Professional Experience Under the Highly Skilled Professionals Points System
Professional Experience and Years of Practical Work Under the Highly Skilled Professionals (HSP) Points System
This article provides an explanation of how professional experience is scored under Japan’s Highly Skilled Professional (HSP) points system. This system is designed to attract highly skilled foreign talent by granting points based on certain criteria, which in turn facilitate visa acquisition or permanent residency applications. One of the key components of this system is the points awarded for professional experience. Here is how the scoring works:
Points Allocation for Professional Experience under the HSP System:
- More than 10 years of professional experience: 20 points
- 7 to 10 years of professional experience: 15 points
- 5 to 7 years of professional experience: 10 points
- 3 to 5 years of professional experience: 5 points
Importantly, these points are granted only for work experience relevant to the field the applicant intends to work in. For example, an IT engineer currently working in system development might not be able to count years spent working in unrelated fields, such as language teaching or simple translation tasks, toward their professional experience points.
Similarly, foreign nationals who came to Japan through the JET Programme (Japan Exchange and Teaching) may or may not be able to count their time working in local government offices toward professional experience points, depending on the nature of their duties during the program. If such experience is not recognized, it could negatively impact their eligibility for the Highly Skilled Professional visa or for applying for permanent residency under the HSP points system.
Points Criteria for Highly Skilled Professionals:
- Academic background:
- PhD: 30 points
- MBA: 25 points
- Master’s degree: 20 points
- Bachelor’s degree: 10 points
- Multiple degrees across fields: Additional points for multiple PhDs or professional degrees.
- Professional experience:
- Over 10 years: 20 points
- 7 to 10 years: 15 points
- 5 to 7 years: 10 points
- 3 to 5 years: 5 points
- Age:
- 20s: 15 points
- 30 to 34 years: 10 points
- 35 to 39 years: 5 points
- Language proficiency:
- Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) N1: 15 points
- Graduation from a Japanese university or graduate school: 10 points
- Additional points are also awarded for graduating from a globally recognized university ranked in the top 300 by institutions such as QS World University Rankings or Times Higher Education. This includes top Japanese universities such as the University of Tokyo, Keio University, and Waseda University.
Verification of Professional Experience and Employment Certificates
The years of professional experience counted toward the HSP points must be substantiated with documentation such as employment certificates, termination letters, or labor certificates issued by a government authority (as in the case of former Soviet Union countries). Even if an applicant has over 10 years of work experience, only the years that can be officially verified through such documents will be recognized by Japan’s Immigration Bureau.
This can be challenging in cases where a former employer has gone out of business or merged with another company, complicating efforts to provide adequate proof of employment.
For more specific advice or in-depth information regarding the Highly Skilled Professional points system, consulting with a licensed administrative scrivener or an immigration expert is recommended.
Professional
Masakazu Murai
Immigration consultant, Financial advisor
18 years experience in Investment Banking at Mitsubishi UFJ Morgan Stanley. He had provided financial advisory more than 500 entrepreneurs and senior management.
During his tenure, he worked as an employee union executive committee member in promoting diversity, including the active participation of foreigners and women in the workplace, and engaged in activities to improve the working environment. He specializes in consulting and financial consulting on the status of residence for foreigners.
Gyoseishoshi Immigration Lawyer
CMA(Japanese financial analyst license)
CFP (Certified Financial Planner)
Master of Business Administration in Entrepreneurship
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