Recently, many friends who want to go abroad have asked me why they must wait for the Certificate of Eligibility before they can work in Japan. For those who wish to go abroad but are not very familiar with the process, I hope the following explanation will help everyone gain a better understanding of Japan's visa system.
After being exposed to Japanese culture, some people wish to work and live in Japan. Living and working in Japan means that one may need to stay in Japan for more than three months. First, one must apply for a residence status. Once the application is approved, a Certificate of Eligibility will be issued, allowing you to engage in specific activities within a certain scope.
The "Certificate of Eligibility" is what you take to apply for a visa. When applying for a visa, the Japanese consulate in China will issue you a visa based on your "Certificate of Eligibility." You then take your passport with the visa to Japan. Before entering the country, you will go through immigration inspection at the Immigration Bureau. If you pass the inspection, you will be granted the actual residence status and allowed to enter the country.
If you find the above explanation too complicated, simply put, a visa is your ticket to enter Japan, while residence status is the qualification that allows foreigners to legally stay in Japan and engage in corresponding activities. Therefore, having a ticket does not necessarily mean you have the qualification, which explains why a tourist visa cannot be used for paid work in Japan.
As of the end of 2018, there are 33 types of residence status, which can be mainly divided into:
"Activity Type Status" and "Status of Residence Type."
"Activity Type Status"
Mainly refers to the activities that foreigners can engage in while in Japan.
"Activity Type Status"
Refers to activities specified within the scope of residence status. For example, an IT engineer working in Japan must have relevant IT skills and educational qualifications deemed necessary for the job by the Japanese side. Therefore, they will be granted the "Technical, Humanities Knowledge, and International Services" residence status. However, individuals with this residence status cannot engage in jobs such as cooking, meaning that the work must correspond with the residence status.
"Status of Residence Type"
Refers to having a recognized identity or status in Japan, which allows one to stay in Japan. For example, after marrying a Japanese national, one can obtain the "Spouse of a Japanese National" residence status and remain in Japan.