Japan HSP Highly Skilled Professional 70 / 80 Point System Explained: A Practical Guide to the 1-Year Fast Track to Permanent Residency

Published on May 14, 2026

Every March, when Japanese companies issue informal job offers, Dr. G.'s office receives a wave of excited messages: "Teacher, I got an offer from Google Japan in Tokyo with an annual salary of ¥12 million. How many HSP points would that be?"

My usual first response is a smile: "Google Japan + ¥12 million salary + you are 28 + N1 + a master's from Kyoto University → probably around 95 points.You can apply for permanent residency after 1 year, 9 years faster than the standard 10-year route."

Japan's HSP (Highly Skilled Professional) status is a points-based visa system launched by the Ministry of Justice in 2012 to attract international talent: 70 points gives you permanent residency in 3 years, and 80 points gives it in 1 year. Compared with the standard path of "10 years of residence + 5 years of work," it saves 7-9 years of your life. For Taiwanese IT engineers, AI researchers, and finance professionals, this is the most important card in the Japan pathway.

Drawing on my hands-on experience helping 50+ Taiwanese students build careers in Japan, this article breaks down every line of the point calculation table, the bonus points Taiwanese applicants can most easily secure, and the full permanent residency application process.

1. What Is HSP? Why Taiwanese IT Engineers Need to Know It

Here is the conclusion first: HSP is Japan's fast-track permanent residency route for clearly defined international talent.

In plain language: HSP-1 gives you a 5-year period of stay, lets your spouse work, and can lead to permanent residency in as little as 1 year. It is Japan's VIP channel for "useful foreign nationals."

2. The Three HSP Categories (i / ro / ha)

Under the "Ministerial Ordinance Specifying Standards for Highly Skilled Foreign Professionals Based on the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act" (Ministry of Justice Ordinance No. 36 of 2012):

Dr. G.'s key advice: 90% of Taiwanese students in Japan take No. 1 ro, which applies to technical and professional roles at companies such as TSMC's Kumamoto plant (JASM), Sony Semiconductor, Toyota, Hitachi, Google Japan, Microsoft Japan, AWS Japan, and Goldman Sachs Japan.

3. Point System Table (No. 1 ro Details)

Below are the point categories most commonly used by Taiwanese international students under No. 1 ro:

3.1 Education (maximum 30 points)

Baseline for Taiwanese master's graduates: 20 points (single master's) / 25 points (two master's degrees).

3.2 Work Experience (maximum 20 points)

New Taiwanese graduates: 0 points; Taiwanese applicants with 3-5 years of work experience: 5-10 points.

3.3 Annual Salary (maximum 40 points, the most important category)

Note: Annual salary below ¥4 million = HSP does not apply, no matter how high your other points are.

Dr. G.'s observation: Japanese companies such as NEC, Hitachi, and Toyota usually offer new master's graduates around ¥4.5-5.5 million, which barely clears the HSP threshold. Foreign companies in Japan such as Google, Amazon, and Microsoft often start at ¥8-12 million, giving applicants a natural HSP point advantage.

3.4 Age (maximum 15 points, crucial for new Taiwanese graduates)

A Taiwanese master's graduate at age 25 naturally receives 15 points. You lose 5 points after turning 30 and 10 points after turning 35. Time is money.

3.5 Japanese Language Ability (maximum 15 points, the easiest points to improve)

Dr. G.'s rule: Pass N2 before arriving in Japan, and pass N1 in the first semester of your master's program. N1 = 15 points = a 7-year difference in the permanent residency timeline.

3.6 Graduation from a Japanese University (maximum 10 points)

Best combination: A master's from the University of Tokyo, Kyoto University, or Tokyo Tech = 20 points (Japanese university 10 + Top Global 10).

3.7 Growth Fields (METI-designated, maximum 10 points)

Growth-field work designated by METI (Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry):

• AI / machine learning
• Information security (Cybersecurity)
• Semiconductor design / manufacturing
• Quantum computing
• Biotechnology / regenerative medicine
• Aerospace / space development

→ Relevant work duties receive +10 points.

Taiwan's semiconductor advantage: TSMC's Kumamoto plant (JASM) + Rapidus + Sony Semiconductor are all in METI growth fields, giving Taiwanese engineers a natural +10 points.

4. Practical Point Calculations: From 60 Points to 80 Points

Case A: NTU EE graduate → Kyoto University master's in electronic engineering → Tokyo Electron

→ Meets the 80-point threshold, qualifying for the 1-year permanent residency fast track.

