Claiming Highly Skilled Points with Foreign IT Certifications: Asian Mutual Recognition Guide

This article is written by a Japanese local.

“I hold professional credentials obtained in my home country, along with globally recognized IT certifications. Can these qualifications award me bonus points (5 to 10 points) on the Japan Highly Skilled Professional (HSP) point evaluation scorecard?”

“Do prestigious vendor and association credentials—such as PMP (Project Management Professional), CISSP, AWS Certified Solutions Architect, or Cisco CCIE—qualify for statutory immigration point scoring in Japan?”

For international specialists aiming to secure the Highly Skilled Professional visa (HSP Type 1b for Engineering/Business), securing an additional 5 or 10 points is often the critical difference between crossing the 70-point threshold for preferential status or reaching 80 points for expedited permanent residency within one year.

However, immigration regulations enforce a strict statutory boundary: no matter how prestigious or globally prominent a credential is, private commercial certifications and US vendor certificates yield zero points.

The sole exception under statutory immigration notices permits point awards for **national IT examinations administered across Asian partner jurisdictions under government Mutual Recognition Agreements (ITPEC agreements)**.

This guide explains the regulatory mechanics of qualification point scoring, the exhaustive list of recognized Asian national IT examinations, why commercial certifications are rejected, and evidentiary procedures to verify overseas certificates before immigration examiners.

1. Statutory Framework for Qualification Bonus Points (Up to 10 Points)

Under Immigration Services Agency (ISA) ministerial notifications, qualification bonus allocations are defined as follows:

Point Allocation Category	Awarded Points	Statutory Criteria
Foreign Qualifications (Mutually Recognized) or Japanese National Qualifications Related to Assigned Work	5 Points per credential (Maximum 10 Points)	• Japanese national licenses (Bar, CPA, Medical Doctor, Registered Information Security Specialist) • Designated IT Examinations officially notified by the Minister of Justice (including mutually recognized Asian national exams)

*Scoring Rule: Holding one designated credential awards 5 points; holding two or more awards the statutory maximum of 10 points. Holding three or more certifications does not yield 15 points; the cap is strictly 10 points.

2. Why PMP, CISSP, AWS, and Foreign Legal/Medical Licenses Are Ineligible

The most widespread misconception among international applicants is assuming that elite industry prestige translates into immigration points. Under statutory ministerial ordinances, the following credentials award **zero points (0 points)**:

• US Global Association Credentials (PMP, CISSP, CISA, etc.):
  While internationally respected, these credentials are issued by private entities (PMI, (ISC)², ISACA) rather than government ministries, falling outside the statutory scope of Ministry of Justice notifications.
• Vendor Certifications (AWS, Cisco CCNA/CCNP/CCIE, Microsoft, Oracle):
  These tests certify competence regarding specific commercial proprietary software and are statutorily classified as non-qualifying commercial certificates.
• Foreign Medical and Legal Bar Licenses:
  While passing the Japanese National Medical Exam or Japanese Bar awards points, foreign bar admissions or foreign physician licenses lack bilateral mutual recognition treaties with Japan, disqualifying them from point calculation.

3. The Statutory Gateway: Mutually Recognized Asian National IT Exams (ITPEC)

The only overseas qualifications statutorily recognized as equivalent to Japan’s National Information Processing Examinations (FE/AP) are government-administered examinations operating under bilateral mutual recognition agreements coordinated by **ITPEC (Information Technology Professionals Examination Council)**:

Country / Territory	National Administering Body	Recognized National IT Examination Titles
Philippines	PhilNITS Foundation	• Fundamental Information Technology Engineers Examination (FE) • Applied Information Technology Engineers Examination (AP)
Vietnam	HITC / VITEC	• Fundamental Information Technology Engineers Examination (FE) • Applied Information Technology Engineers Examination (AP)
Myanmar	Myanmar Computer Federation (MCF)	• Fundamental Information Technology Engineers Examination (FE) • Applied Information Technology Engineers Examination (AP)
Mongolia	National Information Technology Park (ITPARK)	• Fundamental Information Technology Engineers Examination (FE) • Applied Information Technology Engineers Examination (AP)
Thailand	NSTDA	• Fundamental Information Technology Engineers Examination (FE) • Applied Information Technology Engineers Examination (AP)
India	NIELIT (formerly DOEACC)	• Level B (Equivalent to Applied Information Technology Engineer) • Level A (Equivalent to Fundamental Information Technology Engineer)
Singapore	Singapore Computer Society (SCS)	• Certified IT Project Manager (CITPM) • Certified Information Security Professional (CISP)
Malaysia	Malaysia Digital Economy Corp (MDEC)	• Information Technology Certified Professional (ITCP)

For instance, a software engineer who passed both the FE and AP examinations in the Philippines or Vietnam **secures the maximum 10-point bonus immediately using home-country certificates**, without ever sitting for an examination in Japan.

4. “Degree Waiver” vs. “HSP Point Booster”: Strategic Differentiation

While mutually recognized IT qualifications serve as degree waivers under standard work visas (Engineer/Specialist in Humanities), their strategic utility is dramatically magnified under the Highly Skilled Professional track:

• Under Standard Work Visas (Regulatory Degree Waiver):
  Serves as a legal substitute enabling self-taught programmers who lack a university degree to satisfy the statutory baseline for visa sponsorship.
• Under the Highly Skilled Professional Visa (Point Multiplier):
  Engineers holding university degrees (10 points for Bachelor, 20 points for Master) **stack the 5-to-10 qualification points directly on top of their educational score**, accelerating point totals.

A junior engineer possessing a Bachelor’s degree (10 points), aged under 29 (15 points), and earning 5 million yen (15 points) starts at 40 points. Adding two ITPEC credentials (10 points) and JLPT N2 certification (10 points) elevates the total to 60 points, placing the 70-point preferential threshold within immediate reach through modest salary progression.

5. Assembling the Evidentiary Verification Package for Immigration

Submitting an unauthenticated foreign certificate without legal context will trigger review delays. Corporate sponsors should assemble the following documentary package:

1. Original Official Examination Certificate and High-Resolution Copy:
   Official passing credential displaying the candidate’s legal name, date of birth, exam title, official registration number, and the issuing government ministry’s seal.
2. Certified Japanese Translation of Certificate:
   Accurate Japanese translation bearing the translator’s formal signature and contact information.
3. Statutory Cross-Reference Schedule (Ministry of Justice Public Notice):
   Printout of the official Ministry of Justice Public Notice No. 437 with the corresponding national examination highlighted, establishing regulatory concordance.
4. Job Duty Concordance Statement:
   Confirmation in the Letter of Reason for Employment establishing that the candidate’s engineering duties (software development, network design, systems integration) directly correlate with the technical competencies validated by the examination.

6. Summary: Unlocking Latent Point Assets from Overseas Credentials

In the Highly Skilled Professional evaluation process, foreign qualifications are frequently overlooked due to the mistaken belief that overseas licenses hold no validity in Japan.

For engineers originating from ITPEC member nations (the Philippines, Vietnam, India, etc.), national IT examinations passed during university or previous employment represent **permanent statutory assets that can unlock up to 10 vital immigration points**.

By distinguishing eligible government-notified credentials from ineligible commercial vendor certifications, international IT talent can strategically maximize their point scorecard and accelerate their journey toward Japanese permanent residency.