From Highly Skilled Professional (i) to (ii): the requirements for specialists from China and Taiwan to move to a status close to permanent residence

In short: Highly Skilled Professional (ii) is a status of residence set out in appended table I-2 of the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act, to which a person who has been active under Highly Skilled Professional (i) can move, and whose period of stay is indefinite. The two central requirements for the move are: having been active under Highly Skilled Professional (i) (or a Designated Activities status as a highly skilled professional equivalent to it) for 3 years or more, actually carrying out that activity; and having a total of 70 or more points at the time of the move application (operation of the Immigration Services Agency; the scores may be revised). On becoming (ii), you can carry out — in addition to the activity of (i)(a), (b) or (c) — activities corresponding to almost all work-based statuses of residence, and the period of stay becomes indefinite. Unlike a permanent resident, however, activity as a highly skilled professional is the premise; the residence card is valid until the 10th birthday after the date of issue (Article 19-5 of the Immigration Act; until the 5th birthday if under 18; the standard after the amendment that took effect on 14 June 2026), and if you do not carry out the activity continuously for 6 months or more you may become subject to revocation of the status (Article 22-4 of the same Act). Yotsuba Administrative Scrivener Office (an administrative scrivener qualified to file applications) takes on the preparation and filing of the change-of-status-of-residence application within the scope of Articles 1-2 and 1-3 of the Administrative Scrivener Act under a separate contract. Labor matters are for a labor and social security attorney, tax for a tax accountant, the final judgment of eligibility for the Immigration Services Agency, and a dispute over a denial for a lawyer — each contracted separately as an independent business. This article is general information and does not guarantee an individual grant. Our office receives no referral fee.

How does Highly Skilled Professional (ii) differ from (i) and from permanent residence?

Highly Skilled Professional (ii) is a status of residence set out in appended table I-2, an upper framework to which a person who has been active under (i) for a certain period can move. (i), (ii) and permanent resident divide in character by period of stay and freedom of activity.

	Highly Skilled Professional (i)	Highly Skilled Professional (ii)	Permanent resident
Period of stay	Uniform 5 years	Indefinite	Indefinite
Range of activity	One of (i)(a)/(b)/(c) (+ composite activity without permission for activities outside status)	The activity of (i)(a)/(b)/(c) + activities of almost all work-based statuses	No restriction (activity not asked)
Premise of activity	Activity as a highly skilled professional required	Activity as a highly skilled professional is the premise	Whether there is activity is not asked
Validity of the residence card	Until the day the period of stay expires	Until the 10th birthday after the date of issue (Article 19-5 of the Immigration Act)	Until the 10th birthday after the date of issue (same article; until the 5th birthday if under 18)

Whereas a permanent resident is asked neither the kind nor the existence of activity, Highly Skilled Professional (ii) has as its premise "carrying out activity as a highly skilled professional." If you do not carry out the activity continuously for 6 months or more, you may become subject to revocation of the status (Article 22-4 of the Immigration Act). In this respect it differs in positioning from permanent residence, where there is practically almost no work restriction. The whole picture of the points calculation for (i) is organised in The points calculation for a Highly Skilled Professional (i) visa (for specialists from China and Taiwan).

How many years and what activity record are needed to move from (i) to (ii)?

The move to Highly Skilled Professional (ii) is made by a change-of-status-of-residence application. The two central requirements are as follows (operation of the Immigration Services Agency; the detailed criteria may be revised).

Requirement	Content
Activity record	Having been active under Highly Skilled Professional (i) (or a Designated Activities status as a highly skilled professional equivalent to it) for 3 years or more, actually carrying out that activity while residing
Points	At the time of the move application, a total of 70 or more points on the same criteria as when you applied under (i)

"3 years or more" asks not merely the period you were in Japan but whether you continued activity as a highly skilled professional. The points must be 70 or more at the time of application, and the brackets for education, career, salary and so on are set in the Immigration Services Agency's points calculation table. Because the scores and the eligible-university list are revised, confirm them on the official table immediately before applying. The activity record is substantiated by a certificate of employment, the withholding slip and pay statements, and the points by diplomas and qualification certificates. Whether you finally fall under the requirements is judged after review by the Immigration Services Agency.

