(1) Permission for multiple purposes of activities

Normally, foreign nationals are not allowed to conduct activities beyond the scope permitted under their status of residence. However, highly-skilled professionals may engage in multiple activities covering multiple statuses of residence.

(2) Grant of the “five years” period of stay

Normally, the period of stay is decided by the status of residence and is determined in accordance with each person's status of residence and the contents of the activities. However, the maximum period of stay permissible under the Immigration Act is granted to highly-skilled foreign professionals regardless of the period they actually intend to stay.

(3) Easing of the requirements for permanent residence in line with the number of years of residence history in Japan

In order to obtain permission for permanent residence, foreign nationals need to have stayed in Japan for at least 10 years, in principle. However those who have continuously conducted activities as highly-skilled professionals for five years are eligible to apply for permission for permanent residence.

(4) Preferential processing of immigration and residence procedures

For highly-skilled professionals, pre-entry examination procedures and status of residence examination procedures will be preferentially processed within 10 business days and within 5 business days, respectively, after the application has been received by immigration authorities.

(5) Work permission for the spouse of the highly-skilled foreign professional

When foreign nationals staying in Japan with the status of residence of “Spouse” intend to engage in activities falling under such categories as “Instructor”, “Engineer” and “Specialist in Humanities/ International Services”, they usually need to satisfy certain requirements, such as academic background and professional career, and further obtain the relevant status of residence. However, the spouse of highly-skilled professionals may be allowed to engage in these activities with their status of residence as the spouse of a highly-skilled professional, without satisfying the requirements of academic background and/or professional career.

(6) Permission for the parent(s) to accompany the highly-skilled foreign professional to Japan under certain conditions

In principle, foreign nationals who stay in Japan for employment are not allowed to bring their parents into the country as foreign residents. However, parents of highly-skilled professionals or their spouses are allowed to enter and stay in Japan for the purpose of assisting highly-skilled professionals such as looking after the children of the highly-skilled professionals or their spouses aged three or younger $ (^{*}1) $ .

(7) Permission for domestic workers to accompany the highly-skilled foreign professional to Japan under certain conditions

Normally, only some of the foreign nationals who stay in Japan with the status of residence “Investor/Business Manager” or “Legal/Accounting Services” are allowed to bring domestic workers. However, under the highly-skilled professionals system, they will be allowed to bring domestic workers whom they had hired in their home countries or to newly hire domestic workers from outside Japan on condition that they have children aged 13 or younger ( $ ^{*2} $ )