Introduction

As the number of foreign nationals with a Highly Skilled Professional visa increases, questions such as “Can my spouse work full-time in Japan?” or “What is the difference from a Dependent visa?” are becoming more common.​
In many of these cases, the key option is the status of residence “Designated Activities (Spouse of Highly Skilled Foreign Professional / Spouse of Special Highly Skilled Foreign Professional).”​

Choosing an inappropriate status of residence may result in being unable to engage in the intended work or facing difficulties with extension, so it is important to understand the basic framework and requirements.​

What is “Designated Activities (Spouse of Highly Skilled Foreign Professional)”?

The Immigration Services Agency of Japan has established a category of “Designated Activities” for the “spouse of a highly skilled foreign professional” and the “spouse of a special highly skilled foreign professional.”​
This system is one of the preferential treatments for highly skilled professionals and is designed to provide broader work opportunities to their spouses.​

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs explains that working spouses of highly skilled professionals fall under the “Designated Activities” visa category, positioning this as part of the family scheme under the Highly Skilled Professional system.​

​Difference from Dependent Status and Main Benefits

Spouses of Highly Skilled Professionals typically have two major options: the “Dependent” status and “Designated Activities (Spouse of Highly Skilled Foreign Professional).”​

• Under “Dependent”
  • The spouse cannot generally work without obtaining permission to engage in an activity other than that permitted, and even with such permission, work is limited to up to 28 hours per week.​
• Under “Designated Activities (Spouse of Highly Skilled Foreign Professional)”
  • The spouse can work full-time in job categories falling under “Researcher,” “Instructor,” “Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services,” or “Entertainer” (with some exclusions), according to many professional explanations.​

Accordingly, this Designated Activities status (often referred to as item 33 under the public notice) is treated as a special status that provides wider work opportunities compared with the Dependent status.​

Key Requirements and Practical Points

The Immiges lists of requirements and necessary documents for this specific Designated Activities category.​
In practice, immigration authorities and professionals generally focus on the following aspects:

• The applicant must be a legal spouse of the Highly Skilled Professional (informal/cohabitation relationships are not normally accepted).​
• The spouse must live together with the Highly Skilled Professional, and some professional commentaries indicate that completely independent living is not allowed for this status.​
• The spouse’s job duties must fall within the scope of “Researcher,” “Instructor,” “Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services,” or “Entertainer” (excluding certain activities).​

These elements, such as cohabitation and the nature of work, can affect eligibility for extension of stay, so careful planning is required.​

Typical Documentation and Sample Scenario (Fictional)

In practice, the following type of case is often imagined (the example below is purely fictional and does not represent any particular office’s track record).

Example:
A foreign national, Mr. C, in his 30s, works in Japan under “Highly Skilled Professional (i)” status as an IT engineer, and wishes to invite his spouse, Ms. D, from overseas so that she can also work full-time in Japan.​

Typical points in such a case would be:

• For Mr. C (principal)
  • He must meet the required points as a Highly Skilled Professional and already hold a Certificate of Eligibility or residence card indicating the Highly Skilled Professional category.​
• For Ms. D (spouse)
  • She needs to provide a marriage certificate (or equivalent) with a Japanese translation and documents showing Mr. C’s employment, income, and tax situation to demonstrate financial capacity.​
• About the job in Japan
  • She may be asked to provide an employment contract, offer letter, or similar documents showing that her intended duties fall within “Researcher,” “Instructor,” “Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services,” or “Entertainer.”​

The Immigration Services Agency notes that additional documents may be required during the examination, depending on the individual case, so applicants should be prepared for supplementary requests.​

Conclusion

The status of residence “Designated Activities (Spouse of Highly Skilled Foreign Professional / Spouse of Special Highly Skilled Foreign Professional)” is an important option that allows spouses to work full-time as part of the preferential treatment for Highly Skilled Professionals.​
However, requirements such as cohabitation with the principal and limits on eligible job categories distinguish this status from the Dependent status and can directly affect continued residence.​

Foreign nationals holding a Highly Skilled Professional visa, or those considering changing the spouse’s status of residence, should carefully review the latest official information and seek a status that best fits their individual situation.​