N2 Required for Engineer/Humanities Visa? Key Points and Responses
In April 2026, it was reported that Japan’s Immigration Services Agency plans to revise screening guidelines for the Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services visa. Foreign nationals in jobs using Japanese are expected to newly need proof of Japanese at CEFR B2 (about JLPT N2). However, as of April 9, 2026, the full revised text has not been released, and scope and operation details are not final. This article summarizes current known information and expert views, and what companies can prepare now.
Contents
Conclusion Summary
What this article covers
What the new Engineer/Specialist visa guidance says and when the N2 requirement is likely to apply
Cases said to be exempt, such as status changes from student visas
Current views of practitioners, including labor and administrative law specialists
Specific impact on companies hiring Indian IT engineers
Practical steps for candidates without N2
Actions companies should prepare now
What are the new guidelines for the Engineer/Specialist in Humanities visa?
The Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services visa is the common name for this residence status. Many foreign IT engineers and professionals in Japan work under it.
According to reports, the Immigration Services Agency plans to revise screening guidelines for this visa around mid-April 2026. The key change is that for jobs using Japanese, applicants must submit proof of CEFR B2-level Japanese ability.
CEFR B2 and JLPT N2
CEFR is an international language proficiency standard set by the Council of Europe. B2 means being able to understand the main points of complex texts on abstract topics, including technical discussions in one’s field.
In the Japanese-Language Proficiency Test (JLPT), N2 is considered equivalent to CEFR B2. N2 indicates understanding Japanese used in everyday situations and, to some extent, in a wider range of contexts.
So if this revision is implemented as reported, applicants would effectively need to prove Japanese ability equivalent to JLPT N2 when applying for this visa. Since the visa previously had no Japanese-language requirement, this would be a major change.
Applicable / Non-applicable cases
Based on reports, the new guideline is unlikely to apply uniformly to all Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services visa applications. Correctly identifying the scope is the starting point for company decisions.
Cases Covered
According to reports, jobs that use Japanese are subject to the N2 requirement. Specifically, the following roles are likely included.
Positions handling customer support or project management in Japanese
Positions where Japanese is the in-house language and daily communication in Japanese is required
Positions that include preparing documents or reports in Japanese
Cases Not Covered
Reports indicate the following cases are excluded.
Change of status from international student: If an international student who graduated from a Japanese university or vocational school changes to this visa, the N2 requirement is expected to be exempt. Completing education in Japan is considered a certain level of proof of Japanese ability
Work that does not use Japanese: Positions in companies where the internal language is English and Japanese use is limited may be excluded. However, the exact boundary of "work that uses Japanese" must be confirmed after the full guideline is released
Gray Areas Companies Should Watch
In practice, some cases are hard to judge.
Development work is in English, but internal meetings are in Japanese
The environment is English at hiring, but later transition to Japanese work is expected
The judgment of "work that uses Japanese" may change depending on how duties are described
In these cases, wording in the "job description statement" for the status application becomes decisive. Since screening results can change based on how duties are written, prior review with an expert is important.
Practitioner view — Limited impact on IT engineers?
As the full guidelines are not yet public, how do immigration experts view this? We asked the administrative and labor/social security attorneys working with Phinx, and their shared views are as follows.
No information beyond media reports at this time. It is still a wait-and-see stage until the full text is released.
For the Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services visa, excessive concern may be unnecessary. Especially for IT engineers, N2 may not become a strict requirement.
In any case, concrete action should follow publication of the guidelines. There is no need to majorly change hiring processes now.
This view depends on how strictly "work using Japanese" is defined. If IT engineer duties are mainly in English, they may fall outside the scope, and experts generally see this interpretation as likely.
However, this is only a provisional view before the guidelines are published. Because judgments may change depending on the wording and operational notices, please do not treat this as final information.
Related articles
When hiring Indian IT engineers, the biggest debate is how to set Japanese-language requirements. In April 2026, the Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services visa review guidelines were revised, and some cases now require proof of CEFR B2 (about N2). However, legal requirements and the Japanese actually needed on site do not always match. This article examines the N2 standard against real workplace conditions.
Specific impact on hiring Indian talent
Based on the expert views above, below is a position-by-position summary of likely impacts at this point.
Cases with major impact
SE roles involving client communication in Japanese: N2 certification will likely be required, which may narrow the candidate pool.
Assignment to teams that assume internal communication in Japanese: In job descriptions, this is likely judged as "work using Japanese."
New hires from overseas (no study-abroad history in Japan): The international-student exclusion cannot be used, so the N2 requirement applies directly.
Cases with limited impact
Assignment to global teams where English is the internal language: This may not fall under "work using Japanese."
Hiring Indian international students who graduated from Japanese universities: Under the student exclusion rule, the N2 requirement does not apply.
Hiring under a Highly Skilled Professional visa: This guideline revision targets the Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services visa, so it does not directly apply to Highly Skilled Professional status.
Current state of N2 attainment among Indian IT engineers
Among Japanese learners in India, only a limited number reach N2 level. Programs in India to obtain N2 do exist, but they usually require 1.5-2 years or more of study.
