How many points do you need for Japan's Highly Skilled Professional (HSP) — Points System?

Japan's Highly Skilled Professional (HSP) — Points System requires a pass mark of 70 points.

Do you need a job offer for Japan's Highly Skilled Professional (HSP) — Points System?

Yes — a qualifying job offer (or sponsorship) is required.

How long does Japan's Highly Skilled Professional (HSP) — Points System take to process?

Processing takes approximately 1–3 months from a complete application.

Skilled MigrationActive

Japan

Q: Does Japan's Highly Skilled Professional (HSP) — Points System lead to permanent residency?

Not immediately. It leads to permanent residency after about 1 year. 70 points → permanent residence after 3 years; 80 points → after just 1 year (vs the normal 10-year requirement). HSP also grants a preferential 5-year status, spouse work rights, and parent / domestic-helper sponsorship.

Highly Skilled Professional (HSP) — Points System

Also known as: HSP, Kodo Jinzai, Highly Skilled Foreign Professional

Regulator: Immigration Services Agency of Japan (ISA)Official program site ↗

Pass mark: 70 pts
Model: Fixed threshold
Leads to: Temporary → PR
Path to PR: 1 yr
Job offer: Yes
Language test: No
Processing: 1–3 mo

Points system

Academic background

30 pts

Doctorate 30; Master's / professional degree 20; Bachelor 10; multiple degrees +5. Business-management stream adds MBA/MOT +5.

Professional career

25 pts

Years of experience: 10+ = 20 (academic/technical) or 25 (business); scaling down to 3+ = 5.

Annual salary

40 pts

Scored by income and age — younger high earners score most. ¥10M+ up to 40; a ¥3M floor applies, below which 0 points.

Age

15 pts

Under 30 = 15; 30–34 = 10; 35–39 = 5; 40+ = 0.

Bonus points

—

JLPT N1 +15 / N2 +10; degree from a Japanese university +10; graduate of a world-ranked university +10; patents, national-project work, RA/JET experience, and approved training all add points.

Pass mark: 70 points.

Path to permanent residency

Grants PR directly: No
Years to permanent residency: 1

70 points → permanent residence after 3 years; 80 points → after just 1 year (vs the normal 10-year requirement). HSP also grants a preferential 5-year status, spouse work rights, and parent / domestic-helper sponsorship.

Visas & streams

HSP (i)(a) — advanced academic research
HSP (i)(b) — advanced specialist / technical
HSP (i)(c) — advanced business management
HSP (ii)

Eligibility requirements

A qualifying activity in Japan (academic research, specialist/technical work, or business management)
At least 70 points on the applicable points table
A sponsoring employer or host organisation

Disqualifiers

Below 70 points
No qualifying host activity

Recent changes

2023-04
J-Skip introduced — a salary/qualification fast-track (e.g. ¥20M income + master's) that bypasses the points table; J-Find added for graduates of top universities.

Notes

The points table differs slightly across the three HSP categories (academic / specialist-technical / business-management). High salary is the heaviest single factor (up to 40). Uniquely fast PR — as little as 1 year at 80 points. Japanese language is a bonus, not a requirement.

EasyPassport is a document-organization tool focused on citizenship by descent. This page is reference research, not legal or immigration advice. Points tables, thresholds, and salary floors change frequently — always verify with the official program authority before acting.