Useful Qualifications for Getting a Job in Japan

These professional qualifications are recognized in Japan. For many professions it is necessary to have a certificate that proves your expertise to get a job. Unfortunately, due to differing standards between countries, many are organized on a national level.

Gaining the correct Japanese qualification takes good language skills and most of all a lot of time. To make the transition easier, here we introduce qualifications that allow you to start working in Japan immediately.
IT (Asia)・Law and Accounting・Design Awards

IT Qualifications

The Ministry of Justice sets the guidelines on what qualifications are necessary to work in Japan. Below we introduce those professional certificates that can be acquired outside of Japan. With them it is possible to find programming work in Japan, regardless of the major at university (humanities welcome) and they also count towards your score when applying for a high-professional status of residence.

China

Crediting Institution: 中国工業和信息化部教育与考試 (Ministry of Industry and Information Technology of China)

• ・系統分析師 (system analyst)
• ・系統架構設計師 (system architect)
• ・軟件設計師 (software planning engineer)
• ・網絡工程師 (network engineer)
• ・数据庫系統工程師 (database system engineer)
• ・程序員 (programmer)

Crediting Institution: 中国信息産業部電子教育 (past exams, but certificates are recognized)

• ・系統分析員 (system analyst)
• ・高級程序員 (software engineer)
• ・系統分析師 (system analyst)
• ・軟件設計師 (software planning engineer)
• ・網絡工程師 (network engineer)
• ・数据庫系統工程師（database system engineer)
• ・程序員 (programmer)

Philippines

PhilNITS (Philippine National Information Technology Standards Foundation)

• ・基本情報技術者 (fundamental information technology engineer)
• ・応用情報技術者 (applied information technology engineer)

JITSE-Phil (Japanese IT Standards Examination (JITSE) of the Philippines)

• ・基本情報技術者（fundamental information technology engineer)

Vietnam

VITEC (Vietnam Training and Examination Center)

• ・基本情報技術者 (fundamental information technology engineer)
• ・応用情報技術者 (applied information technology engineer)

VITEC (past exams)

• ・基本情報技術者 (fundamental information technology engineer)
• ・ソフトウェア開発技術者（software design and development engineer)

Myanmar

MCF (Myanmar Computer Federation)

• ・基本情報技術者 (fundamental information technology engineer)
• ・応用情報技術者 (applied information technology engineer)

Taiwan

III (Institute for Information Industry)

• ・軟体設計専業人員 (software design and development engineer)
• ・網路通訊専業人員 (network communication IT expert)
• ・資訊安全管理専業人員 (information system security IT expert)

Malaysia

METEOR (Multimedia Technology Promotion Headquarters)

• ・実施する基本情報技術者 (fundamental information technology professional)

Thailand

NSTDA (National Science and Technology Development Agency)

• ・基本情報技術者 (basic information technology engineer)
• ・応用情報技術者 (applied information technology engineer)

NECTEC (past exams)

• ・基本情報技術者 (basic information technology engineer)

Mongolia

NITP (Mongolian National IT Park)

• ・基本情報技術者 (fundamental information technology engineer)
• ・応用情報技術者 (applied information technology engineer)

Bangladesh

BCC (Bangladesh Computer Council)

• ・基本情報技術者 (basic information technology engineer)
• ・応用情報技術者 (applied information technology engineer)

Singapore

SCS (Singapore Computer Society)

• ・サーティファイド・ＩＴ・プロジェクト・マネージャ (CITPM, certified IT project manager)

South Korea

Human Resources Development Service of Korea

• ・情報処理技師 (information processing engineer)
• ・情報処理産業技師 (information processing industrial engineer)

Other recognized qualifications

Professional certificates for working visa application

• ・International accounting verification (国際会計検定, BATIC, more than 880 points, controller level)
• ・US Certified Public Accountant (米国公認会計士)
• ・Fellow of the Society of Actuaries, US (米国アクチュアリー資格)
• ・Fellow of the Institute of Actuaries, UK (英国アクチュアリー資格)
• ・Lawyers from the countries below (外国弁護士): Brazil, China, Hong Kong, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, South Korea, Netherlands, Nepal, New Zealand, Paraguay, Singapore, Spain, Switzerland, United Kingdom, India, Saudi-Arabia, Philippines, Australia, Canada, United States

Design Prizes that give points for the Highly-skilled Professional Visa

• ・iF Design Award (Gold Award)
• ・International Design Excellence Award (Gold Award)
• ・Red dot design award (Best of the best)
• ・Good Design Award (Grand and Gold Award)
• ・Asian Design Award (Grand Award (Grand Prize)
• ・Academy Annual Award (Gold Award)
• ・D&AD Award (Gold Award)
• ・Cannes Lions International Creative Festival (Design Grand Prix · Gold Award)

This is by no means a complete list, as the focus on Asian countries shows. We will keep updating this list as needed. If you know of other professional qualifications that are recognized in Japan, please share in the comments!