Foreign qualifications
Degree level, awarding institution, subject and documents.
Japan HSP Points with Overseas Degrees and Experience
Japan HSP Points for Overseas Degrees & Work Experience
Do you hold a university degree from outside Japan or have worked in several countries? Your overseas education and professional history can be relevant to Japan’s Highly Skilled Professional (HSP) points system. We help identify which items can legally be counted, how to prove them and whether your proposed activities meet the immigration requirements.
HSP No. 1 COE or change of status · professional feeFrom ¥110,000Tax included · Disbursements may be separate
Detailed documentary HSP points assessment¥16,500Tax included · Credited against a later related application engagement
International career
Multiple employers, overseas postings and relevant periods.
Accurate 70-point review
Avoid unprovable bonus items or unsupported experience claims.
Can a Non-Japanese Degree Count Toward HSP Points?
Japan’s HSP system can award education points for qualifying degrees awarded overseas. The assessment depends on the degree, its awarding institution and the applicable activity category. A foreign qualification does not need to be from a Japanese university merely to be considered as an academic degree.
| Qualification or issue | What we check | Useful proof |
|---|---|---|
| Bachelor’s degree | Whether it is a recognized university degree that qualifies under the correct points table. | Official degree certificate; university information when needed. |
| Master’s / PhD | The type and level of degree, any eligible additional degree circumstances. | Award certificate; degree field and academic record. |
| MBA / management degree | Whether a management-related professional degree satisfies a specific legal bonus or category rule. | Award document, program content, institution records. |
| Designated university bonus | Whether the awarding university actually appears within an official designated category for the relevant period. | Institution details and evidence of the applicable designation. |
| Multiple degrees | Whether the official rule permits additional points where degrees are in different disciplines. | Both awards and proof of subject areas. |
| Unclear foreign qualification | Credential level, awarding institution and authenticity where necessary. | Additional official documentation and translations. |
Not every foreign degree or famous university receives special bonus points. Academic degree points and bonuses for a legally designated university are separate. Country rankings or private online lists cannot replace the official qualifying criteria.
How Overseas Work Experience May Be Counted
Qualifying professional career is assessed under the applicable HSP table, including its relationship to the proposed activities. A strong résumé is a useful starting point, but immigration needs verifiable periods and work duties.
Relevance: show how prior work connects with the specialized, academic or management activities proposed in Japan.
Dates: provide exact start and end dates rather than rounding several periods up to full years.
Multiple employers: produce records for each relevant employment period and explain gaps or changes.
Overlapping positions: simultaneous roles should not be double-counted merely because two employment certificates exist.
Job duties: titles such as analyst, director or researcher must be supported by descriptions of actual work.
Overseas companies that closed: collect alternative contemporaneous records where official certificates are unavailable.
Experience unrelated to the planned Japan activities may be excluded. The applicable career definition differs between HSP (i)(a), (i)(b) and (i)(c).
Employer Letters and Evidence for Foreign Experience
| Evidence | Useful information to include |
|---|---|
| Employer experience letter | Official employer name, position, period of work, actual duties, contact details and issuing authority. |
| Employment contract | Employer, employee, assigned role, contract dates, and terms. |
| Payslips or tax records | Corroboration where available; these may not replace proof of actual work duties. |
| Company closure records | Official closure, historical registry or employment records and an explanation of missing employer certificates. |
| Translation | Accurate Japanese translation of documents required for submission to immigration. |
We recommend asking employers to describe duties specifically rather than issuing a one-line certificate that states only “worked here for ten years.”
Why the Same Qualifications Can Lead to Different HSP Scores
Academic research (i)(a)
Research career and prescribed achievements may contribute under the academic research table.
Technical professions (i)(b)
Education, qualifying technical experience, salary, age and relevant bonuses are assessed under the specialized/technical table.
Business management (i)(c)
Management career, compensation, education and prescribed bonuses are assessed against the management activity.
There is no single points sheet that applies identically to all HSP applicants. The activity category must be selected before the score is calculated.
How Overseas Pay and Certifications Affect the Calculation
HSP remuneration is generally assessed using qualifying planned annual remuneration, not an arbitrary sum of salary, projected overtime and allowances. Some overseas-paid compensation in particular cross-border arrangements may require careful confirmation.
Japanese-language qualifications, business degrees, legally designated institutions and certain government-recognized certificates may create points where the applicable rules allow them. An industry certificate or foreign professional membership does not necessarily qualify.
For ordinary HSP (i)(b) and (i)(c), there is a separate minimum annual remuneration threshold of ¥3 million. HSP (i)(a) is not subject to that same universal separate minimum rule.
What If Your Calculation Is 60 or 65 Points?
We review categories often misunderstood by applicants: additional degrees, eligible designated universities, professional experience, Japanese proficiency, recognized qualifications and host-related bonuses. We can also identify claims that do not satisfy the official rules.
Confirmed points
Supported by documents and corresponding to the current official rule.
Uncertain points
Potentially eligible but requiring more evidence or legal analysis.
Not claimable
A claimed item does not fall within the statutory points category.
Can Foreign Degrees and Experience Support a Permanent Residence Application?
