The work visa for foreign professionals with specialized skills developed through long experience in foreign-style or foreign-origin work. Eight specialty categories. Most commonly foreign-cuisine chefs, but also foreign-style construction, gem cutting, aircraft pilots, sommeliers, sports instructors, animal trainers, and more. Documented experience is the central test.
The 8 specialty categories
Skilled Labor groups eight distinct foreign-origin specialties under one residence-status umbrella. Each category has its own experience threshold and its own typical evidence pattern. The largest category by application volume. And the one most case law clusters around. Is the foreign-cuisine chef.
外国料理の調理師
10+ years experienceThe largest 技能 category. Chinese, Italian, French, Indian, Thai, Korean, Vietnamese, Mexican, and other foreign-cuisine chefs hired to lead the kitchen at a restaurant serving that cuisine. Time in culinary school typically counts toward the 10 years.
外国に特有の建築又は土木に係る技能
10+ years experienceSpecialists in construction or civil-engineering techniques specific to foreign building styles (e.g. traditional European brickwork, Middle Eastern arch construction). Typically rare. Most foreign construction work falls under other visa categories.
外国に特有の製品の製造又は修理
10+ years experienceGem and jewel cutting (especially diamond and precious-stone craftsmanship from Antwerp / Mumbai / etc.), specialty glass blowing, leather goods, oriental carpet weaving, and similar foreign-origin product specialties.
航空機の操縦者
1,000+ flight hoursCommercial pilots hired by Japanese airlines or charter operators. The 1,000-hour requirement is logged flight time, including time in command. Recurrent simulator training is documented separately.
スポーツ指導者
3+ years OR competition recordCoaches and instructors for specific sports. Most commonly soccer (former pro players coaching Japanese teams), figure skating, tennis, and martial arts. International competition record provides an alternate path for shorter-tenure applicants.
ソムリエ
5+ years OR competition recordWine specialists hired by Japanese restaurants, hotels, or wine-focused retailers. The competition-record path requires a documented international wine-competition placement (e.g. Concours Mondial de Bruxelles, ASI championships).
動物の調教師
10+ years experienceTrainers of foreign-origin animals (e.g. Lipizzaner horses, foreign-breed working dogs, exotic animals for performance or breeding programs). Niche category with low application volume.
その他外国特有の業務
10+ years experienceCatch-all for other foreign-origin specialties not covered above (e.g. specific traditional craftsmanship, specialty repair work). Each application is assessed individually against the foreign-origin / specialized-skill test.
Documents
The 技能 application package is dominated by experience-evidence documentation. Unlike most other work visas where degree alignment or prior visa status drive the review, technical visa filings stand or fall on the candidate's ability to document long specialized experience with concrete employment records.
Timeline
Confirm category + experience documentation
Identify the specialty category, confirm the candidate has sufficient documented experience (employment certificates), and confirm the Japanese employer is an appropriate match.
Compile evidence
Employment certificates from all prior employers, training-school records, competition records (where applicable), pilot logbook (pilot category). Translate into Japanese where the originals are not in EN/JP.
CoE issuance
Employer files at Immigration. Experience documentation review is the time-consuming part. For chefs from countries without strong record-keeping, expect a Q&A round on prior tenure.
Embassy visa stamp
Candidate applies at the Japanese embassy in their home country with the original CoE.
Address registration
City office: address registration, MyNumber, pension and health insurance enrollment. Family members on dependent visas register at the same time.
Costs
Estimated cost breakdown
技能 (Skilled Labor)
CoE application fee
Free at filing. ¥4,000 stamp duty for in-Japan status changes¥0 – ¥4,000
Embassy visa stamp
Single-entry ¥3,000 / multiple-entry ¥6,000 (varies by embassy)¥3,000 – ¥6,000
Employment-certificate gathering
Apostille / notarization fees if originals from countries without standard records¥10,000 – ¥50,000
Translation / certification
Certificates from prior employers in countries other than EN/JP-speaking¥20,000 – ¥80,000
Gyoseishoshi support
Recommended for chef applications and any case with documentation gaps¥150,000 – ¥300,000
Rejection reasons
Per ISA published guidance and gyoseishoshi practice patterns, these are the leading rejection triggers for 技能 filings. Heavily concentrated in the chef category, which is by far the largest application volume.
Years of experience claimed in the CV but not backed by employment certificates from prior employers. The single largest 技能 rejection cause. Affidavits sometimes substitute but face heavy scrutiny.
Chinese chef hired at a Japanese-style restaurant, Indian chef hired at a fusion restaurant, foreign-style construction specialist hired by a general construction firm. The Japan employer must align with the specialty.
Job description shows mostly food prep / dishwashing / line-cook tasks rather than head-chef / sous-chef responsibilities. The 技能 chef pathway requires the candidate to lead the cuisine, not assist.