Case B: NCCU Japanese major → Waseda MBA → Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation Tokyo headquarters

→ Meets the 80-point threshold, qualifying for the 1-year permanent residency route.

Case C: NTHU CS → MIT MS → Google Japan

→ Meets the 80-point threshold, qualifying for the 1-year permanent residency route. However, N3 still limits daily life in Japan, so I recommend continuing to N1 after obtaining permanent residency.

Case D: NTU business/management → Waseda EMBA → mid-sized Japanese company

→ Above 80 points, qualifying for the 1-year permanent residency route. Work experience is especially valuable for applicants aged 30+.

5. The Three Stages: HSP-1 → HSP-2 → Permanent Residency

5.1 HSP-1 Application Process

Dr. G.'s key point: HSP-1 uses a "prior certification" model. The employer must first issue an informal offer, and you cannot wait until after joining to apply. The employer's financial condition is also reviewed. I recommend targeting companies with at least 50 employees and prior sponsorship experience.

5.2 HSP-1 → HSP-2 (after 3 years)

• Hold HSP-1 for 3 full years (while maintaining 70 / 80 points at that time)
• HSP-2 = indefinite period of stay (but still a work status)
• Scope of permitted activities expands to all of No. 1 i + ro + ha, maximizing career flexibility
• HSP-2 ≠ permanent residency (you must still maintain employment)

5.3 Permanent Residency Application (the core goal)

Core requirement: You must still maintain the required points at the time of permanent residency application. For example, if applying on the 80-point route, you cannot have dropped to 75 points at the time of application.

6. Permanent Residency Documents and Costs

6.1 Complete Document Checklist (2025 Edition)

Based on the latest "Notice on Application for Permanent Residence Permit" from the Immigration Services Agency:

1. Application for Permanent Residence Permit
2. ID photo (4 x 3 cm)
3. Statement of reasons (in Japanese, 1-3 A4 pages)
4. Certificate of employment + withholding tax slips for the most recent 3 years
5. Resident tax taxation certificates + tax payment certificates for the most recent 3 years
6. Proof of National Pension + National Health Insurance payment status (requirements strengthened from 2025)
7. Letter of understanding issued by employer
8. Household registration transcript from Taiwan, with certified translation
9. Letter of guarantee (guarantor must be Japanese or a permanent resident, usually a company supervisor)
10. Proof of real estate ownership, if any
11. Bank balance certificate
12. Point calculation table + supporting documents (education certificate, salary proof, N1 certificate, etc.)

6.2 Costs

6.3 Timeline

7. Rights After Permanent Residency and the Risks of the 2024 Amendment

7.1 Rights of Permanent Residents

7.2 ★ June 10, 2024 Expansion of Permanent Residency Revocation Grounds (Major Red Flag)

Under Act No. 56 of June 16, 2023 (amendment to the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act), effective June 10, 2024:

New grounds for revocation (Immigration Control Act Article 22-4):

• Delinquent taxes (national or local) with intentional evasion
• Delinquent social insurance premiums (National Pension, National Health Insurance, Employment Insurance)
• Intentional false income reporting or failure to report
• A prison sentence of 1 year or less, including suspended sentences, may be sufficient for revocation

Enforcement intensity: From Q4 2024, the Tokyo, Osaka, and Nagoya immigration bureaus have launched "permanent resident tax and social insurance audit projects." In 2025, revocations increased by 3.5x compared with 2023.

Dr. G.'s warning: Permanent residency is not "valid for life once obtained." You must continuously stay current on taxes and social insurance. Common pitfalls for Taiwanese students include:

• Forgetting to switch to National Health Insurance / National Pension during a job-change gap
• Failing to report side income
• Failing to report rental income from property
• Failing to declare overseas rental income from Taiwan real estate

Standard prevention: The first thing to do after receiving permanent residency is to hire a Japanese tax accountant (annual fee around ¥100,000-200,000) to ensure cross-border income reporting is complete.

8. Permanent Residency vs Naturalization: An Irreversible Choice

Many clients ask: "After permanent residency, should I continue for 5 more years and naturalize?"

8.1 Legal Level

• Japan's Nationality Act Article 14: Japanese nationals who acquire foreign nationality must choose one nationality within 2 years.
• Naturalization Article 5, Paragraph 1, Item 5: Requires naturalization applicants to "lose their original nationality."
• Conclusion: Naturalizing as Japanese = you must give up Republic of China nationality (legally absolute).

