Introduction
For foreign nationals with the status of residence “Highly Skilled Professional”, questions about how their spouses can work in Japan are becoming more common.
In particular, many people hear that, by obtaining the status of residence “Designated Activities (Working spouse of a highly skilled foreign professional)”, a spouse can work full time, but it is not always clear which types of jobs are allowed and which are not.
This article explains, based on official government information, the scope of employment under “Designated Activities (Working spouse of a highly skilled foreign professional)” and how the permitted range of work changes depending on the spouse’s occupation.
What is this Designated Activities status?
Under the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act, “Designated Activities” is a status of residence for activities specifically designated for each individual foreign national by the Minister of Justice.
Within this framework, the type under Public Notice No. 33 covers the status of residence for “working spouses of foreign nationals residing under the status of residence ‘Highly Skilled Professional’”, allowing them to engage in certain work activities based on contracts with public or private organizations in Japan.
According to official publications of the Ministry of Justice and the Immigration Services Agency, the activities and requirements for “working spouses of highly skilled foreign professionals” are stipulated in detail in the relevant public notice.
Scope of permitted occupations
Fields of activity that are allowed
Official documents and system guides indicate that full-time work under “Designated Activities (working spouse of a highly skilled foreign professional)” is limited to activities that fall under the following statuses of residence.
- Professor / Researcher (activities corresponding to the status “Professor” or “Researcher”)
- Instructor / Education (activities corresponding to the status “Instructor”, such as teaching at junior or senior high schools)
- Engineer / Specialist in Humanities / International Services (for example, engineers, corporate planning or administrative staff, translators, interpreters, etc.)
- Certain “Entertainer” activities (only a part of the activities under the “Entertainer” status, excluding activities such as stage plays)
These are specifically listed in the explanations of Designated Activities for “working spouses of highly skilled foreign professionals”, and as a rule, full‑time employment in occupations outside this scope is not permitted.
How occupation affects work eligibility
Even if the spouse “works”, the result differs greatly depending on the type of occupation.
- System engineer, mechanical engineer, and similar positions
→ These are likely to fall under “Engineer”, and therefore can fit within the permitted scope of work for the Designated Activities status of a highly skilled spouse. - Corporate sales, marketing, HR, general affairs, translation, interpretation, etc.
→ These are typically treated as activities under “Specialist in Humanities / International Services”. - Language teacher at language schools, junior or senior high schools
→ These are typical examples of “Instructor / Education” activities mentioned in system explanations.
On the other hand, so‑called unskilled labor such as restaurant waitstaff, factory line work, cashier or shelf‑stocking at convenience stores or supermarkets does not fall under any of the above statuses, and therefore full‑time work under “Designated Activities (working spouse of a highly skilled foreign professional)” is considered not to be allowed.
Difference from “Dependent” status and key cautions
When a spouse of a highly skilled professional resides in Japan, the status of residence “Dependent” (家族滞在) is commonly used, but the treatment of work under “Dependent” and under “Designated Activities (working spouse of a highly skilled foreign professional)” is quite different.
- Dependent
- Designated Activities (Working spouse of a highly skilled foreign professional)
To use this Designated Activities status, the spouse must also meet certain conditions, such as actually living together in Japan with the highly skilled professional, and cases of living apart or single‑assignment deployments are generally not covered.
Sample scenarios and practical tips
To avoid misunderstandings, the following are purely hypothetical scenarios to illustrate how eligibility can change depending on occupation.
- Case 1: Spouse who wishes to work as an IT engineer
If the spouse of a highly skilled IT professional concludes an employment contract with a Japanese IT company as an engineer, and if the job description is judged to fall under “Engineer”, full‑time employment under the Designated Activities status as a working spouse can be possible. - Case 2: Spouse who wants to work part‑time at a restaurant
Even if the spouse is married to a highly skilled professional, typical restaurant waitstaff duties do not fall under “Engineer” or “Specialist in Humanities / International Services”, so full‑time work under Designated Activities (working spouse) is not allowed.
In such a case, the spouse would normally stay under “Dependent” status and, if needed, obtain permission to engage in activities other than that permitted and work up to 28 hours per week as a part‑time worker.
In practice, it is essential to check:
- Whether the job duties correspond to one of the relevant statuses of residence
- The content of the employment contract, level of remuneration, and equality with Japanese workers
- The cohabitation and residence situation of the highly skilled professional and the spouse
These factors must be evaluated comprehensively when deciding which status of residence to apply for.
Conclusion
The status “Designated Activities (working spouse of a highly skilled foreign professional)” offers more favorable conditions for full‑time employment than “Dependent”, but that does not mean the spouse can freely choose any job.
The key point is that full‑time work is limited to occupations that fall under “Professor/Researcher”, “Instructor/Education”, “Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services”, or certain “Entertainer” activities.
Whether a specific job offer fits within this scope, or whether using the “Dependent” status with permission for activities other than that permitted would be more appropriate, depends on the individual circumstances.
When actually preparing an application, it is advisable to check the latest information and public notices of the Ministry of Justice and the Immigration Services Agency and, where necessary, consult a professional.
