Engineer Visa Through 10 Years of Work Experience | No Degree Required

Many people assume a university degree is mandatory for an Engineer visa, but in fact, 10 or more years of work experience can substitute for formal education. However, proving 10 years of experience objectively requires careful preparation.

Reference: Immigration Services Agency of Japan, “Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services” Landing Permission Standards

Basic Requirements

Field	Required Experience	Notes
Technology	10+ years	IT, engineering, etc.
Humanities	10+ years	Accounting, marketing, etc.
International Services	3+ years	Interpretation, translation, language instruction, design

Important: International Services requires only 3+ years, significantly lowering the bar for interpretation, translation, etc.

What Counts as Experience

Type	Counts?	Condition
Overseas work experience	Yes	Same field
Work experience in Japan	Yes	Lawful employment under proper visa
University/vocational school study period	Yes	Related field of study
Part-time work	Maybe	Only if equivalent to full-time
Technical intern training	No	Not counted as work experience
Student visa part-time work	No	Not employment-purpose residence

Point: University study periods count toward the 10 years. Example: 4 years of IT study + 6 years of IT work = 10 years total.

How to Prove Experience

Most Important: Employment Certificates

Required Content	Reason
Employment period (exact dates)	Calculate total years
Position/title	Confirm expertise level
Specific job duties	Prove relevance to applied position
Company name, address, contact	Ensure document credibility
Signature and company seal	Official certification

If Certificates Are Unavailable

Situation	Alternative
Company closed/bankrupt	Social insurance records, colleague statements
Cannot contact former employer	Pay slips, tax returns
Freelance work	Contracts, invoices, tax returns, client certifications
Overseas company	Notarized employment certificates

Our Support

For work-experience-based Engineer visa applications, trust Kaneko Hidetaka Administrative Scrivener Office.

98% approval rate
Languages: Japanese, Chinese, Vietnamese
Free initial consultation
Serving Chiba, Tokyo, and nationwide (online consultation available)