How far do work and residence become free on becoming (ii)?

On becoming Highly Skilled Professional (ii), the breadth of activity and the period of stay expand. The main points are as follows.

• Range of activity: in addition to one of the activities of Highly Skilled Professional (i)(a), (b) or (c), you can carry out, together with it, activities corresponding to almost all work-based statuses of residence (research/education, Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services, business management, legal/accounting work, medical services, entertainment, skilled labor, etc.). Engaging solely in unskilled labor is not assumed.
• Period of stay: it becomes indefinite, and the procedure to renew the period of stay is in principle no longer needed. However, the residence card has a term of validity, and a separate renewal of the residence card (renewal of the recorded matters) is needed before it expires. The term runs until the 10th birthday after the date of issue (until the 5th birthday if under 18) (Article 19-5 of the Immigration Act; the standard after the amendment that took effect on 14 June 2026).
• Family and living: the preferential measures allowed under (i) — the spouse's employment, and, where certain requirements are met, bringing a parent or a domestic worker — can generally continue to be used under (ii).

On the other hand, (ii) has "carrying out activity as a highly skilled professional" as its premise. If you do not carry out the permitted activity continuously for 6 months or more while residing, you may become subject to revocation of the status (Article 22-4 of the Immigration Act). Even if you change jobs or the organisation changes, a change of status of residence is not needed, but the fact that the substance of the activity is asked does not change. Because the specific range and operation of the preferences may be revised, confirm them against the Immigration Services Agency's latest guidance before applying.

How do you assemble the documents from China and Taiwan (graduation and employment certificates)?

For the move application, you assemble documents that substantiate the 3-years-or-more activity record and the points. Documents issued in China and Taiwan may require translation and, as needed, authentication (notarisation, apostille, etc.). 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.

• Activity record: a certificate of employment, a document showing the content of duties, the withholding slip and pay statements (showing 3 years or more of continued activity)
• Education: graduation certificates and diplomas (a Japanese translation for those issued abroad; authenticate if needed)
• Salary: the employment contract and notice of working conditions
• 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

For official documents issued in mainland China and those issued in Taiwan, the routes and windows for translation and authentication differ. Whether authentication is needed and which route to use change with what the submission destination requires and the kind of document, so organise them early. What our office does is prepare and file the application documents and organise 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; for the work handled, see Services.

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Which do you consider first, the move to (ii) or a permanent-residence application?

For highly skilled professionals, the residence-history requirement for permanent residence is relaxed as a highly skilled professional, to 3 years at 70 points and 1 year at 80 points. For this reason, "whether to move to (ii)" or "whether to aim for permanent residence" is chosen differently depending on circumstances.

Option	When it suits
Move to Highly Skilled Professional (ii)	When you may make the period of stay indefinite on the premise of continuing to work as a highly skilled professional. When you want to lighten the burden of renewal procedures
Permanent-residence application	When you want residence unbound by the kind or existence of activity. When you are likely to meet the requirements (residence history, conduct, livelihood, etc.)

(ii) has activity as a highly skilled professional as its premise and may become subject to revocation if you do not carry out activity continuously for 6 months or more, whereas a permanent resident is not asked about activity. Which suits changes with residence history, salary and the way you will work from now, and some people consider both in turn. The requirements for permanent residence are organised in Requirements for a permanent-residence application (for specialists from China and Taiwan), and naturalisation to acquire Japanese nationality in Requirements for a naturalisation application (Nationality Act; China/Taiwan). Because the fields differ, responsibility divides as follows, each contracted separately as an independent business.

• Preparing and filing the change-of-status-of-residence application → an administrative scrivener qualified to file applications (Articles 1-2 and 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 → a tax accountant
• The final judgment of eligibility for the status of residence → the Immigration Services Agency
• A dispute if denied, and an individual legal outlook → a lawyer
• The lease or purchase of housing, and arranging company housing → Yotsuba Real Estate Co., Ltd., a separate business (real estate broker)

Each field is on the premise that you contract separately with each window and qualified person, and our office receives no referral fee.

