The rule that took effect on 15 April 2026 is narrower than most articles suggest. Proof of Japanese at CEFR B2 (JLPT N2 or equivalent) is required only when BOTH of the following are true.

1

│ YOUR EMPLOYER FALLS UNDER CATEGORY 3 OR 4

│ Broadly: small and mid-sized companies, and newly established firms.

│ Listed companies, public bodies and other large employers

│ (Categories 1–2) are not affected.

2

│ YOUR ROLE IS PRIMARILY CLIENT-FACING

│ Work centered on language-based interaction with customers or the

│ public. The Immigration Services Agency gives translation and

│ interpretation, and hotel front-desk work, as examples.

YOU ARE ALREADY EXEMPT IF YOU HOLD ANY ONE OF THESE

✓ JLPT N2 or above

✓ BJT Business Japanese Proficiency Test — 400 points or above

✓ A degree from a Japanese university or graduate school

✓ Completion of a Japanese kōsen (college of technology), or of a specialised / advanced course at a Japanese vocational school

✓ Completion of compulsory education in Japan plus graduation from a Japanese high school

✓ 20 years or more of residence in Japan as a mid-to-long-term resident

Applies to Certificate of Eligibility applications submitted on or after 15 April 2026.

This page is general information, not immigration advice. For your own case, please consult the Immigration Services Agency of Japan or a certified gyōsei-shoshi (administrative scrivener).

Most of the professionals I coach were never required to hold N2. They came to me for other reasons.

・ The meetings that decide things happen in Japanese. Being briefed afterwards is not the same as being in the room.

・ Promotion into management is rarely offered to someone who cannot lead a discussion in Japanese.

・ Permanent residency, a change of employer, or a move to a smaller company — each becomes simpler with the certificate already in hand.

A visa rule comes with a deadline. A career does not. That is precisely why most people postpone this indefinitely.

[ SEE THE COACHING PROGRAMS → ]