Highly Skilled Professional: What Happens If the Citation Count of the “Research Paper” Used for Point Calculation Decreases?#

The status of residence “Highly Skilled Professional” (HSP) in Japan is a preferential immigration system based on a point calculation table. Points are awarded for categories such as academic background, professional career, annual salary, age, and research achievements. If the total score reaches 70 or 80 points, the applicant is granted preferential treatment.

For researchers and academics, the “Research Achievements” category is a crucial element for gaining points. One of the specific criteria in this category is having a “paper for which the applicant is the responsible author (corresponding author) that has been cited 25 or more times in a database designated by the Minister of Justice.”

However, numerical data in academic databases (such as Scopus or Web of Science) can fluctuate due to database updates, mergers, or the retraction of citing papers. This article explains how the Immigration Services Agency of Japan handles situations where the citation count decreases either after the application is submitted or after the visa is granted.

The “Snapshot at Application” Principle#

A fundamental principle of Japanese immigration procedures is that examinations are generally based on the facts and evidence presented at the “time of application.”

For New Applications or Change of Status#

The point calculation for HSP is based on whether you can objectively prove your score with supporting documents (certificates, database printouts, etc.) on the day you submit your application.

Suppose you print out a database report showing a citation count of “26” on the day of your application and submit it to the Immigration Bureau. In that case, the examiner will treat that document as valid evidence. Even if the database is updated during the examination period (the weeks or months between application and approval) and the count drops to “24,” it is rare for the Immigration Bureau to monitor the database in real-time and deny the application solely based on this fluctuation.

The examination is primarily based on the factual state (snapshot) at the time of submission. While exceptions may exist in cases of fraudulent manipulation or if a significant correction becomes public knowledge immediately after application, minor decreases due to standard database maintenance are usually not grounds for rejection, provided the initial proof was valid.

Impact of Decreased Citations During the Period of Stay#

Let us consider the scenario after your application has been approved and you have received your Residence Card. The “Highly Skilled Professional (i)” status is typically granted for a period of 5 years.

If, during these 5 years, the database is reorganized and the citation count of the paper you used drops below 25, will your status of residence be revoked?

No Revocation of Status#

In conclusion, a decrease in citation counts after approval does not immediately lead to the revocation of your status of residence. The requirement for the HSP visa is that the applicant “meets the point requirement at the time of application.” The Immigration Bureau does not monitor the maintenance of points on a daily basis during your stay.

While failing to meet internal conditions like the projected annual salary may affect future renewals, fluctuations in citation counts caused by external factors (status of citing papers or database algorithms) do not threaten your legal status during the validity of your current visa.

Risks During Extension or Change to HSP (ii)#

The critical phase where caution is required is when applying for an “Extension of Period of Stay” or changing your status to “Highly Skilled Professional (ii).”

The Rule of Re-calculation#

Under the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act, when applying for an extension or a change of status, points must be re-calculated based on the circumstances at the “time of that new application.”

This means that even if a paper had 30 citations five years ago and successfully provided points for your initial visa, if the citation count has dropped to 24 at the time of your renewal application, you can no longer claim points for that specific research achievement.

This is a vital risk management point. Past achievements recognized in previous applications do not automatically carry over if they no longer meet the criteria at the time of the current application.

Strategy and Preparation#

Therefore, if you rely on research achievements to meet the 70 or 80-point threshold, you must check your citation status in the designated databases (typically Scopus by Elsevier or Web of Science by Clarivate Analytics) several months before your visa expires.

If the citation count has dropped below the threshold, you must prepare alternative measures:

Other Papers: Check if any other paper where you are the corresponding author has reached 25 or more citations.
Other Research Criteria: Consider if you can claim points through other research achievement sub-categories, such as having 3 or more published papers, receiving competitive research funding (grants), or holding patents.
Other Categories: Look for points in non-research categories to compensate for the loss, such as an increase in annual salary, passing the Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT N1 or N2), or having a degree from a Japanese university.

Understanding Designated Databases and Fluctuations#

The “citation count” accepted for HSP point calculation must be from specific databases recognized by the Ministry of Justice, not arbitrary sources like Google Scholar. Generally, the following are accepted:

Scopus (Elsevier)
Web of Science (Clarivate Analytics)

These databases frequently update their indices. Fluctuations can occur due to the re-evaluation of journals, merging or separating Author IDs, or changes in logic regarding self-citations. If your count is borderline, there is a non-zero probability that it could drop just before your renewal period.

Conclusion#

Regarding the citation count of research papers in the Highly Skilled Professional point calculation, the key takeaways are:

The Application Date is Critical: If you can prove you meet the criteria at the time of application, minor fluctuations during the examination are generally not an issue.
Safe During Validity: A drop in citations after approval does not revoke your current visa.
Caution Required for Renewal: When extending your stay or changing to HSP (ii), points are re-calculated based on the latest data. If the count has dropped below the threshold, those points are lost.

To maintain your status as a Highly Skilled Professional securely, the best strategy is not to rely on a score that barely meets the minimum. Instead, aim to secure points across multiple categories to create a buffer against fluctuations in specific metrics like citation counts.