FAQ

Q. How many years of activity under (i) are needed to become Highly Skilled Professional (ii)?
A. The central requirement is having been active under Highly Skilled Professional (i) (or a Designated Activities status as a highly skilled professional equivalent to it) for 3 years or more, actually carrying out that activity while residing. In addition, a total of 70 or more points at the time of the move application is needed (operation of the Immigration Services Agency). It asks not merely the period you were in Japan but the continuation of activity as a highly skilled professional. Because the scores and criteria may be revised, confirm them against the official guidance immediately before applying.

Q. Once I become Highly Skilled Professional (ii), is renewal of the period of stay no longer needed?
A. The period of stay becomes indefinite, and the procedure to renew the period of stay is in principle not needed. However, the residence card has a term of validity, and a separate renewal of the residence card (renewal of the recorded matters) is needed before it expires. The term runs until the 10th birthday after the date of issue (until the 5th birthday if under 18) (Article 19-5 of the Immigration Act; the standard after the amendment that took effect on 14 June 2026). Also, if you do not carry out the permitted activity continuously for 6 months or more while residing, you may become subject to revocation of the status (Article 22-4), so keeping up the substance of the activity is the premise.

Q. What is the difference between (ii) and permanent residence? Which should I consider first?
A. A permanent resident is asked neither the kind nor the existence of activity, whereas Highly Skilled Professional (ii) has carrying out activity as a highly skilled professional as its premise. Because the residence-history requirement for permanent residence is relaxed to 3 years at 70 points and 1 year at 80 points for highly skilled professionals, which of the move to (ii) or permanent residence suits changes with residence history, salary and the way you will work. Some people consider both in turn. Because an individual outlook cannot be stated definitively, you choose by matching the requirements.

Q. Can I ask one office to handle everything from the visa change to post-hiring payroll and social insurance?
A. The preparation and filing of the change-of-status-of-residence application 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; the final judgment of eligibility for the Immigration Services Agency; a dispute over a denial for a lawyer; and housing for Yotsuba Real Estate Co., Ltd., a separate business — 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)(a)/(b)/(c) and Highly Skilled Professional (ii) statuses), Article 19-5 (term of validity of the residence card = for permanent residents and Highly Skilled Professional (ii) aged 18 or over, until the 10th birthday after the date of issue; the standard after the amendment that took effect on 14 June 2026), Article 22-4, paragraph 1, item 6 (revocation of the status of residence = for Highly Skilled Professional (ii) [appended table I-2, Highly Skilled Professional, sub-item (ii) of the lower column], including cases of not carrying out that activity continuously for six months or more while residing; for other statuses, three months in principle) (accessed 2026-11-03)
• Immigration Services Agency, "Status of residence 'Highly Skilled Professional'" page and "Preferential immigration treatment under the points-based system for highly skilled foreign professionals" (the move to (ii) after 3 years or more of activity under Highly Skilled Professional (i); the range of (ii) activity = the (i) activity + activities of almost all work-based statuses; an indefinite period of stay; relaxation of the residence-history requirement for permanent residence [3 years at 70 points, 1 year at 80 points]; preferences such as the spouse's employment and bringing a parent or domestic worker. The points calculation table, the scores and the eligible-university list may be revised) (accessed 2026-11-03)
• e-Gov Law Search, "Administrative Scrivener Act," Article 1-2 (the preparation of documents submitted to public offices = exclusive business), Article 1-3 (the business of filing agency, etc.) (accessed 2026-11-03)

This article is general information and does not guarantee or judge individual point eligibility, whether the move to (ii) will be granted, whether permanent residence will be granted, whether documents are needed, or the outcome of a review. Because the requirements for the move, the scores and the eligible-university list, and the operation of the preferences may be revised, confirm them against the Immigration Services Agency's latest guidance immediately before applying. The preparation and filing of the change-of-status-of-residence application 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; the final judgment of eligibility for the Immigration Services Agency; and a dispute over a denial for a lawyer — each contracted separately as an independent business. The lease or purchase of housing is handled by Yotsuba Real Estate Co., Ltd., a separate business, and our office receives no referral fee. A specific legal judgment is made, after an interview, by a qualified person such as an administrative scrivener. Written by Joji Uramatsu, administrative scrivener and licensed real estate broker.