Obtaining a Japan Work Visa Without a Degree: The 10-Year Experience Requirement and Objective Evidence Building

This article is written by a Japanese local.

In corporate recruitment, it is not uncommon to face the problem: “We want to hire a highly skilled engineer (or designer, etc.), but they do not have a university or vocational college degree. Can a work visa be granted based solely on practical experience?”

To state the conclusion first, it is possible. The standard work visa, “Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services,” can be obtained even without a degree, provided you can objectively prove “10 or more years of practical experience.” (※ 3 years for International Services fields such as translation or interpretation).

However, proving this “10-year period” is the exact point where the Immigration Services Agency suspects document forgery the most, conducting rigorous audits. Any half-hearted documents or leaps in logic will result in immediate denial. This article thoroughly explains the strict counting rules to overcome the educational barrier and the methods for building objective evidence.

1. The Strict Definition of the “10-Year” Counting Rule

The “10 years (120 months)” recognized by Immigration is not simply the total period worked as an adult. There is an extremely strict definition applied here.

Only “Related Professional Duties” are Eligible

The only time counted as practical experience is the “period during which you were engaged in professional duties ‘directly related’ to the duties you intend to perform this time.”

For example, if you are applying for a work visa as an IT engineer, periods within the past 10 years spent as a “restaurant manager,” “factory line worker,” or in “simple clerical work” will not be counted for even a single day. You must extract only the periods completely dedicated to the professional duties and aggregate them to meet the 10-year requirement.

Including Educational Periods

It is legally permitted to include “periods spent at an educational institution majoring in related subjects (such as high school, vocational school, or university)” in the practical experience. However, this is strictly limited to cases like “the period majoring in computer engineering when applying as an IT engineer.” Periods in unrelated academic departments cannot be added.

2. The Resolution Required for the Absolute Evidence: “Certificate of Employment”

The sole and greatest weapon to prove 10 years of experience is the “Certificate of Employment” issued by past employers (including foreign companies). However, a simple document merely stating the “period” and bearing a “company seal” is insufficient.

A Certificate of Employment that convinces an Immigration examiner must accurately and comprehensively include the following items:

• Specific Job Duties: Clearly state that the duties were professional and directly related to the current visa requirements, such as “system development” or “database design.” Vague descriptions like “company employee” or “staff” are unacceptable.
• Exact Period of Employment (Up to the Day): If you have moved between multiple companies, the combined total of all periods must not fall short of 120 months by even a single day, or it will be denied. Also, overlapping periods worked at two companies cannot be double-counted.
• Signature and Official Seal of the Issuer: The date of issue, company name, address, phone number, and the name and title of the issuing representative are mandatory.

3. The Reality of Immigration’s “Background Checks”

Because the “10 years of practical experience” route frequently involves the submission of false resumes (forged Certificates of Employment) from all over the world, Immigration screens these with extreme vigilance.

In response to a submitted Certificate of Employment, Immigration may make direct international calls to the listed overseas companies to verify employment, or conduct detailed investigations into whether an official corporate website exists and if there is a physical office. If the document format is unnaturally similar across multiple companies or if the phone does not connect, it is easily processed as a “false application.”

4. Alternative Approaches When a Past Company is “Bankrupt” or “Uncooperative”

In practice, the highest hurdle is when “the old company has already gone bankrupt and no longer exists” or “due to trouble upon resignation, the past company refuses to issue a certificate.” Periods for which a Certificate of Employment cannot be provided are generally excluded from practical experience.

To overturn this situation and fill in the gaps, you have no choice but to build an alternative proof using official records.

• Submission of Official Tax and Pension Records: Objectively prove that you were definitely enrolled in that company and earning a salary during that period using official documents from that country (e.g., certificates from the tax office).
• Employment Contracts and Payslips from That Time: Gather any personally kept contract documents or transaction histories from the bank account where the salary was deposited.
• Attachment of a Detailed Statement of Reasons: Logically explain why the Certificate of Employment cannot be issued (such as the fact of bankruptcy) and assert that the submitted alternative materials objectively guarantee the practical experience.

5. [Exception] International Services Recognized with “3 Years” of Experience

Within the “Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services” category, if you are engaging in duties that fall under “International Services” (interpretation, translation, language instruction, overseas trade operations, fashion design, etc.), as a special exception, the requirement is met with “3 or more years” of practical experience. However, even in this case, the fact remains that you must perfectly prove that the practical experience is related to those specific duties via the Certificate of Employment.

6. Practical Q&A Regarding Practical Experience

• Q: Can the period I worked in a professional role as a part-timer be counted towards the 10 years?
  A: In principle, it is not counted. In practice, practical experience refers to periods accumulated as “full-time, regular employment.” To include part-time periods, you must prove with vast documentation that the work possessed extremely high expertise and involved substantial working hours, which is practically extremely difficult.
• Q: I only have 9 years and 11 months of practical experience. Will it be approved?
  A: It will be denied. In the Immigration Control Act requirements, “10 years (120 months)” is an absolute numerical standard. If you are short by even one month, you do not meet the requirement. You must accumulate the remaining experience at your current employer and apply at the exact timing when it exceeds 10 years.

The “10 years of practical experience” route, which waives educational requirements, is an application with a very high degree of difficulty in proof for both the hiring company and the foreign individual. Companies must conduct a background check before offering a position to ensure that the candidate’s past history can be “proven for the full 10 years without a single month’s gap using official evidence.” If gathering certificates proves difficult, it is essential to disclose all facts to a qualified professional versed in immigration law and implement an objective and reliable approach to building evidence.