Japan Requires Language Proficiency for Engineer Visas

Jakarta, KORANTRANSAKSI.com - The Japanese government has decided to require proof of Japanese language proficiency for people seeking an engineer visa as well as visas for specialists in the fields of humanities or international services, for jobs that require the ability to use the Japanese language.

According to sources familiar with the matter, Japan will revise the relevant policy as early as mid-April and will tighten screening.

The move is driven by an increase in cases where people enter Japan on visas for professions requiring specialized knowledge, but then end up working in unskilled jobs that are not permitted under those visa categories.

Under the new visa policy, applicants will be required to submit documentation proving their Japanese language ability at level B2 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR), which is considered equivalent to N2 on the Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT).

Currently, Japan’s applicable visa policy requires applicants to meet certain conditions—such as having an education level equivalent to university and relevant work experience—but it does not include Japanese language proficiency.

This revision will apply to new applicants for residence status who will enter Japan and intend to work in jobs that require Japanese language proficiency. International students who wish to switch to that status will be exempt.

The regulation also states that companies that, for the past five years, have been barred from accepting workers under the controversial Technical Intern Training program or certain categories of skilled worker programs—due to issues such as attacks or unpaid wages—also will not be allowed to accept workers with this visa status until the suspension period or sanctions end.

According to the Immigration Services Agency, the number of foreign residents in Japan reached around 4.13 million people at the end of 2025. Those living on engineer visas and visas for specialists in the humanities or international services fields total approximately 475,000, making them the second-largest group after permanent residents, which number about 947,000.

Last January, the Japanese government developed a series of comprehensive steps regarding the acceptance of foreign nationals (WNA), showing that visa status requires countermeasures against cases where foreign nationals are involved in jobs that do not match their qualifications. (TIM)