Learning from Gijinkoku Visa Denials: 5 Points to Check Before You Apply

Key points

● The main causes of denial fall broadly into three: “mismatched remuneration levels,” “insufficient relevance between education/work history and job duties,” and “insufficient specificity of the work framework.”

● Because remuneration is compared with “Japanese employees engaged in equivalent duties,” you need to verify consistency with your starting-salary table in advance.

● In the case of a change of status from international student, attendance rate and the status of activities outside status also become examination material.

● Even after a denial, reapplication is possible, but there is a high risk of the same result unless the cause is identified and corrected.

Denial Case 1: Remuneration Level Not Commensurate with Japanese Employees

In the reasoning published by the Immigration Services Agency of Japan, it is a clear requirement in the Gijinkoku visa examination that remuneration be “equal to or above the amount received when a Japanese national engages in the work.”

A typical denial pattern is setting the foreign talent's starting salary lower than that of a Japanese new-graduate employee. Despite being a hire as a professional, lowering remuneration on the grounds of language ability or shallow practical experience violates this requirement.

Countermeasure: The premise is to verify your company's new-graduate and mid-career salary tables and set a remuneration level that does not compare unfavorably with Japanese employees in the same duties and grade.

Denial Case 2: Weak Relevance Between Education/Work History and Job Duties

If the university major content or work history is judged to be unrelated to the actual job duties, the application is denied. A typical example is trying to hire someone who graduated from an education faculty as an on-site worker whose duties require no specialized knowledge.

The major name need not completely match the job name, but you must be in a state where you can explain that the substantive content of the curriculum or the expertise cultivated through work history logically connects to the intended job duties.

Countermeasure: In the job description, clearly state which parts of the major/work history are specifically applied to which duties, and if necessary prepare supplementary materials such as transcripts and syllabi.

Denial Case 3: The Work Framework Is Not Made Concrete

If you list only abstract job content such as “interpretation duties” or “technical guidance” on the application and apply while the actual work volume and framework remain unclear, it may be denied as activity content lacking substance.

Countermeasure: In the employment contract and job description, describe concretely in which department, at what frequency/work volume, and in coordination with whom the work will be performed. Organizing what proportion of total working hours the specialized duties occupy also makes the explanation easier during examination.

Denial Case 4: Too High a Ratio of Concurrent Simple Labor

Even for a hire in specialized duties, if the weight of on-site work (restocking, cargo handling, cleaning, etc.) is actually large, there is a risk of being regarded as engaging in simple labor. Even for temporary responses such as busy-season support, care is needed so that the job content in the contract and the reality do not diverge.

Denial Case 5: Enrollment-Status Problems in a Status Change from International Student

When hiring a new graduate by switching from international student to Gijinkoku, a low attendance rate, exceeding the cap on activities outside status (part-time work), or a history of withdrawal/expulsion can affect the examination. Before extending an offer, it is desirable to obtain accurate information directly from the person about their enrollment status and record of activities outside status.

[Comparison Table] Main Causes of Denial and Countermeasures

Denial pattern	Main cause	Hiring company's countermeasure
Mismatched remuneration level	Remuneration set lower than Japanese employees	Verify consistency with the salary table in advance
Insufficient relevance to education/work history	Major/work history does not connect to job duties	Explain relevance concretely in the job description
Insufficient specificity of work framework	Abstract job content, unclear framework	State work volume and coordination framework in the contract
Excessive concurrent simple-labor ratio	On-site work outweighs specialized duties	Maintain alignment between job content and reality
Enrollment-status problems (student change)	Attendance rate, excess activities outside status, withdrawal history, etc.	Verify enrollment status before the offer

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q: If denied once, can we reapply?

A: Reapplication is possible. However, unless the cause of denial is identified and corrected, the same result is highly likely, so we recommend reapplying after scrutinizing the cause with an expert (administrative scrivener, etc.).

Q: How should we prove that remuneration is “equal to or above”?

A: It is common to explain using your wage regulations or comparative materials against the salary level of Japanese employees in the same duties and grade. There is no uniform public standard; consistency with each company's individual salary system is what is questioned.

Q: Can small and medium-sized enterprises obtain Gijinkoku visa approval?

A: Company size itself is not a direct cause of denial. However, since the company's management condition and the appropriateness of labor management are also subject to examination, it is premised that matters such as financial results and social-insurance enrollment are in order.

Q: How should we apply when job duties span multiple fields?

A: It is desirable to clarify which field the primary duties fall under and then describe the breakdown of job content concretely in the job description. If you are unsure, we recommend consulting an expert.

Summary—Denial Risk Can Be Greatly Reduced by “Articulating in Advance”

Many Gijinkoku visa denials stem from factors the hiring company can control in advance: remuneration level, the relevance between job duties and education/work history, and the specificity of the work framework. Concretely articulating these at the job-description and employment-contract stage is the most practical way to minimize denial risk.

At KakehashiX, we support companies considering hiring under the Gijinkoku visa by matching the target talent's major/work history with the open position. For consultations, register as a company or feel free to 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

● Status of Residence “Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services” | Immigration Services Agency of Japan