One of the most attractive privileges of Japan’s Highly Skilled Professional Visa is the ability to bring a “domestic worker (maid/nanny)” employed in your home country or previous posting to Japan. While this privilege is absolutely not permitted under standard work visas, thinking “it’s easy to bring a maid” will lead to severe compliance violations. This article explains the strict requirements where the Immigration Control Act and Japanese labor laws intersect, and the absolute rules you must follow as an employer.
1. The “Absolute Requirements” for Accompaniment Approval
To obtain a visa (Designated Activities) for a domestic worker, strict conditions are imposed on both the household of the Highly Skilled Professional (you) and the domestic worker themselves.
① The Household Annual Income Hurdle of “10 Million JPY or More”
It is an absolute requirement that your own annual income (or combined with your spouse’s) is at least 10 million JPY. If you cannot prove this financial capacity, you will be deemed incapable of employing a domestic worker.
② Different Conditions for “Continued Employment” vs. “New Employment”
[When bringing them from overseas (Continued Employment)]
You must have a track record of “continuously employing them for at least 1 year” before moving to Japan.
[When hiring anew or calling them to Japan (New Employment)]
Approval will not be granted without a clear reason, such as “having a child under 13 years old” or “a spouse unable to perform daily household chores due to illness, etc.”
2. The Biggest Trap: The Obligation to Pay “200,000 JPY or More” Monthly
The landmine that most foreign nationals step on is the setting of the remuneration amount. The logic of “I could hire them for 50,000 JPY a month in my home country, so the same amount is fine in Japan” does not work at all.
Obligation to Set Salary According to Japanese Standards
Under the Immigration Control Act, it is mandatory to pay a domestic worker a “remuneration of 200,000 JPY or more per month.” Furthermore, paying this “in cash” is extremely dangerous. When Immigration asks for proof that “you are truly paying 200,000 JPY” during the renewal of the domestic worker’s visa, the lack of bank transfer history (objective evidence) will lead to suspicions of disguised employment and the renewal will be denied.
3. Legal Management as a “Worker,” Not “Family”
While a domestic worker may feel like family, under Japanese law, they are a “worker” with whom you have concluded an “employment contract.”
You are required to treat them according to Japanese labor standards, including providing appropriate working hours, holidays, and living conditions. If you get into trouble with a domestic worker and dismiss them, the premise of their visa collapses, so they must generally be sent back to their home country. Also, if you, the Highly Skilled Professional, leave Japan (return to your home country or resign), the domestic worker’s visa simultaneously loses its validity.
Conclusion: Privileges Come with “Japanese Compliance”
Bringing a domestic worker is a powerful privilege that dramatically improves an executive’s life in Japan. However, it comes with “heavy responsibilities as an employer under Japanese law.” If you neglect the legal design required to clear both the Immigration Control Act and labor laws—such as drafting contracts, preserving proof of salary payments, and following rules upon returning home—your own compliance will be questioned. To prevent trouble, we strongly recommend a legal check by an expert before hiring.
For troubleshooting regarding family accompaniment and various requirements for the Highly Skilled Professional Visa, please check the guide portal below.
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