It seems most people consider the “ultimate” (best) visa to be permanent residency (eijuken). However we rarely see HSP2 mentioned for some reason. HSP2 is also a form of permanent residency, at least to the extent it does not have any expiry date. It also has the added benefits of HSP (like being able to sponsor parents, a domestic helper, etc.). From what I read online, HSP2 is considered the same as PR by banks for the purposes of home loans (a big reason to get PR for many people). The main downside to HSP2 is that it seems to still be tied to your employer like HSP1.
Does anybody here have HSP2 or has considered it in the past? Any insights or opinions as to which is better / reasons to avoid HSP2?
Separate question, although on paper it does not seem possible, I’ve heard of people who were previously in HSP1 and changed to PR being able to continue to employ and sponsor a domestic helper (even though this is an HSP benefit, not normally accorded to PR holders) so if anybody has info about that, please share.
by Tokyo-Entrepreneur