Job Description Examples for Immigration Approval (By Role)
Examples are written to align with common immigration review patterns and official references published by the Immigration Services Agency (ISA). Last updated: June 2026.
- A recruiting job description is NOT the same as an immigration job description — vague wording is the #1 cause of extra scrutiny
- Every JD needs: primary duties, duty % breakdown, tools used, reporting line, and proof of professional-level work
- Immigration reviews activity-based — match what the employee actually does to their Status of Residence
- Keep JD wording consistent across the offer letter, employment contract, and application form
1. Why Job Descriptions Matter for Immigration
Immigration review in Japan is activity-based: officers examine whether the employee's actual work activities match the chosen Status of Residence category. A job description is one of the main documents that connects "what the company needs" to "what the status permits."
Employers often submit a JD that works fine for recruiting — but is too vague for immigration review (e.g., "support tasks," "various duties," "helping the team"). This triggers follow-up requests and delays.
ISA publishes the activity definitions for each status. For Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services (技人国), see: ISA: 技人国 status page.
2. Immigration-Ready JD Checklist
Every immigration-ready job description should include all 10 items below. Copy this into your HR SOP.
- Job title + department + work location
- Employment type (full-time, contract, etc.) and start date
- Primary duties — specific, measurable, professional-level (3–6 bullet points minimum)
- Duty breakdown by percentage (e.g., "70% development, 20% code review, 10% client meetings")
- Tools, technologies, or skills used in day-to-day work
- Reporting line / supervision structure
- Why the role requires a university degree or equivalent expertise (not simple/manual labor)
- Salary — must be equal to or greater than what a Japanese employee in the same role earns
- Language of work (especially for "International Services" roles)
- Consistency with the employment contract and offer letter wording
3. Good vs. Bad Wording Examples
"Help the team with IT tasks and other duties as needed."
"Design and implement API endpoints in TypeScript; write unit tests; deploy via CI/CD pipeline; monitor application logs; produce sprint deliverables."
"Sales support and various administrative tasks."
"Conduct market research and customer analysis (40%); prepare English-language proposals and presentations for overseas clients (40%); coordinate with internal teams on project timelines (20%)."
4. Job Description Examples by Role
Software Engineer / Backend Developer
Primary duties (70%): Design, develop, and maintain backend services using Python/Django and PostgreSQL. Implement REST APIs, write unit and integration tests, and participate in code reviews.
Deployment & monitoring (20%): Deploy services to AWS via CI/CD pipelines; monitor performance metrics and respond to incidents.
Collaboration (10%): Attend daily standups; produce sprint documentation; coordinate with frontend and QA teams.
Reporting to: Engineering Lead
Tools: Python, Django, PostgreSQL, AWS, GitHub Actions, Datadog
Why professional-level: Requires university-level knowledge of computer science or 3+ years of equivalent professional experience.
Marketing Specialist / Digital Marketer
Primary duties (60%): Plan and execute digital marketing campaigns across Google Ads, Meta, and LINE. Analyze campaign performance data and prepare monthly reports.
Content & localization (30%): Create English-language marketing materials; coordinate translation and localization for Southeast Asian markets.
Research (10%): Conduct competitor analysis and market research to inform campaign strategy.
Reporting to: Marketing Manager
Tools: Google Analytics, Google Ads, Meta Ads Manager, HubSpot
Why professional-level: Requires university-level knowledge of marketing, communications, or international business.
Interpreter / Translator
Interpretation (50%): Provide consecutive and simultaneous interpretation at client meetings, negotiations, and internal all-hands (EN ↔ JP).
Translation (40%): Translate contracts, technical documents, and marketing materials from Japanese to English and vice versa.
Coordination (10%): Liaise between Japanese and English-speaking teams; maintain glossaries and translation memory.
Reporting to: Global Operations Director
Why professional-level: Requires native or near-native proficiency in both languages and knowledge of business/legal terminology (3+ years experience).
Project Manager / Business Analyst
Project management (60%): Lead cross-functional projects from initiation to delivery; define scope, schedule, and risk mitigation plans; conduct stakeholder reporting.
Analysis (30%): Gather business requirements; perform gap analysis; document process flows and produce functional specifications.
Communication (10%): Serve as English-language point of contact for overseas clients and partners.
Reporting to: Head of Operations
Tools: Jira, Confluence, Slack, Excel (advanced)
Why professional-level: Requires university degree in business administration, engineering, or equivalent, plus 3+ years of project management experience.
HR Specialist (International Recruitment)
Recruitment (50%): Manage end-to-end hiring for overseas candidates; post roles on international platforms; conduct English-language interviews and assessments.
Onboarding & compliance (30%): Support work visa applications and documentation for new hires; coordinate with external administrative scriveners; maintain HR compliance records.
Employee relations (20%): Act as English-language HR contact for foreign employees; coordinate with payroll on international compensation.
Reporting to: HR Manager
Why professional-level: Requires university degree in HR, business, or social sciences, plus knowledge of Japanese immigration procedures.
5. Red Flags That Trigger Extra Scrutiny
| Red Flag | Why It's a Problem | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| "And other duties as assigned" | Signals undefined or non-professional work | List all expected duties explicitly; move flexible tasks to a separate note |
| Duty % doesn't add up to 100% | Creates inconsistency in review | Always verify percentages total 100% |
| JD differs from employment contract | Inconsistency is a major red flag | Align all documents before submitting |
| Job title doesn't match duties | "Senior Engineer" doing data entry raises questions | Ensure title accurately reflects professional scope |
| No tools or technologies listed | Makes it hard to assess professional level | Always include specific tools, languages, systems |
| Salary significantly below market | Must be equal to Japanese colleagues in same role | Check market rates; document salary rationale |
6. FAQ
Q. Can the same JD be used for both recruiting and immigration?
Rarely. Recruiting JDs are written to attract candidates and often use broad language. Immigration JDs need precision and measurability. Maintain two versions, or rewrite the recruiting JD before submitting to immigration.
Q. How detailed does the duty % breakdown need to be?
There is no official minimum, but breakdowns showing 3–5 duty categories with percentages (totaling 100%) are standard in practice and reduce the risk of follow-up requests.
Q. What if the employee's duties will change after joining?
Document the expected duties at the time of application accurately. If duties change significantly after joining, update the employment contract and be aware that the change will be reviewed at the next renewal.
Q. Does the JD need to be in Japanese?
There is no strict language requirement, but providing a Japanese translation alongside the English version is strongly recommended for non-Japanese-language applications, as it facilitates review.
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