8.2 Dr. G.'s Consulting Rule

Do not make a naturalization decision before age 35. Let students obtain permanent residency first and live in Japan for 5 years before deciding. Three questions determine the answer:

1. Your parents are in Taiwan. Will you need to inherit real estate in the future? (inheritance procedures become much more complex after naturalization)
2. Do you want your next generation to have full Japanese status? (Japanese nationality for children vs dual-status flexibility)
3. Are you willing to face Taiwan immigration with a Japanese passport for the rest of your life?

If the answer to all three is yes → naturalization. Otherwise, permanent residency is the endpoint.

See "U.S. Citizenship Naturalization Process: 5 Years vs 3 Years (Marriage)" for a fuller comparison of "dual nationality vs single nationality." The tradeoff logic is very different between the United States, which allows dual nationality, and Japan, which requires a single nationality.

9. Typical HSP Timeline for a Taiwanese IT Engineer

Take student Z as an example: NTU EECS BS → master's at Kyoto University's Graduate School of Informatics → Tokyo Electron

From enrollment to permanent residency: about 3 years. That is the power of the HSP 80-point fast track.

10. Five Strategies to Maximize HSP Points for Taiwanese International Students

10.1 Choose a Japanese Top Global University (10 + 10 = 20 points)

The 37 Top Global Universities (13 Type A + 24 Type B):

• Type A: University of Tokyo, Kyoto University, Osaka University, Tokyo Tech, Tohoku University, Kyushu University, Hokkaido University, Nagoya University, Keio, Waseda, University of Tsukuba, Hiroshima University, Tokyo Medical and Dental University
• Type B: Kobe, Ritsumeikan, Sophia, Meiji, Rikkyo, Aoyama Gakuin, Kansai, Okayama, Kyushu Institute of Technology, and others

Dr. G.'s recommendation: For STEM, prioritize the University of Tokyo, Kyoto University, and Tokyo Tech; for business and management, prioritize Keio and Waseda; for medicine, prioritize Tokyo Medical and Dental University.

10.2 Push for JLPT N1 (15 points)

Dr. G.'s rule:

• Before arriving in Japan: N2 (10 points)
• First semester of master's program: N1 (15 points)
• No N1 = permanently missing 15 HSP points = a 7-year longer permanent residency path

10.3 Target Foreign Companies in Japan (25-40 salary points)

Foreign companies in Japan offer starting salaries 2-3x higher than Japanese companies, creating a 20-25 point gap in HSP salary points.

10.4 Target METI Growth Fields (10 points)

Taiwan's advantage: Semiconductors are Taiwan's biggest dividend. JASM's second plant is scheduled to begin production in 2027 and is expected to recruit 1,500+ engineers, with Taiwanese master's graduates prioritized.

10.5 J-Skip Special Highly Skilled Professional Route (annual salary ¥20 million+, skipping points)

If your annual salary reaches ¥20 million+ (NTD 4 million+), you may use the J-Skip Special Highly Skilled Professional route:

• No point calculation required
• 5-year period of stay granted directly
• Spouse work, living with parents, and domestic worker privileges all available
• Permanent residency in 1 year

Suitable applicants: Senior principals at TSMC (including the Kumamoto plant), senior managers at Google / Amazon Japan, and foreign investment bank directors.

11. Practical Failure Cases: Three Lessons You Must Remember

Case 1: Tax and social insurance mistake during a job-change gap after obtaining permanent residency

Background: Mr. B obtained permanent residency in 2023 and changed jobs from NEC to a foreign company in 2024, with a 3-month gap between roles.

Problem: He forgot to switch to National Pension + National Health Insurance and had a 3-month coverage gap.

Result: It was flagged during his permanent resident card renewal in 2025, and he nearly faced revocation. He ultimately passed after paying retroactively and submitting a letter of reflection.

Lesson: Permanent residency is not "valid for life once obtained." During a job-change gap, you must go to the ward office on the same day to complete the switch.

Case 2: Standard work visa for 1 year → HSP application blocked by job content

Background: Mr. F had a master's in engineering from the University of Tokyo, received a 2023 offer from a mid-sized SaaS company in Tokyo, had an annual salary of ¥6.5 million, N2, and was age 26.

Problem: During the HSP-1 application, immigration questioned whether the "job duties were too broad and did not meet the advanced specialized/technical activity requirement of No. 1 ro." The SaaS company did not clearly distinguish R&D from business duties.

Result: HSP-1 was denied. He switched to the standard work visa (1 year), then reapplied for HSP-1 in the second year after strengthening the job duty explanation, and was approved.

