Highly Skilled Professional Visa: Explaining the Calculation Rules for Overlapping Point Items#

Japan’s Highly Skilled Professional (HSP) visa is a residency status granted to individuals who meet a certain threshold (70 points or more) on a point-based system that evaluates their academic background, professional experience, annual salary, research achievements, and other qualifications. A common question among applicants, especially those with multiple qualifications, is how points are calculated when they meet several criteria within the same category. For instance, this applies to individuals who hold multiple certifications demonstrating their Japanese language proficiency.

This article provides an objective explanation of the fundamental rules for calculating points for overlapping evaluation items in the HSP point-based system, using specific examples.

The Fundamental Principle: “Select Only the Most Advantageous Item”#

The most important principle in the HSP point calculation is that within a single evaluation category, you can only select the one item that yields the highest score. This rule is in place to prevent the same ability or background of a single applicant from being counted twice.

For example, within the “Academic Background” category, if an applicant holds both a “Doctoral Degree (30 points)” and a “Master’s Degree (20 points),” they cannot add these together for a total of 50 points. In this case, only the 30 points for the Doctoral Degree, which is the higher score, will be counted.

This principle applies to almost all evaluation categories, including professional experience, annual salary, and Japanese language ability. Applicants must review all the criteria they meet within each category and declare only the one that provides the most points.

Case Studies on the Point Calculation Rule#

Let’s look at some specific cases to further clarify how points are calculated for overlapping items.

Case 1: Japanese Language Proficiency (e.g., JLPT N1 and N2)#

The “Special Additions” section of the point table includes a category for “Japanese Language Proficiency.” Under the current system, the points are as follows:

Passed the Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) N1, OR scored 480 or higher on the Business Japanese Proficiency Test (BJT): 15 points
Passed the Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) N2, OR scored 400 or higher on the Business Japanese Proficiency Test (BJT): 10 points

If an applicant has passed both the JLPT N1 and N2, they cannot combine the points. They must select the higher-scoring achievement, which is “N1 proficiency,” for 15 points. Similarly, if an applicant meets the criteria for both JLPT N1 and a BJT score of 480 or higher, they still only receive 15 points, as both fall within the same 15-point bracket.

Case 2: Academic Background (e.g., Doctoral and Master’s Degrees)#

As mentioned earlier, the same rule applies to the academic background category.

Doctoral degree (including professional doctorates): 30 points
Master’s degree (including professional master’s degrees): 20 points
University degree or equivalent education: 10 points

An applicant who holds both a doctoral and a master’s degree will add the highest score, which is 30 points for the doctorate. The 20 points for the master’s degree cannot be added on top of that.

Case 3: Professional Experience (Years of Service)#

The number of years of practical experience related to the intended duties is also a point-earning category.

10 years or more: 20 points
7 years to less than 10 years: 15 points
5 years to less than 7 years: 10 points
3 years to less than 5 years: 5 points

An individual with 12 years of professional experience technically meets all the criteria listed above (“10+ years,” “7+ years,” etc.). However, only the points for the highest bracket, “10 years or more,” can be claimed, resulting in 20 points.

Points from Different Evaluation Categories Can Be Combined#

It is crucial to note that this “select one” rule is strictly limited to criteria within the same evaluation category. Points earned from different evaluation categories can and should be added together.

For example, consider an applicant with the following profile:

Academic Background: Doctoral degree (30 points)
Professional Experience: 10 years of experience (20 points)
Annual Salary: 8.5 million JPY at age 30 (30 points)
Japanese Language Proficiency: Passed JLPT N1 (15 points)

In this scenario, “Academic Background,” “Professional Experience,” “Annual Salary,” and “Japanese Language Proficiency” are all separate evaluation categories. Therefore, the points from each category can be combined.

Total Points = 30 + 20 + 30 + 15 = 95 points

This cumulative approach, where applicants combine their strengths across different categories to reach the 70-point threshold, is the core concept of the HSP system.

Conclusion#

The rule for calculating points for overlapping items in the Highly Skilled Professional visa application is straightforward. When you meet multiple criteria within the same evaluation category (such as academic background, professional experience, or Japanese language ability), you must select the single item that awards the most points. In contrast, points obtained from different evaluation categories are cumulative.

An accurate point calculation is essential for a successful visa application. When considering applying, it is vital to refer to the latest point calculation table published by the Immigration Services Agency of Japan and carefully assess your qualifications against each category to ensure a correct and thorough calculation.