Common in small family-run restaurants where the chef is paid as a friend or relative rather than at market chef compensation. Standard work-visa rule, automatic rejection.
Filing as foreign cuisine chef when the cuisine isn't actually foreign-origin (e.g. a Japanese-style ramen shop staffed by a foreign cook). The cuisine must be foreign-origin to qualify under the chef path.
Pilot's logbook shows under 1,000 hours, or the hours can't be cleanly verified by the issuing aviation authority. Less common but cleanly disqualifying.
Renewal & PR
技能 renewals follow the standard 1 / 3 / 5 year pattern. Renewal eligibility depends on continued employment in the same specialty (or a permitted move within the same specialty to a different employer). The renewal review is lighter than the initial review since the experience documentation has already been accepted.
Allowed within the same specialty with a 14-day notification to Immigration. A Chinese chef can move from one Chinese restaurant to another. Switching to a different specialty (e.g. chef to sommelier) requires a fresh CoE filing and a fresh experience documentation package.
Long-tenured 技能 holders sometimes open their own businesses and switch to 経営・管理. Note the post-October 2025 reform: ¥30M capital, mandatory full-time JP employee, and education / language requirements all apply to such transitions immediately. See the Business Manager visa page for the full requirements.
Standard PR after 10 years of continuous residence (5 working). 技能 holders rarely qualify for the HSP fast-track since the program emphasizes academic / corporate criteria. For 技能, the standard 10-year PR path is the realistic route.
Frequently asked
Japan's work visa for foreign professionals with specialized skills developed through long experience in foreign-style or foreign-origin work. The eight specialty categories include foreign cuisine chefs, foreign-style construction and civil engineering, foreign-product manufacturing, aircraft pilots, sports instructors, sommeliers, animal trainers, and other foreign-origin processing or repair specialties. Each category has its own experience threshold.
Foreign cuisine chefs make up the large majority of 技能 grants. Chinese, Italian, French, Indian, Thai, Korean, and other foreign-cuisine chefs hired to lead the kitchen at a restaurant serving that cuisine in Japan. The 10-year experience requirement plus the appropriate-restaurant match are the two key gates.
10+ years for the most common categories: foreign cuisine chef, foreign-style construction, foreign-product manufacturing, animal trainer. Pilots need 1,000+ flight hours. Sports instructors need 3+ years OR international competition record. Sommeliers need 5+ years OR international wine-competition record. Time spent in training schools (e.g. culinary schools) typically counts toward the experience tally.
The cuisine being served must be foreign-origin. Japanese cuisine cooked by a foreigner does NOT qualify. The match is strict: a Chinese chef must work at a Chinese restaurant; an Italian chef at an Italian restaurant. Fusion restaurants and restaurants serving multiple cuisines have a harder filing. Immigration looks at the menu's center of gravity. Cafés and casual dining operations face heavier scrutiny than specialized restaurants.
技能 hinges on proving specialized experience by employment certificates from prior employers. CV claims are not sufficient. For chefs from countries without formal kitchen-employment record-keeping, this is the single biggest application risk. Affidavits and tax records can substitute in some cases but face heavy scrutiny.
Yes. Spouse and children apply for the standard dependent visa (家族滞在). Spouse can work up to 28 hours per week with 資格外活動 permission.
1, 3, or 5 years. Most first-time applicants from established employers receive 3 years; smaller employers (Category 4) often see 1 year initially. Renewals can extend to 5 years once the employee has a clean track record.
Standard work-visa rule: compensation must be no less than what a Japanese national would receive for equivalent work. The chef category in particular faces frequent below-parity rejections in small restaurants where the owner is paying the chef as a friend or family member rather than at market rate.
Yes. Chefs and other long-tenured 技能 holders sometimes switch to 経営・管理 if they open their own restaurant (subject to the post-October 2025 reform requirements: ¥30M capital and 1+ JP employee). Other transitions are rare since the 技能 specialty doesn't translate into the 技人国 / HSP work scope.
Yes. Time on 技能 counts toward the standard 10-year PR residency requirement (5 working years). 技能 holders rarely qualify for the HSP fast-track since the program emphasizes academic / corporate criteria; for 技能, the standard PR path is the realistic route.
Most 技能 rejections trace to (1) insufficient documented experience (CV claims without certificates), (2) appropriate-employer mismatch (e.g. Chinese chef at a Japanese restaurant), or (3) the role being a kitchen helper rather than a true chef. There is no formal appeal. Fix the gap and re-file. For chefs from countries without formal employment record-keeping, a 行政書士 specializing in 技能 cases is the most efficient remedy.
Important. This page provides general information based on Immigration Services Agency published guidance for the 技能 program. It does not constitute legal advice. For complex cases (chefs from countries without formal employment record-keeping, fusion-restaurant employers, niche specialties under the catch-all category), retain a licensed gyoseishoshi (行政書士) familiar with 技能 filings.