What Is the Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services (Gijinkoku) Visa? Essentials Every Hiring Company Should Know

Key points

●        Gijinkoku is a “direct employment” work visa for university-graduate-level professionals, requiring no supervising organization or registered support organization.

●        It is divided into three fields—Engineer, Specialist in Humanities, and International Services—covering a wide range of jobs such as engineers, interpreters/translators, international sales, and designers.

●        The two core conditions that decide approval are the “relevance between the applicant's major/work history and the job duties” and “remuneration equal to or above that of Japanese nationals.”

●        As a renewable “career visa” that also counts toward permanent residency requirements, it can be an advantageous option for companies from a retention standpoint as well.

What Is Gijinkoku?

“Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services” is one of the statuses of residence defined by the Immigration Services Agency of Japan, corresponding to what is called a “working visa” overseas. Because the official name is long, it is commonly abbreviated to “Gijinkoku” in practice.

This status of residence is broadly divided into three fields:

●        Engineer: Jobs applying specialized knowledge in science and engineering fields such as IT and engineering (systems engineers, mechanical designers, etc.)

●        Specialist in Humanities: Jobs applying specialized knowledge in humanities fields such as law, economics, business administration, and marketing

●        International Services: Jobs applying language skills and cross-cultural understanding (interpretation/translation, overseas sales, trade operations, etc.)

Whereas Specified Skilled Worker (SSW) presupposes “skills” that include on-site work, Gijinkoku is fundamentally different in that it presupposes university-graduate-level “expertise.” Simple labor that does not require specialized knowledge—such as factory line work or restaurant floor service—is outside the scope of Gijinkoku.

Why “Direct Employment” Matters to Hiring Companies

Gijinkoku's biggest feature is that it is “direct employment” that does not go through a supervising organization (required for Technical Intern Training / Employment for Skill Development) or a registered support organization (required for Specified Skilled Worker). This brings several practical advantages to hiring companies.

●        No monthly support commission fees: Under Specified Skilled Worker, a monthly support commission of roughly 20,000–30,000 yen to a registered support organization is common, but this cost structure itself does not exist for Gijinkoku.

●        Simpler procedures: There is no need for procedures mediated by a support organization, such as drafting a support plan or filing periodic reports, so the process is close to hiring an ordinary Japanese employee.

●        Renewable and a path to permanent residency: Gijinkoku can be renewed repeatedly, and residence over a certain period also counts toward the requirements for a permanent residence permit application. Because it is a visa that allows a long-term career outlook, it also works advantageously from the standpoint of talent retention.

The Two Core Conditions That Decide Approval

Among the many requirements in the Gijinkoku visa examination, the following two points are especially emphasized.

1. Relevance Between Major/Work History and Job Duties

The content of the applicant's university major, or the expertise cultivated through work history, must be relevant to the actual job duties. For example, consistency is required such as hiring a business administration graduate as an accountant, or hiring an information engineering major as a systems engineer. If this relevance is judged to be weak, the risk of denial increases.

2. Remuneration Equal to or Above That of Japanese Nationals

Under the Gijinkoku visa, paying remuneration equal to or above that of Japanese employees engaged in the same duties is a legal requirement. Remuneration levels cannot be lowered simply because the person is foreign talent. This point must always be factored in when setting the hiring budget.

Education and Work-Experience Requirements

To obtain the Gijinkoku visa, one of the following must be satisfied:

●        Graduation from a university (bachelor's degree or higher) in Japan or overseas

●        Graduation from a vocational school in Japan and holding the title of Diploma (Senmonshi) or Advanced Diploma (Kodo Senmonshi)

●        For the Engineer / Specialist in Humanities fields, 10 or more years of practical experience (the period of studying related subjects at high school or vocational school may be included)

●        For the International Services field, 3 or more years of practical experience

Even when the education requirement is not met, the fact that it can be substituted with a certain amount of practical experience is an important point that broadens hiring options.

[Comparison Table] Basic Information on the Gijinkoku Visa

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q: How is the Gijinkoku visa different from Specified Skilled Worker?

A: Gijinkoku is a direct-employment visa for university-graduate-level professionals and requires no supervising or registered support organization. Specified Skilled Worker targets on-site workers in designated fields (expanded from 16 to 19 fields by Cabinet decision in January 2026) and, in many cases, requires a support framework via a registered support organization. The two differ in both target talent and employment structure. For a detailed comparison, see the related article “A Thorough Comparison of Gijinkoku, Specified Skilled Worker, and Employment for Skill Development.”

Q: What kinds of occupations can be hired under the Gijinkoku visa?

A: Representative examples include systems engineers, mechanical designers, interpreters/translators, overseas sales staff, trade operations staff, designers, and administrative roles such as accounting and HR. For the relationship between a detailed occupation list and education requirements, see the related article “Eligible Occupations and Education Requirements for the Gijinkoku Visa.”

Q: Can we hire talent who does not meet the education requirement?

A: Yes. In the Engineer / Specialist in Humanities fields, 10+ years of practical experience, or in the International Services field, 3+ years, may substitute for the education requirement. However, relevance to the job duties remains subject to examination.

Q: Why has Gijinkoku hiring of Indonesian talent been increasing recently?

A: In Indonesia, the number of universities offering Japanese-language education has grown, expanding the supply of Japanese-language talent including JLPT (Japanese-Language Proficiency Test) holders. Combined with Japan's domestic labor shortage, Indonesia is drawing attention as a strong supply source of professional talent hireable under the Gijinkoku visa. For details, see the related article “Why Indonesian Talent Is Drawing Attention in Gijinkoku Hiring.”

Summary—Gijinkoku Combines “Expertise” and “Direct Employment”

The Gijinkoku visa is a practically simple option for hiring companies, allowing direct employment of university-graduate-level professionals without going through a supervising or registered support organization. That said, it is premised on satisfying two core conditions: the relevance between the major/work history and the job duties, and the equivalence of remuneration.

KakehashiX provides end-to-end support—from sourcing to matching—of JLPT-certified Indonesian talent hireable under the Gijinkoku visa. Companies considering hiring are welcome to register as a company or contact us at kakehashi-x@ventures-link.com.

Sources

• On the Clarification of the Status of Residence “Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services” | Immigration Services Agency of Japan

• Immigration Services Agency of Japan — Engineer/Specialist status & procedures