Japanese immigration decisions are not discretionary in the way people assume. Each status of residence has criteria written into law and ministerial ordinance, and an application either meets them or it does not. The judgement comes in how evidence is weighed, not in whether a friendly officer decides to help you out.
That means the useful thing to do before applying is work out which criteria apply to you and where you are weakest. This section covers the three tests that cut across almost every category.
Do you need a visa at all
For short stays, this is the first question. Nationals of 74 countries and regions enter Japan without a visa for tourism, family visits and business meetings. Everyone else applies before travelling.
The visa-exempt countries list has the full breakdown, including the four nationalities that get less than 90 days and the exemptions that carry passport conditions. It also covers JESTA, the pre-travel authorisation system arriving around 2028.
Exemption covers short visits only. It gives no right to work, and it does not convert into a longer stay from inside Japan.
Can you support yourself
Money comes up in nearly every application, but the test changes by category. Some have hard thresholds: ¥10 million a year for Digital Nomad, ¥30 million in company capital for Business Manager. Others apply a judgement about whether you can live here without public assistance.
The financial and income requirements page sets out which is which, what a student financial supporter file has to contain, and how the permanent residency income standard changed in October 2026.
One rule runs through all of it. For any work status, your pay must be at least what a Japanese national would earn doing the same job. Underpaid offers get refused.
Do you need Japanese
Most professional work statuses require none at all. Specified Skilled Worker requires a test. Highly Skilled Professional scores it as points rather than demanding it.
The significant change is that permanent residency gains a language requirement of roughly JLPT N2 from April 2027. The Japanese language requirements page covers what each category asks for and which test is worth sitting.
The requirements that are easy to overlook
Beyond the three above, four things affect eligibility across categories:
- Your immigration record. Past overstays, deportations and entry refusals carry re-entry bans and affect every later application. This is the hardest problem to fix.
- Your criminal record. Convictions matter, including ones abroad. Certain drug offences carry an indefinite bar.
- Tax and social insurance payments. For extensions and permanent residency, immigration checks that you paid and that you paid on time. Late payment counts against you even once settled.
- Your sponsor's standing. For most work and study statuses, the sponsoring company or school is assessed alongside you. A new company with no filing history, or a school under scrutiny, slows or sinks an application that is otherwise fine.
A note on how to read all of this
Submitting every document on the list does not guarantee approval. The burden is on the applicant to demonstrate eligibility, and immigration can ask for more. The corollary is that a strong application is one that anticipates the obvious question and answers it in the file, rather than waiting to be asked.
Where to go next
Once you know which category fits, see Visa Types for the criteria specific to it, then How to Apply for the procedure.