Engineers from Tier 1 universities such as IIT often have strong technical skills, but many cannot devote enough time to Japanese study. If the N2 requirement were strictly applied to IT engineers as well, there is a risk that companies could no longer hire excellent candidates who have sufficient technical ability but no N2. Although many practitioners believe application to IT engineers will be limited, depending on the final wording of the guideline, this risk cannot be ruled out.
How to handle candidates without N2
How to handle candidates without N2: options companies should consider.
Use of CEFR B2 proof other than N2
The guideline requires proof of Japanese at CEFR B2 level, not only JLPT N2. The following tests may also be accepted as B2-equivalent proof.
J-TEST (Practical Japanese Proficiency Test): A-C level, 600+ points = B2 equivalent
NAT-TEST (Japanese NAT-TEST): Level 2 = N2 equivalent
BJT (Business Japanese Proficiency Test): 420+ points = B2 equivalent
JLPT N2 is held only twice a year (July/December), so chances are limited. Alternative tests may be offered more often and allow more flexible scheduling.
Review hiring schedule
With the N2 requirement, allow enough time from hiring to joining.
Check the candidate's JLPT schedule during selection: plan hiring by counting back from the next test date and result date
Support N2 acquisition between offer and visa application: include Japanese study support through agencies like Phinx
Use alternative tests to shorten the timeline: J-TEST and BJT are held multiple times a year, avoiding waits for JLPT
Respond through job design
Designing positions that do not fall under "Japanese-using work" is another option.
Set English as the internal official language and state this clearly in the job description
Design a career path that assumes Japanese study after joining, with initial placement in an English environment
Assign bridge talent or bilingual members to spread the Japanese communication load
However, simply stating "no Japanese used" is not enough. If actual work differs from the application, it may be grounds for residence status revocation, so job design must match reality.
Related articles
Success in hiring top talent from India hinges on obtaining a visa post-offer. We explain the practical aspects of the "Technology, Humanities, International Business" visa that HR personnel should understand, including unique degree conditions and essential documents.
Linked to intake suspension
This guideline revision includes another key change. Companies suspended from accepting workers under Technical Intern Training or Specified Skilled Worker programs will also be barred from accepting workers under Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services (E/S/H/IS) during the suspension.
Specific impacts
Applies to companies given a 5-year intake suspension for cases such as assault or unpaid wages in the Technical Intern Training program
Until the suspension ends, they cannot newly hire under the E/S/H/IS visa
Current E/S/H/IS residents are not directly affected, but new hiring stops completely
What companies should check
If your company or group company has accepted workers under these programs, check past disciplinary records
Whether penalties on subsidiaries or affiliates affect the parent company must be judged case by case based on guideline details
Even without past penalties, strengthening future compliance systems becomes indirectly important
3 things companies should prepare now
1. Review hiring requirements
For ongoing hiring cases, check the following:
Candidate’s Japanese level (N2 obtained or expected)
Whether the role includes work that uses Japanese
Whether the candidate is subject to the international-student exclusion rule
2. Recheck visa application schedule
If any candidate needs N2 proof, recheck this schedule:
Next JLPT test date and result date
Available dates for alternative tests (J-TEST, BJT, etc.)
Time from visa application to approval (usually 1–3 months)
3. Revise the job description statement
Check that the job description submitted for status-of-residence application accurately reflects actual duties.
If it states “work using Japanese,” N2 proof must be attached
If work is mainly in English, state this clearly and specifically
Request prior review by an expert (administrative scrivener or agency experienced in immigration procedures)
Related articles
When hiring new graduates from India, the process design for obtaining a engineer/specialist Visa is critical to success. It is important to understand that in addition to company size and category classification, the level of congestion at immigration also affects the examination period.
Summary
Screening guidelines for the Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services visa are expected to be revised in mid-April 2026. For jobs using Japanese, proof of CEFR B2 (about N2) is likely to be required.
However, the original guideline text has not been published. Practitioners say application to IT engineers may be limited.
Changes of status from international students are expected to be excluded. It will not apply uniformly to all E/H/I visa applications.
For hiring Indian IT engineers, the impact differs by the language environment of the position.
For candidates without N2, options include alternative tests, revising hiring schedules, and adjusting job design.
Also note linkage rules where suspension of acceptance under programs such as Technical Intern Training can affect E/H/I visas.
This article is based on information before official guideline release. Phinx plans a follow-up article based on confirmed details after formal publication.
For difficult cases—such as whether your company falls under the N2 requirement or how current candidates are affected—we recommend consulting experts experienced in residence status practice. Phinx works with administrative scriveners and labor and social security attorneys to support residence status procedures tailored to each company. Please feel free to contact us with any questions.
Sources
Policy to require proof of Japanese ability for the "Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services" status (reported in April 2026)
Japanese-Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) official site https://www.jlpt.jp/
CEFR and JLPT level correspondence https://www.jlpt.jp/about/levelsummary.html
Note: This article is based on news reports and practitioner interviews as of April 9, 2026. We plan to update it after official publication of the guidelines.
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