MMoving to Japan

Is this feasible? Planning to study language then work in Japan

  • October 6, 2025

Hi. First time visiting this sub and i'm thinking about this plan and need advice whether it is feasible or not. The goal is to get permanent residency in japan

To start, i'm currently 32 yr old male with 10 YOE in IT/SW development and no japanese language skill. I know it is important, which is why I want to start from language school. Assuming that you need ¥1.7m (per 2023 data) a year to finance your study, then it's not a problem for me

  • Spend a month or 2 learning japanese from N5 so i can reach the 150 hours required for language visa

  • Apply to language school in Japan, get CoE, then apply for student visa (should be 2 years, right?)

  • Spend 1.5-2 years (is it that long?) studying the language intensively until I pass N2 or N1, then start applying for job (skipping uni since i have a master degree already). Maybe work part-time to gain experience in Japan

  • Get a job and upgrade student visa to work visa. I will probably only get max 3 years of visa

  • Keep working and renewing the visa till I reach min years required (10 or possibly 5 or lower with my qualification hopefully) for perma residency, then apply for it

  • In total, i would probably be 40+ years old by the time i'm eligible for it

Any advice is welcomed. Thx

by plsdontlewdlolis

6 comments

  2. I would start learning Japanese right now. At least have some basic grasp of the language so you can take advantage of all the time you’re in Japan. Would also save you a lot of time and money, if you realise you don’t enjoy I.

  3. From what I have gathered, if you are able to land a high paying job (80k+ USD/year), you should be able to just qualify for an HSP visa if you pass the N2. If you have a college degree too, it will be easier. And if you do all that before 35, you will definitely qualify for the HSP visa.

    If you get the HSP visa, you can apply for the permanent residency in 1-3 years. It would definitely be an accelerated timeline. If you do it after 35, you get fewer points for the HSP visa.

    Look up the HSP visa point calculator. 70 points should let you apply for the PR after 3 years, and 80 points lets you apply after one year. The younger you are the better, and the higher salary job you are able to land the better as well.

  4. The language question you should probably ask in „learning Japanese“ but seems unlikely judging from what I’ve heard from friends who are at that level.

    For N2 most people would already need 2-3 years in language school, and then you’re still far away from n1. I’m sure it has been done but for most people not possible.

    How many other languages do you speak? It’s very helpful if you have already learned languages in the past to have strategies in place and to know what works for you.

    Regarding the work visa, you only mention experience. Do you have a university degree? It’s more difficult to get a job with just experience, more paperwork for the company and more likely to get rejected by immigration.

  6. What if we step back a couple of steps – is there a reason you’re wanting make such an abrupt change to your life? If you’re making a relatively comfortable salary, you’ll get quite a pay cut coming to Japan. It’s a nice, quiet, and fairly safe place to live, but of course moving to Japan won’t solve any problems if you’re trying to run way from any. On the contrary, moving to Japan often leaves people feeling isolated because of the language and culture, and trying to learn the language that quickly can leave you feeling burnt out.

    I always suggest people save up a bit, come to Tokyo for a two month sabbatical in a share house, and see what “living in Japan” actually feels like. I think it’s worth testing that out before you mentally commit to this 10+ year plan.

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