When hiring foreign nationals and bringing them to Japan from overseas, you need to prepare many documents, and a Certificate of Eligibility is one of them.
A Certificate of Eligibility is required to pass immigration screening in Japan, so be sure to include it on your pre-travel document checklist.

What Is a Certificate of Eligibility?

A Certificate of Eligibility is a document issued by the Immigration Services Agency of Japan certifying that a foreign national may engage in activities in Japan.
When employing foreign staff, accepting international students, or bringing family members to Japan, among other cases, issuance of a Certificate of Eligibility is required.

Why Do You Need a Certificate of Eligibility?
When a foreign national enters Japan, a certificate for the status of residence they will obtain after entry is required.

By preparing a Certificate of Eligibility in advance before entering Japan, foreign nationals can travel to Japan with the peace of mind that their reservation for the grant of a status of residence has been confirmed.

It is possible to enter Japan without holding a Certificate of Eligibility, but procedures become more complex, so advance preparation is recommended. It is helpful to think of a Certificate of Eligibility as something like a reservation ticket for obtaining a status of residence.

When Is a Certificate of Eligibility Required?

A Certificate of Eligibility is stipulated in the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act as a document required when a foreign national enters Japan. The following three items are required to be presented at the airport upon entry into Japan.

・Passport

・Visa

・Certificate of Eligibility

What Is the Difference Between a Certificate of Eligibility and a Visa?

A Certificate of Eligibility is a document issued by the Ministry of Justice / Immigration Services Agency of Japan.
A visa falls under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. A visa is required to certify the validity of a passport.
Before entering Japan, visa issuance procedures are completed at a Japanese embassy or consulate for the passport the foreign national holds.
The difference between a Certificate of Eligibility and a visa is that the issuing authorities differ, and for a foreign national to enter Japan, they must pass screening at both the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Validity Period of a Certificate of Eligibility

As with the validity period of official documents in Japan, the validity period of a Certificate of Eligibility is also three months.
However, as a COVID-19 measure, extensions of the validity period are currently permitted.
The details of updates may change depending on the COVID-19 infection situation, so please check regularly.

COVID-19 Special Measures: Extension of Certificate of Eligibility Validity Period

Due to the impact of COVID-19, as of July 2021, extensions of the validity period of Certificates of Eligibility are permitted.
This is a response measure for foreign nationals whose entry dates to Japan have been postponed due to COVID-19.
※ Certificates of Eligibility issued between January 1, 2020 and July 31, 2021 are valid until January 31, 2022
※ Certificates of Eligibility issued between August 1, 2021 and January 31, 2022 are valid for six months from the date of issuance.

How to Obtain a Certificate of Eligibility

From application to issuance of a Certificate of Eligibility generally takes about one to three months.

Because screening criteria differ by type of status of residence, the time required varies, so prepare early in line with the foreign national’s planned entry date.

http://www.moj.go.jp/isa/applications/procedures/16-1.html

↑ Immigration Services Agency of Japan: Application for Certificate of Eligibility

Required Documents for a Specified Skilled Worker Certificate of Eligibility

The required documents are as follows.

・Certificates of passing the Japanese language proficiency test and skills test (issued within the validity period)
・Application form for Certificate of Eligibility
・Photograph 4×3 cm
・Return envelope (with address filled in and postage affixed)

4. Also confirm the documents to submit for the 14 specified industrial fields
http://www.moj.go.jp/isa/applications/procedures/nyuukokukanri07_00196.html

↑ Immigration Services Agency of Japan: Documents required for residence applications under Specified Skilled Worker

Documents to Submit for a Technical Intern Training Certificate of Eligibility

The required documents are as follows.

・Application form for Certificate of Eligibility
・Photograph 4×3 cm
・Return envelope (with address filled in and postage affixed)
・Copy of the Notification of Accreditation of Technical Intern Training Plan related to the technical intern training plan and the application for accreditation
・Identification documents
・If additional documents are requested after screening, submit the additional documents

http://www.moj.go.jp/isa/applications/procedures/nyuukokukanri07_00145.html

↑ Immigration Services Agency of Japan: Documents required for residence applications under Technical Intern Training

Application Flow for a Certificate of Eligibility

Prepare the required documents
An agent in Japan prepares the documents required for the status of residence.
↓
Apply to the Immigration Services Agency of Japan
The application counter is the regional office with jurisdiction over the area where the foreign national will reside or where the accepting organization is located.
↓
A Certificate of Eligibility is issued.
The agent receives it.
↓
The agent sends the Certificate of Eligibility to the foreign national (overseas).
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Once the Certificate of Eligibility arrives with the foreign national, they apply for a visa at a Japanese embassy abroad.
↓
Visa is issued
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When the foreign national enters Japan, they present their passport, visa, and Certificate of Eligibility at the airport, and upon entry can obtain a residence card.
※ Residence cards are issued at Narita Airport, Haneda Airport, Chubu Airport, Kansai Airport, New Chitose Airport, Hiroshima Airport, and Fukuoka Airport.

Summary

As preparation before a foreign national enters Japan, issuance of a Certificate of Eligibility is required. Plan so that the passport, visa, and Certificate of Eligibility required for presentation upon entry are issued in time for the foreign national’s planned entry date.