"Designated Activities" Residence Status 

1) Status of Residence: "Designated Activities”

Designated Activities is a status of residence granted to foreigners who engage in activities that cannot be classified under any of the existing statuses of residence. It allows foreigners to engage in a wider range of activities in Japan. Depending on the type of "specified activities," some types of work may not be permitted, or the type of work may be limited

Period of stay

1 to 5 years, 6 months or even 3 months, or as individually designated by the Minister of Justice. 

The period of stay individually designated by the Minister of Justice may not exceed 5 years, so the maximum period of stay for "Designated Activities" is 5 years. As a general rule, the period of stay is one year when changing from the status of residence of "College Student" or renewing the period of stay for the first time.

There are three types of "Special Designated Activities".

A. Specified activities stipulated in the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act

The Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act defines the activities as advanced research, research guidance, or education at an institution where foreign nationals engage in certain business activities. The following 1 to 4 must apply.

1- The purpose is to conduct research related to a specific field that requires a high level of specialized knowledge (hereinafter referred to as "specified research")

(Note) "Research...requiring a high level of expertise" means research at the level of those who have normally completed a master's degree or higher, in a basic or creative field.

The "specific field" must be specifically identified as a generally independent research field in academia.

2- A public or private institution in Japan that conducts Specified Research. The research must be conducted by a public or private institution in Japan (hereinafter referred to as "Specified Research Institution") that conducts the Specified Research by establishing the facilities, equipment, and other research systems necessary for said Specified Research.

(Note) In order to be recognized as having "established a research system," the size of the institution's facilities, research expenses, etc. must be secured in accordance with the research field, and a system for conducting research must be in place.

3- The results of the Specified Research must be actually used in business activities related to the Specified Research or industries related to the Specified Research conducted by the Specified Research Institution or other institutions collaborating with it.

(Note) The use of the results of the Specified Research is determined by submitting a guide to the Specified Research Organization (brochure, etc.), a certificate of registered matters, and other reference materials (statement, etc.).

4- The research must be conducted by establishing a sufficient management system for the residence of foreign nationals who conduct activities for the purpose of the specified research.

(Note) To determine whether or not a "sufficient management system is in place," the specified research institution that accepts the foreign national who conducts activities for the purpose of specified research must report regularly to the regional immigration bureau that has applied for the entry of the foreign national, the status of the foreign national's operation, as well as any changes in contractual content or termination of contract, and must also report to the Regional Immigration Bureau, etc. The foreigner is required to submit a written agreement (reference form [PDF]) to the regional immigration bureau, etc., to which the foreigner's application for entry was submitted, to report regularly on the status of the foreigner's employment, to report any changes in the contract, or to provide appropriate guidance to the foreigner regarding his/her stay in Japan.

PDF Reference: Immigration and Residence Management Agency [Status of Residence "Designated Activities" (Designated Research Activities)

B. Notified Specified Activities

These are specified activities that are notified by the Ministry of Justice. Since these activities are affected by social conditions, the types and number of activities change.

The list of notifications as of January 2023 is as follows.

Notification No. 1, Notification No. 2, and Notification No. 2 Part 2

　Domestic servants (diplomats, etc.)

Notification No. 3 

　Employees of the Japan Relations Association of Taiwan and their family members

Notification No. 4 

　Employees of the General Mission of Palestine to Japan and their family members

Notification No.5, Notification No.5-2 

　Working Holidays

Notification No.6 and No.7 

　Amateur athletes and their families

Notification No.8 

　International Arbitration

Notification No.9 

　Internship

Notification 10 

　British Volunteer

Notification 12 

　Summer Jobs

Notification 15

　 International Cultural Exchange

Notification No.16-24, 27-31 

　Indonesia, Philippines, Vietnam Bilateral Economic Partnership Agreements (EPA) 

　Relating to nurses and care workers

Notification No.25, Notification No.26 

　Medical stays and their accompanying persons

Notification No. 32 

　Foreign construction workers

Notification No.33 

　Spouses of foreign nationals working as highly-skilled professionals

Notification No.34

　 Parents of foreign highly-skilled professionals or their spouses

Notification No.35 

　Foreign shipbuilding workers

Notification No.36 

　Specified research activities

Notification No.37 

　Specified Information Processing Activities

Notification No.38 

　Specified Research and Other Family Residency Activities

Notification 39

　 Parents of Foreign Researchers, etc. Subject to Specified Research Activities, etc.

