Conditions to Qualify for the Intra-Company Transferee Visa

Required Academic Background and Work Experience

The applicant must have been engaged in duties classified under Engineering, Humanities, or International Services at the head office, branch, or other business establishment located overseas immediately prior to the transfer, and this period must be continuous for at least one year. (The work to be performed in Japan does not need to be identical to the work in which the applicant has over one year of experience, as long as it falls under Engineering, Humanities, or International Services.)

In addition, if the work requires specific ways of thinking or sensibilities related to a foreign culture, all of the following conditions must also be met.

Remuneration

Remuneration must be equivalent to or greater than what a Japanese national would receive for the same work.

Period of Stay

5 years, 3 years, 1 year, or 3 months

Activities Covered Under This Status of Residence (As Defined by the Ministry of Justice)

This status applies to employees at overseas offices of public or private organizations that have head offices, branches, or other business establishments in Japan, who are transferred to a Japanese office for a fixed period and perform activities falling under the category of "Engineering, Humanities/International Services" as listed in Appended Table I-2 of the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act.

Examples: Persons transferring from an overseas office (e.g., overseas employees of a foreign-affiliated company transferring to a Japanese office, or employees of an overseas subsidiary of a Japanese company transferring to Japan).

For detailed landing permission criteria, please refer to the Immigration Services Agency PDF (Applicable Activities and Landing Permission Criteria).

List of Required Documents

Required documents vary depending on the type of application (Certificate of Eligibility, Change, Extension, or Acquisition of Status of Residence) and the category of the accepting organization. The following is a general overview. Please always confirm the latest requirements on the Immigration Services Agency page for Status of Residence "Intra-Company Transferee".

Categories of Accepting Organizations

To simplify documentation requirements, accepting organizations are classified as follows:

• Category 1：Companies/organizations meeting certain criteria, innovation-oriented companies, public corporations, public interest corporations, special/approved corporations, independent administrative agencies, national/local governments, mutual insurance companies, companies listed on Japanese stock exchanges, etc.
• Category 2：Organizations approved to use the online application system for residence procedures, or organizations/individuals whose withheld income tax on employee salaries in the previous year was 10 million yen or more
• Category 3：Organizations/individuals that submitted the statutory summary of withholding tax slips for employee salary income in the previous year (excluding Category 2)
• Category 4：Organizations/individuals that do not fall under any of the above categories (additional documents required)

Certificate of Eligibility Application (for New Entry into Japan)

• Documents proving the applicable category (e.g., certification, Shikiho [company directory], statutory summary of withholding tax slips, etc.)
• Documents clarifying the applicant's activities:
  • Transfer within the same corporation: copy of official appointment notice and copy of transfer order (one each)
  • Transfer to a different corporation (secondment): one document specifying working conditions (based on Article 15, Paragraph 1 of the Labor Standards Act and Article 5 of its Enforcement Regulations)
  • Executives, etc.: copy of articles of incorporation, copy of minutes of the general shareholders' meeting, etc. (showing remuneration, period, and scope of duties)
• Documents showing the relationship between offices before and after the transfer:
  • Within the same corporation: certificate of registered matters for a branch of the foreign corporation (documents clarifying that there is a business office in Japan)
  • Secondment to a Japanese corporation: one document clarifying the capital relationship between the Japanese corporation and the foreign parent corporation
  • Secondment to a foreign corporation with an office in Japan: documents clarifying the capital relationship + certificate of registered matters for the branch of the foreign corporation (one each)
• If the statutory summary for the previous year cannot be submitted: certificate of withholding tax exemption, tax collection statement for the past 3 months, copy of notification of establishment of a payroll office, etc. (depending on the reason)

Categories 1 and 2 generally do not require documents other than the above. Category 3 also generally does not. Category 4 requires additional documents.

Application for Change of Status of Residence (Changing from Another Status to "Intra-Company Transferee")

The same documents as for the Certificate of Eligibility Application above are required, including category proof, activity details, documents on the relationship between offices before and after the transfer, and statutory withholding tax documents. Please apply promptly once you begin the applicable activities.

Application for Extension of Period of Stay (Continuing Under the Same Status)

• Documents proving the applicable category
• Certificate of resident tax assessment (or non-assessment) and tax payment certificate (showing annual total income and tax payment status), one each — issued by the municipal office of the address as of January 1st

Categories 1 and 2 generally do not require documents other than the above. Categories 3 and 4 may require additional "other documents" in some cases.

Application for Acquisition of Status of Residence (for Those Already in Japan Who Wish to Obtain This Status)

The same documents as for the Certificate of Eligibility Application are required, including category proof, activity details, documents on the relationship between offices before and after the transfer, and statutory withholding tax documents.

Important Notes at the Time of Application (From Ministry of Justice Guidelines)

• Certificates issued in Japan must be submitted within 3 months of the date of issue.
• Documents prepared in a foreign language must be accompanied by a Japanese translation.
• Submitted documents cannot generally be returned. If you wish to have them returned, please request this at the time of application.
• For details on how to fill in application forms and required documents, please contact the Immigration Information Center (Tel: 0570-013904).