---
title: "High Skilled Professional (HSP, 高度専門職) Status: Overview"
url: https://memocore.ai/memos/6a5f639563d783ad68709464
project: "Doing Business in Japan"
tags: "japan-business, visa-work, current-2025"
updated_at: "2026-07-21T12:18:29.846Z"
---

# High Skilled Professional (HSP, 高度専門職) Status: Overview

HSP is a points-based visa with three tracks: work (engineering/humanities), research, and management (for directors/CEOs). All HSP visas are issued for 5 years. It allows bringing a non-working spouse, and lets holders apply for permanent residency (PR) after just 1 year (with 80+ points) or 3 years (with 70+ points), instead of the standard 10 years. HSP status is tied to a specific employer/organization — a job change requires reapplying for the visa. See: HSP Status: Points, Tracks, and the PR Path. Sources: https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/content/930001657.pdf — official MOJ HSP points table; https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/content/930001665.pdf — official MOJ HSP points table (alternative/updated version); https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/content/001458720.pdf — official MOJ document with the updated HSP points table.