This article is written by a Japanese local.
“Because our foreign customers increased, we hired an international student to handle interpretation and translation, but the visa was denied.”
This is one of the most frequent troubles faced by companies hiring foreign talent in Japan. Under the “Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services (Gijinkoku)” work visa, “Interpretation/Translation” seems like the easiest job category for liberal arts graduates to apply for, but in practice, it is a category where screening by the Immigration Services Agency is extremely strict.
This article thoroughly explains the reason for denial that Immigration is most cautious about—”insufficient actual work volume”—and the job design and practical processes needed to objectively and logically prove it.
1. The Trap of “In-Name-Only Translators” and Suspicions of Simple Labor
The reason Immigration strictly screens applications whose main duty is “Interpretation/Translation” lies in past legal violations. There was a rampant trend of fraudulent cases where companies obtained visas under the guise of “interpretation” but actually had the individuals engage in “simple labor (duties outside the permitted scope)” such as serving customers in restaurants, factory line work, or hotel bed-making and cleaning.
Therefore, simply writing “Interpretation/Translation” in the job description column of the application will not grant approval at all. Examiners conduct documentary screening based on the strong suspicion: “Does full-time employment consisting entirely of interpretation/translation work for 8 hours a day, throughout the year, truly exist at that company?”
2. The Absolute Standard for Work Volume Permitted as “International Services”
The biggest reason for denial in interpretation/translation is “insufficient work volume.” For example, tasks like “interpreting for foreign customers who visit a few times a month” or “translating a few overseas emails a week” are not recognized as the “continuous and stable specialized duties” required for a work visa. A job design predicated on having them operate the cash register or stock shelves during their free time is subject to immediate denial right then and there.
To legally claim that interpretation/translation is the main duty, you must objectively prove that duties on the following scale exist constantly.
- Daily translation work for multilingual manuals, specifications, and contracts for the company’s products.
- Exclusive interpretation during business negotiations with overseas business partners and creating minutes in a foreign language.
- Continuous operation and translation of cross-border EC sites or multilingual websites targeting overseas markets.
- Interpretation for advanced operational instruction to foreign employees (*mere daily life support is not permitted).
3. “Combined Approach” to Supplement Insufficient Work Volume
The reality for many small and medium-sized enterprises is that “interpretation and translation alone cannot fill an 8-hour workday.” The legal approach in such cases is not to apply for interpretation/translation alone as “International Services,” but to create a combined job design incorporating the field of “Specialist in Humanities (or Engineer).”
For example, a combination of duties like the following:
- Overseas Sales (Humanities) + Business Negotiation Interpretation / Contract Translation (International Services)
- Overseas Web Marketing (Humanities) + Multilingual Website Translation (International Services)
- Trade Administration / Customs Arrangement (Humanities) + Invoice Translation (International Services)
If the target foreign talent meets the educational requirements such as business administration, economics, or marketing at a university, combining these allows you to legally fill the daily schedule with advanced white-collar duties that contain absolutely no simple labor.
4. Typical Denial and Trouble Cases in Interpretation/Translation
Case A: Denial for “Front Desk Interpretation” at an Accommodation Facility
[Situation] A hotel with an increase in inbound tourists hired an international student as a “front desk interpreter.”
[Reason for Denial] The percentage of foreign guests was low, and it was judged that the work volume as an interpreter was insufficient if it was only for check-in procedures (routine conversation). Additionally, the suspicion that they would work as a bellboy or do room cleaning (simple labor) during free time could not be dispelled.
[Avoidance Measure] Instead of just routine front desk duties, it is necessary to create and prove a job description as a core duty combined with “Humanities,” such as planning negotiations with overseas travel agencies (OTAs), drafting multilingual customer attraction promotions, and translating websites.
Case B: Assigning Translation Duties in a Language Other Than the Native Language
[Situation] An application was submitted for a Vietnamese international student with “English” interpretation/translation duties as their main focus.
[Reason for Denial] Because their major at university was not English (linguistics) and they are not a native English speaker, it was judged that they did not possess the “thinking and sensitivity based on foreign culture” required for International Services.
[Avoidance Measure] The target language for interpretation/translation is, in principle, only permitted if it is the applicant’s “native language” or a “language they majored in at a university, etc.” Even if they have a high TOEIC score, legally, the job duties must be designed centering on their native language or major language from university.
5. Timeline and Required Documents to Prove Work Volume
To prove that a sufficient volume of work exists, you must approach the application not with verbal explanations in a Statement of Employment Reason, but by preparing “objective physical evidence” that a third party can understand and accept.
- Inventory and Combination of Job Duties (Pre-offer): Calculate the percentage of interpretation/translation duties. If it is insufficient, combine it with marketing or overseas sales duties, and create a job-based description.
- Collection of Objective Data (1 month before application):
- Proof of Overseas Transactions: Contracts with overseas companies, invoices, trade documents, partnership plans.
- Foreign Customer Data: Objective data or reservation lists showing the percentage of foreigners among total customers.
- Proof of Translation Track Record: URLs of websites to be translated/multilingualized, drafts of pamphlets, table of contents for manuals, etc.
- Construction of Employment Reason and Daily Schedule (At application): Based on the collected physical evidence, clearly state in a table format the necessity of “why this company needs an exclusive multilingual talent” and a daily work schedule that contains no simple labor, and submit it to the regional Immigration office.
6. Conclusion: Logical Job Design Based on a Clear Business Foundation
Hiring for ambiguous reasons like “let’s make them an interpreter because they can speak Japanese” does not work in current Immigration screenings. Interpretation/Translation is a highly specialized profession, and the company is required to have a business foundation (clear track records and plans for overseas transactions or attracting foreign customers) sufficient to utilize those skills full-time.
Before deciding to hire, rigorously verify by simulating the daily duties entrusted to that talent down to the minute, ensuring it falls purely within the scope of “International Services” or “Humanities.” Constructing a rock-solid hiring plan where the work volume can be proven with objective physical evidence is the only means to completely eliminate the risk of denial.