Lesson: HSP applies strict standards to the "advanced specialization" of job duties. At a mid-sized company, a "generalist engineer" role is less clear than a "Researcher / Senior SWE" role at a large company.

Case 3: Japanese company starting salary stuck near the HSP 70-point threshold

Background: Mr. G had a Waseda master's, received a 2024 offer from Hitachi, had an annual salary of ¥5.2 million, N1, and was age 28.

Points: Education 20 + age 15 + salary 15 + N1 15 + Japanese university 10 + Waseda Top Global 10 = 85 points.

Result: He just cleared 70, but was still 5 points short of 80, so he was on the 3-year permanent residency route rather than the 1-year route.

Dr. G.'s improvement plan: In year 2, move to a foreign company in Japan such as SAP Japan and raise salary to ¥7 million+ → salary points +10 → 95 points → stronger 1-year permanent residency case.

12. Common Q&A

Q1: What happens if my HSP application is denied? A: You can apply for the standard work visa instead, then apply for HSP later after your career matures through promotion or salary growth. An HSP denial does not affect the standard work visa application.

Q2: Can I apply for HSP while enrolled in a Japanese master's program? A: No. HSP requires a specific employer + informal offer + annual salary of ¥4 million+. Students do not meet the requirements while still in school.

Q3: Does changing jobs during HSP-1 affect my status? A: You may change jobs, but you must report it to immigration within 14 days, and the new job must still fall within the HSP scope while maintaining salary and points.

Q4: Will HSP points be reviewed again? A: Points are rechecked at the time of residence period renewal. If your salary drops below the threshold, you may be unable to renew HSP and may need to switch to the standard work visa.

Q5: After permanent residency, can I work overseas for 2 years and then return to Japan? A: No. If a permanent resident leaves Japan for > 1 year without a re-entry permit, the status is lost; if away for > 5 years even with a re-entry permit, the status is lost. Long-term departure from Japan = loss of permanent residency.

Q6: What kinds of jobs can an HSP spouse do? A: Jobs within the standard work visa scope, such as IT, finance, marketing, HR, teaching, and research, plus entertainment industry work. Work in adult entertainment businesses remains prohibited.

Conclusion: HSP Is Japan's Shortcut for Clearly Defined International Talent

The biggest lesson from 15 years of practical Japan immigration work is this: HSP is not a goal you "just apply for after arrival." It is a point-engineering project that should be designed before enrollment.

Kyoto University master's + N1 + semiconductor foreign company at ¥8 million+ = 80 points = permanent residency in 1 year. That is the real dividend Japan offers Taiwanese IT engineers.

vs the standard work visa route: 10 years of residence + 5 years of work before applying for permanent residency. A 9-year gap equals the prime years of a person's life.

Dr. G.'s standard advice for every student going to Japan:

1. Before enrollment: Choose a Top Global University (University of Tokyo, Kyoto University, Tokyo Tech, Waseda, Keio) + pass N2 before arriving in Japan
2. During the master's program: Pass N1 in the first semester (+15 points you carry with you) + target summer internships at foreign companies in Japan
3. Before graduation offer: Target foreign companies in Japan (Google, Amazon, Microsoft Japan) or semiconductors (JASM, Rapidus) = annual salary of ¥8 million+ = 30+ salary points + 10 growth-field points
4. Start HSP-1: 5-year period of stay + spouse can work + parents can live with you
5. After 1 year on HSP-1 (80 points) / after 3 years (70 points): apply for permanent residency
6. After permanent residency: Keep taxes clean, do not interrupt social insurance, report cross-border income
7. Permanent residency + 5 years residence + 3 years work: Consider naturalization (requires giving up Taiwanese nationality)

Japan 2-year master's + 1 year on HSP-80 = permanent residency in 3 years. That is 6 years faster than the UK, 3 years faster than Canada, and 5 years faster than Australia. For Taiwanese IT / AI / semiconductor engineers, this is the fastest permanent residency route in Asia.

See "U.S. EB-1 / EB-2 NIW / EB-3 Green Card Comparison" and "Complete Guide to UK ILR After 5 Years" for a fuller comparison of global permanent residency timelines. Japan HSP is the fastest single route among the five major study-abroad countries.

Further Reading:

• Complete Guide to UK ILR After 5 Years
• What Benefits Can You Enjoy Once You Obtain Australian PR?
• U.S. EB-1 / EB-2 NIW / EB-3 Green Card Comparison
• Complete Guide to Canada's Express Entry Immigration System
• Complete University of Tokyo Profile
• Complete Kyoto University Profile