Guideline of Status of residence (excerpt from ‘’Entry Procedure’’ of Immigration Bureau of Japan) for Certificate of Eligibility system
「The Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act stipulates that for cases in which a foreigner intends to enter Japan with a status of residence other than “Temporary Visitor,” the Minister of Justice shall examine beforehand the whether said foreigner meets the conditions of landing relating to the status of residence based on said foreigner’s application; in the case that the relevant requirements are met, said Minister can issue a certificate stating such (application for issuance of Certificate of Eligibility). The document issued is known as a Certificate of Eligibility. This goal of this Certificate of Eligibility system is to simplify/expedite immigration inspection procedures and make them more efficient.
A Certificate of Eligibility is issued after the Minister of Justice examines whether or not the activities that a foreigner wishing to enter Japan intends to carry out within the country meet the conditions of landing (the requirements of: relevance of status of residence / compatibility with landing criteria) and acknowledges that said activities met said conditions. Note that even if it has been acknowledged that the intended activities of a foreigner are relevant to the status of residence and meet landing criteria, if it has been deemed that grounds for denial of landing are applicable to said foreigner or that he/she otherwise does not meet the conditions for landing, a Certificate of Eligibility will not be issued.
If a foreigner presents a Certificate of Eligibility at a Japanese consulate, etc. when applying for a visa, the case can be handled on the basis that the prior examination by the Minister of Justice regarding the conditions for landing concerning the status of residence has already been completed. Thus, inspections pertaining to visa issuance can be performed quickly.
Additionally, a foreigner who presents this Certificate at the port of entry or departure will be treated by the immigration inspector as having met the landing conditions relating to the status of residence, so landing inspection will also be simple and can be performed quickly.」
Visa Categories 【Application for Certificate of Eligibility】
Employment Visas
1Professor (Professor in college or universities)
2Artist (Musician, Creator and other performers)
3 Religious Activities (pastor, monk and man or women coming for religious activities in foreign organizations)
4 Journalist (free journalist and others in foreign media organizations)
5 Business manager/Investor
6 Legal/Accounting Services (Attorney/ Accountants/ Other specialists with other legal certificates)
7 Medical Services (Doctor/Nurses/Dentists/Day-care services and others medical activities
8 Researcher (researcher working with public or private organizations)
9 Education (Teacher in a junior high or a high school and other educational institutions)
10Engineer /Specialist in Humanities/International Services (Workers in the fields of engineering or science, interpreter, designer and other businessman or businesswoman)
11 Intra-Company Transfer (Transferee from a foreign company and others)
12Caregiver (Caregiver specialist with a certificate)
13 Entertainment (Actor, Singer, dancer, professional athletes and other foreign performers playing in Japan)
14 Skilled labor (Chef, persons who cook in restaurant, Sports instructor, Piloting aircrafts and technicians of metals, etc)
15 Technical Intern Training Program (foreign trainees under the recognition and instructions of organizations in Japan)
Visas of Student/ Cultural Activities/Technical Internship
16 Cultural Activities (Researcher of Japanese culture and other activities)
17 Student (University, college, short-term college (community college), High School and technical school)
18 Dependent (spouses or Children staying with man or women receiving the working visa)
19 Trainee (people learning skills or knowledge in private or public organizations)
20Designated Activities (Housekeepers for diplomats, amateurs of sports and the family members, Internship, people staying for medical treatments, long-Term staying people for the purpose of sightseeing)
Visa of Spouse or Child of Japanese nationals/ Spouse of Permanent Residents/ Lon Term Residents
21 Spouse or Child of Japanese nationals (People who are engaged with Japanese)
22 Spouse of Permanent Residents (People who are engaged with men or women of a permanent visa
23 Long Term Residents (people of Japanese blood relatives, people who care for children of Japanese nationals, divorced people and people who were exiled from the oppression of the country and etc)
(If you cannot find out which visa you should apply for, please contact us)
入管法は，外国人が「短期滞在」以外の在留資格で我が国に上陸しようとする場合には，申請に基づき法務大臣があらかじめ在留資格に関する上陸条件の適合性を審査し，その結果，当該条件に適合する場合にその旨の証明書を交付できることを定めています（在留資格認定証明書交付申請）。交付される文書を在留資格認定証明書といいます。この在留資格認定証明書制度は，入国審査手続の簡易・迅速化と効率化を図ることを目的としています。
在留資格認定証明書は，我が国に上陸しようとする外国人が，我が国において行おうとする活動が上陸のための条件（在留資格該当性・上陸基準適合性の要件）に適合しているかどうかについて法務大臣が事前に審査を行い，この条件に適合すると認められる場合に交付されるものです。なお，その外国人が我が国で行おうとする活動に在留資格該当性・上陸基準適合性が認められる場合でも，その外国人が上陸拒否事由に該当するなど他の上陸条件に適合しないことが判明したときは，在留資格認定証明書は交付されません。
外国人が，在留資格認定証明書を日本国領事館等に提示して査証の申請をした場合には，在留資格に係る上陸のための条件についての法務大臣の事前審査を終えているものとして扱われるため，査証の発給に係る審査は迅速に行われます。
また，出入国港において同証明書を提示する外国人は，入国審査官から在留資格に関する上陸条件に適合する者として取り扱われますので，上陸審査も簡易で迅速に行われます。
日本での活動内容に応じた資料【在留資格認定証明書交付申請】
就労関係の在留資格（入管法別表第一の一，第一の二）
１ 「教授」（例，大学教授）
２ 「芸術」（例，作曲家，画家，著述家等）
３ 「宗教」（例，外国の宗教団体から派遣される宣教師等）
４ 「報道」（例，外国の報道機関の記者，カメラマン）
５ 「経営・管理」（例，企業等の経営者，管理者）
６ 「法律・会計業務」（例，弁護士，公認会計士等）
７ 「医療」（例，医師，歯科医師，看護士等）
８ 「研究」（例，政府関係機関や私企業等の研究者等）
９ 「教育」（例，中学校，高等学校等の語学教師等）
10 「技術・人文知識・国際業務」（例，機械工学等の技術者，通訳，デザイナー，私企業の語学教師等）
11 「企業内転勤」（例，外国の事業所からの転勤者）
12 「介護」（例，介護福祉士）
13 「興行」（例，俳優，歌手，ダンサー，プロスポーツ選手等）
14 「技能」（例，外国料理の調理師，スポーツ指導者，航空機等の操縦者，貴金属等の加工職人等）
15 「技能実習」（例，技能実習生 ※技能実習１～３号イ及びロ，いずれも共通）
留就学・文化活動・研修関係（入管法別表第一の三～第一の五）の在留資格
16 「文化活動」（例，日本文化の研究者等）
17 「留学」（例，大学，短期大学，高等学校，専修学校等の学生）
18 「家族滞在」（例，在留外国人が扶養する配偶者又は子）
19 「研修」（例，実務作業を伴わない研修生）
20 「特定活動」（例，外交官等の家事使用人，アマチュアスポーツ選手及びその家族，インターンシップ，特定研究活動，特定情報処理活動，医療滞在，観光目的等の長期滞在者等）
日本人の配偶者，永住者の配偶者，定住者関係（入管法別表第二）の在留資格
21 「日本人の配偶者等」（例：日本人の方の夫又は妻，実子，特別養子）
22 「永住者の配偶者等」（例：永住者の方の夫又は妻）
23 「定住者」（例：日系３世）
どれに該当するか分からない場合はお気軽にお問い合わせください。