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An important update has been announced regarding the status of residence “Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services.”

For applications submitted on or after April 15, 2026, when the sponsoring organization falls under Category 3 or Category 4 (generally small and medium-sized companies), additional documentation may be required if the foreign national will primarily engage in duties that involve language skills.

In such cases, applicants may need to submit proof of language ability. The required level is approximately CEFR B2 (for example, JLPT N2 or equivalent).

The Immigration Services Agency of Japan provides the following notice:

[Notice Summary]
For applications submitted on or after April 15, 2026, when the organization falls under Category 3 or 4, the following additional documents may be required:

• •Declaration regarding the representative of the organization (reference form)

•  If the applicant primarily engages in duties involving language ability, documents proving CEFR B2 equivalent language proficiency

Applicants will be considered to meet the CEFR B2 level if they satisfy conditions such as:

• JLPT N2 or higher

• BJT Business Japanese Proficiency Test score of 400 or above

• Residence in Japan as a mid- to long-term resident for 20 years or more

• Graduation from a Japanese university, technical college, or vocational school

• Completion of compulsory education in Japan and graduation from high school

This requirement applies particularly to positions such as translation, interpretation, hotel front desk, customer service, and other roles primarily involving language skills.

Even for individuals already residing in Japan, if their job duties change to language-based work due to job transfer or change of employer, proof may be required at the time of extension of period of stay.

If the applicant continues the same duties as before, submission may not be required, although immigration authorities may still request documents depending on the review.

This operational change follows the government policy decision made on April 3, 2026, and has been implemented relatively quickly.

Companies falling under Category 3 or 4 are advised to review whether their positions involve language-based duties and prepare accordingly for future applications.

Reference:
https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/applications/status/gijinkoku.html