Notification No. 40 and No. 41 

　Long-term visitors for the purpose of sightseeing and recreation and their accompanying persons

Notification No.42 

　Specified foreign employees in the business of accepting foreign employees in the manufacturing industry

Notification No.43 

　Fourth-generation Japanese-Americans

Notification No.44 and 45 

　Foreign entrepreneurs and their spouses

Notification No.46 and No.47

　Japanese university graduates and their spouses

Notification No.48 and No.49 

　Olympic officials and their spouses

Notification No.50 

　Ski instructors

Notification No. 11, No. 13 and No. 14 are deleted.  

This activity is influenced by social conditions, so there are changes in the type and number of activities.

For more information, please click here.

Reference: Ministry of Justice [List of Notification of "Designated Activities" Status of Residence].

C. Unannounced Designated Activities

These are unannounced specified activities for which the Minister of Justice customarily grants permission for landing and staying in Japan. If the activity does not fall under any of the other statuses of residence, nor does it fall under "specified activities stipulated in the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act" or "notified specified activities", it is "unannounced specified activities".

This status of residence is for those who have already entered Japan, but for some reason have obtained the status of residence as "specified activities outside the scope of public notice".

The following are examples of such cases.

Foreign students seeking employment

If a foreign student finds a job in Japan after graduation, he/she is required to change his/her status of residence from "College Student" to "Working Visa". However, if for some reason you are unable to find a job and wish to continue job hunting, you are allowed to engage in "specified activities" as a special exception. In this case, it is classified into the following two types.

①University students engaged in continuous job-hunting activities

Foreign nationals who have graduated from a Japanese university, graduate school, junior college, or technical college with the status of residence of "College Student" and who wish to stay in Japan for the purpose of continuing job hunting activities before graduation.

②Continuous employment activity Vocational school student

Foreigners who have graduated from a Japanese vocational school with "Residence" status and wish to come to Japan for the purpose of continuing job hunting activities before graduation, and whose studies are related to activities applicable to a work visa, such as "technical, humanities, or international services.

A six-month period of stay and one renewal will be permitted, which will allow them to engage in employment activities for up to one year.

If you wish to invite your family in your home country

If a foreign resident wishes to invite their family back home, this activity is permitted from the perspective of humanitarian considerations.

Although there are no clear criteria for permission, the following criteria have not been published,

The family member or applicant must be elderly.

The applicant must have no one in their home country to take care of their parents.

The family member does not plan to work in Japan.

The resident must be able to support their family.

The applicant must have the ability to support their family.

2) How to confirm the letter of designation

As mentioned earlier, the activities permitted under the "Designated Activities" category differ depending on the individual. Therefore, it is necessary to check the "Letter of Designation" in order to find out whether or not you are allowed to work.

The "Letter of Designation" is issued together with the resident card and attached to the passport. The residence card itself only states "Designated Activities," so be sure to check the "Letter of Designation.”

If you can work

　The activity is described as "activity to receive remuneration".

If you are not allowed to work

　The "Except for activities for which remuneration is received" section is indicated.

Foreigners residing in Japan under the "Designated Activities" category who are not allowed to work, such as job hunting, need to obtain a "Permission to Engage in Activity other than that Permitted under the Status of Residence" in order to earn money for living expenses. Part-time work of up to 28 hours per week is allowed.

3) How to obtain "Designated Activities" status of residence

To obtain the "Designated Activities" status of residence, conditions and documents to be submitted will vary depending on the content of your activities in Japan.

For example, if you are a foreign student who graduated from a Japanese university and wish to find a job in Japan after graduation, you will need to submit a diploma or letter of recommendation from the university you attended.

Please click here for information on how to obtain the documents for each of the other "specified activities".