3 of the Administrative Scrivener Act; us)
• Payroll, social insurance, work rules, and working-conditions arrangements → a labor and social security attorney (a separate business)
• Income tax and resident tax, and the treatment of tax treaties (such as the 183-day rule for short-term-stay exemption) → a tax accountant
• The outlook of an individual residence review, and a dispute if denied → a lawyer
• The lease or purchase of housing after arrival, and arranging company housing → a real estate broker (Yotsuba Real Estate Co., Ltd., a separate business)

What the administrative scrivener handles is organising the points calculation, preparing and filing the application documents, and organising materials to pass to each professional. We do not make definitive statements on the outcome of the review or a legal outlook. For the flow of engagement, see Engagement Flow; for fees, see Fee Schedule; and for the whole range of work handled, see Services. Our office receives no referral fee.

FAQ

Q. At how many points is Highly Skilled Professional (i) granted, and where can I check the scores?
A. A total of 70 or more points for education, career, salary and so on is the requirement. The score for each item is set in the "points calculation table" published by the Immigration Services Agency; because it may be revised, confirm it on the official table immediately before applying (accessed 2026-10-20). This article explains the framework of the counting, and the individual scores in the table are authoritative.

Q. Which items are easy for talent from China and Taiwan to build up?
A. Special additions such as passing JLPT N1 or N2, graduating from a Japanese university or graduate school, a degree from an eligible university high in world rankings, and engaging in a growth-field business. Because the eligible-university list is updated annually, whether Peking University, Tsinghua University, National Taiwan University and the like are included is checked on the latest version at the time of application. The scores in the special-addition material are authoritative.

Q. Does the procedure differ between bringing someone from abroad and someone already in Japan?
A. Yes. To bring someone from abroad, you use a Certificate of Eligibility application, and after issuance apply for a visa at the overseas mission. For someone already in Japan under another status, you switch with a change-of-status-of-residence application. A change-of-status application is also needed when the organisation (workplace) changes while in Japan under Highly Skilled Professional (i).

Q. Can I ask one office to handle everything from the visa to post-hiring payroll and social insurance?
A. Preparing and filing the application documents is for an administrative scrivener qualified to file applications, payroll, social insurance and working conditions for a labor and social security attorney, income tax and tax treaties for a tax accountant, and the review outlook or a dispute over a denial for a lawyer — each contracted separately as an independent business. We can receive your consultation at one window and organise and pass materials to each professional, but the engagements are separate. Our office receives no referral fee.

Sources (Primary Information)

• e-Gov Law Search, "Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act," appended table I-2, "Highly Skilled Professional" (the basis for the Highly Skilled Professional (i) status) (accessed 2026-10-20)
• Immigration Services Agency, "Preferential immigration treatment under the points-based system for highly skilled foreign professionals" (the three types = advanced academic research / advanced specialist-technical / advanced business-management activities; a pass mark of 70 points; the points calculation table, the evaluation items and scores, and the special-addition materials; the eligible-university list as of January 2026; the special addition revised in March 2026) (accessed 2026-10-20)
• Immigration Services Agency, "Status of residence 'Highly Skilled Professional'" page (the activity types (i)(a)/(b)/(c); the 70-point requirement; judgement at renewal; change to Highly Skilled Professional (ii) after 3 years or more of stay under (i)) (accessed 2026-10-20)
• Immigration Services Agency, "Points-based system Q&A" (preferential measures = permission for composite activities / a 5-year period of stay / relaxation of the residence-history requirement for permanent residence [3 years at 70 points, 1 year at 80 points] / priority processing of entry and residence procedures [within 10 days for a Certificate of Eligibility and within 5 days for renewals and changes] / the spouse's employment / bringing a parent [household income of 8 million yen or more, etc.] / bringing a domestic worker [household income of 10 million yen or more, etc.]; the use of a Certificate of Eligibility application versus a change-of-status application) (accessed 2026-10-20)

This article is general information and does not guarantee individual point eligibility, the grant of a status, whether documents are needed, or the outcome of a review. Because the points and the eligible-university list may be revised, confirm them on the official table and special-addition material immediately before applying. Preparing and filing the application documents is for an administrative scrivener qualified to file applications (us), payroll, social insurance and working conditions for a labor and social security attorney, income tax and tax treaties for a tax accountant, and the review outlook or a dispute over a denial for a lawyer — each as an independent business under a separate contract. The lease or purchase of housing after arrival is handled by Yotsuba Real Estate Co., Ltd., a separate business, and our office receives no referral fee. Written by Joji Uramatsu, administrative scrivener and licensed real estate broker.