Qualifying overseas education and career history may form part of your HSP score when assessing a points-based permanent residence route. Under the applicable residence-history exceptions, 70 points may support a three-year route, while 80 points may support a one-year route. These are not automatic permissions: the points must be established at the legally relevant dates, together with the other permanent residence criteria.
Historical score
Records must show what your qualifications, work experience and other eligible items were at the specific past assessment date. Later experience cannot simply be counted retrospectively.
Current score
Review the applicable points table, current qualifications, employment, remuneration and other relevant evidence at the application date.
Other requirements
Residence history, public obligations, conduct and the applicable official permanent residence guidelines must also be satisfied.
Already working in Japan? In some cases, qualifying applicants do not need to have held HSP residence status throughout the relevant period to use the points-based permanent residence residence-history exception. The actual residence status and documentary timeline must be reviewed.
Documents to Send With Your First Enquiry
Intended job and the Japanese host organization.
Nationality and current country or residence status in Japan.
University degrees and major subjects.
Professional roles, dates and duties for relevant employers.
Expected annual remuneration and principal components.
Japanese-language or other specifically claimed eligible bonus evidence.
For privacy, initial enquiries may describe your documents without attaching complete identity documents. We will explain what is needed for formal review.
From Points Review to the HSP Application
Classify the planned activities
Identify whether research, specialist/technical or management criteria apply.
Examine education and career documents
Check overseas qualifications, relevant experience and missing information.
Separate reliable and uncertain items
Produce a document-focused score analysis without promising an unearned bonus.
Plan the application
Explain the COE or change-of-status procedure and employer evidence.
Prepare submission where engaged
Assist with the relevant forms, translations and supporting explanations.
HSP Immigration Application Fees
| Service | Professional fee (tax included) |
|---|---|
| HSP No. 1 — Certificate of Eligibility (COE) | From ¥110,000 |
| HSP No. 1 — Change of status of residence | From ¥110,000 |
| HSP No. 1 — Standard extension with no employer change | From ¥44,000 |
| HSP points — detailed documentary assessment | ¥16,500 |
| HSP No. 2 — Change of status | From ¥110,000 |
| J-Skip — Special Highly Skilled Professional application | From ¥165,000 |
These are starting professional fees, not an assurance that every case falls at the minimum price. The detailed points-assessment fee is credited toward the application fee if you subsequently engage our office for the related immigration application. Government permission fees (where applicable), translations, certificate procurement, postage and other out-of-pocket costs may be charged separately. We provide an individual quotation in advance.
A COE application itself ordinarily has no immigration filing fee. Permission fees for approved changes or extensions are separate and depend on the applicable rules and the case.
Questions About This HSP Application
Does a degree from India, the United States, Europe or another country count?
A qualifying degree awarded abroad can be relevant. The legal education category and documentary evidence matter more than the country alone.
Are foreign master’s and doctoral degrees accepted?
They can be assessed under the relevant official HSP points table. The exact score depends on the activity category and degree evidence.
Is an overseas MBA treated the same as a Japanese MBA?
An overseas MBA may be eligible if it is equivalent to the relevant recognized professional management degree, subject to legal criteria and documents.
Do I get bonus points if my university appears in a world ranking?
Not automatically. Special university points depend on the official designated criteria and appropriate supporting evidence, not any ranking chosen by the applicant.
Can experience from several countries be combined?
Relevant and verified periods may be combined under the rules, but unrelated duties and overlapping months should not be counted improperly.
Can internships count as professional experience?
Possibly only in limited cases meeting the specific professional-career criteria. Student status, internship labels and unpaid activities do not automatically create qualifying career points.
What if a previous employer no longer exists?
We can review alternative contemporaneous evidence and an explanation, but immigration may still require satisfactory proof of employment, period and duties.
Can I claim points for AWS or other vendor certificates?
Not merely because the certificate is common in the industry. The qualification must fit a legally recognized bonus category, if any.
Must documents from overseas be translated?
Foreign-language documents submitted to Japanese immigration generally require Japanese translations. We explain the exact scope needed for your case.
Can I apply with 65 points and make up the difference later?
The ordinary HSP point threshold is at least 70 at the required assessment time. We can review legally eligible items, but cannot promise undocumented extra points.
Licensed Immigration Application Support in Japan
Kawagoe Masanobu Administrative Scrivener Office is based in Sagae City, Yamagata Prefecture. We support foreign nationals and Japanese receiving institutions with residence-status documents and immigration application-intermediary services within the authorized scope. English enquiries from outside Japan are welcome.
Masanobu Kawagoe
Licensed Administrative Scrivener / Immigration Application Intermediary
Sagae, Yamagata, Japan
Telephone: +81 237-86-7198
We verify the appropriate submitting authority, available procedures and individual circumstances before accepting an application engagement.
Related HSP Services
Official Immigration Services Agency Resources
Japan’s Highly Skilled Professional system is divided into academic research, specialized/technical and business-management activities. Always use the points table for the category that fits the proposed work, and check current official filing instructions.
Discuss Your Highly Skilled Professional Application
Tell us your current country or Japanese residence status, intended activities, academic background, relevant experience, planned remuneration and Japanese receiving organization. We will explain the next evidence-gathering steps and our fees. An immigration decision cannot be guaranteed.
Telephone 9:00–18:00 JST · HSP COE/change assistance from ¥110,000 (tax included) · Online/overseas enquiries welcome