A Japan work visa for an Indian engineer or professional has no cap, lottery or petition fee: the employer applies at its regional immigration bureau for a Certificate of Eligibility (COE), which is free and takes 1 to 3 months, under Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services, the standard status for graduates in IT, engineering, finance and translation, or under Highly Skilled Professional (HSP) if you score 70 points for education, experience, salary, age and Japanese. You then lodge the COE at VFS Global and the mission issues the ₹500 visa in about five working days. HSP is the premium tier: a five-year stay, full work rights for your spouse and permanent residence after three years, or one year at 80 points. From 1 October 2026 extensions in Japan cost ¥33,000 to ¥75,000 and permanent residence ¥200,000.
The compact version with the price card and checklist is on the Japan work visa route page. This article compares the two tiers on one page, sets out the points table and explains the fees that arrive after landing.
Which Japan work visa fits an Indian professional: Engineer/Humanities or HSP?
| Status | Requirement | Period of stay | Key benefits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services | Related degree or 10 years' experience (3 for international services); Japanese-level salary | 5, 3 or 1 year | Standard route; change employer within the field by notification; PR after 10 years |
| Highly Skilled Professional (i) | 70 points: education, experience, salary, age, Japanese, bonuses | 5 years | Spouse works full time; parents and a domestic worker at ¥8 million income; PR after 3 years (1 year at 80 points) |
| Highly Skilled Professional (ii) | 3 years as HSP (i) | Indefinite | Unrestricted activities across HSP categories |
| J-Skip (special HSP) | Master's and 10 years' experience with ¥20 million income, or ¥40 million as an executive | 5 years | HSP benefits without the points table; PR after 1 year |
| Specified Skilled Worker (i) | Skills test and JLPT N4 or JFT-Basic in 16 fields | Up to 5 years total | Mid-skilled work; SSW (ii) in 11 fields allows family and renewal |
Most Indian IT and engineering hires enter on Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services. The degree must relate to the work: an electronics engineer in software, a commerce graduate in finance or sales planning, a graduate of any field in translation with three years' experience. Immigration also checks the employer: capital, tax compliance, a contract at a wage equal to Japanese staff and a business need for the role. Dispatch (haken) employment is accepted when the dispatch firm holds the licence, which matters for Indian engineers placed through staffing companies.
How does the Highly Skilled Professional points table work?
The HSP table is public and arithmetical. Education: a bachelor's scores 10 points, a master's 20 and a doctorate 30, with 5 more for a second degree. Professional experience: 5 to 15 points for three to ten years. Annual salary: 10 to 40 points by age band, with ¥5 million the minimum for any salary points under 30. Age: 15 points under 30, 10 under 35, 5 under 40. Japanese: JLPT N1 scores 15 and N2 scores 10; a degree from a Japanese university scores 10. Bonuses cover research achievements, patents, employers in growth fields and graduates of top-ranked universities.
A 28-year-old Indian engineer with a master's (20), five years' experience (10), a ¥6 million salary (20) and age under 30 (15) reaches 65 and needs JLPT N2 (10) or a bonus to cross 70. Scoring 70 gives a five-year stay, permission for your spouse to work full time in a professional role, the right to bring parents and a domestic worker at ¥8 million household income with a child under seven, and permanent residence after three years, or one year at 80 points. The trade-off is that HSP is tied to the sponsoring employer and the activities named on the designation; a job change needs a fresh HSP application.
What does it cost, and who pays?
| Item | Amount | Paid by |
|---|---|---|
| Certificate of Eligibility | Free | Employer files |
| Visa fee (Indian nationals) | ₹500 | Worker, at VFS |
| VFS Global service fee | Set by VFS | Worker or employer |
| Residence card at the airport | Free | Issued on landing at major airports |
| Change of status or extension (from 1 Oct 2026) | ¥33,000 (1 year), ¥48,000 (1 to 3 years), ¥64,000 (3 to 5 years), ¥75,000 (5 years) counter; ¥27,000 to ¥65,000 online | Worker, on approval in Japan |
| Re-entry permit (absence over 1 year) | ¥3,000 single, ¥6,000 multiple | Worker |
| Health insurance and pension | About 15% of salary, split with the employer | Worker and employer |
Japan charges nothing for the petition stage, so the only pre-arrival government fee is the ₹500 visa, which Vistolane shows on the price card as listed. The 1 October 2026 revision raised in-Japan fees sharply and applies to applications received from that date. Employers using Vistolane for business see the COE file and the worker's visa in one workspace.
How does the application run?
- Offer and documents: the signed contract, degree certificate and transcripts, a CV with exact dates, passport copy and photo; HSP applicants compile the points evidence (degree, experience letters, salary, JLPT).
- The employer files the COE at the regional immigration bureau or online, with company documents (registration, financial statements, tax) and the employment contract; one to three months.
- The employer sends the original or the electronic COE; it is valid for three months from issue.
- Lodge at VFS Global: MOFA form, 45 x 45 mm photo, passport and COE; pay ₹500; the mission issues the visa in about five working days.
- Arrive and register: residence card at the airport, address registration within 14 days, health insurance and pension through the employer, and a My Number card.
How long does it take from India?
| Stage | Typical time |
|---|---|
| Offer and document collection | 1 to 3 weeks |
| COE processing | 1 to 3 months; HSP and large employers faster |
| Visa at VFS | About 5 working days plus handling |
| Travel | Within 3 months of COE |
Plan two to four months from offer to start. There is no cap, lottery or registration window, which sets Japan apart from the US H-1B visa; the COE queue peaks before the April hiring season.
Changing jobs, family and settlement
Engineer/Humanities holders can change employer within the same field by notifying immigration within 14 days; a move outside the field needs a change of status, and a Certificate of Authorised Employment from the bureau reassures a new employer. Spouses and children join on a Dependent status and may work 28 hours a week with permission; HSP spouses can work full time in a professional role, as the Japan dependent visa guide explains. Extensions are granted for the same or longer periods when tax, pension and health insurance are paid on time.
Permanent residence requires ten years of residence including five on a work status, or three years for HSP at 70 points and one year at 80, with tax and social insurance compliance and a guarantor; the fee is ¥200,000 from 1 October 2026 and the Japan permanent residence guide sets out the file. Naturalisation after five years is possible but requires renouncing Indian citizenship.
Why are Japan work visas refused, and what fixes each reason?
Degree not related to the job. A degree in one field for work in an unrelated field without ten years' experience. Document the link between the course content and the duties, or rely on experience letters; translation and sales roles use the three-year rule.
Employer scrutiny. A new or small company without financial stability, tax arrears or a vague job description. The employer submits financial statements, a business plan and a detailed letter of reason; dispatch firms show the licence.
Salary below Japanese level. An offer under what Japanese staff earn in the role, or under ¥5 million for HSP salary points. Align the contract with the company's wage table and recalculate the points.
Points not evidenced. HSP claims without certificates, experience letters or salary proof. Attach each document the points table requires; immigration accepts only evidenced points.
Past non-compliance. An overstay, unpaid tax or pension on a previous stay, or an earlier COE revoked. Settle arrears and disclose; a compliant history is checked at every extension.
How Vistolane handles it
Work routes on Vistolane go to a licence-checked immigration partner (gyoseishoshi) who prepares the COE file with the employer, assesses HSP points and files the ₹500 visa at VFS. Employers start from Vistolane for business; workers start with the free eligibility check or the Japan work visa route page. Professionals comparing Asian hubs can read the Singapore Employment Pass guide and the UAE employment visa guide.
