I’m in the process of applying for my certificate of eligibility and visa and have the choice between the HSP visa and the more standard Engineer Specialist/Humanities visa.
Many people on other threads have pointed out the HSP visa’s main downside is the fact that you have to re-apply if you switch companies/lose your job. Is this actually that bad? It seems like the biggest problem would be finding another job, but wouldn’t you need to do that anyway within 90 days on the Engineer Specialist/Humanities visa?
Personally my main interest in the visa is “Allowing multiple activities during residence” and “Relaxation of residency history requirements for permission for permanent residence”, as well as the expedited visa handling (though I have heard mixed reports about whether that is actually helpful). The other perks are not applicable in my case.
Any HSP visa holders who can share their experiences?
2 comments
> “Relaxation of residency history requirements for permission for permanent residence”
Just so you know, you don’t need to have a HSP status to apply for PR early. You only need to prove you have the points to qualify. ~~So, this shouldn’t be a consideration in your choice.~~
Edit: however, HSP status does guarantee a 5-year period of stay, whereas if you get stuck on a 1-year on a standard work visa, that would disqualify you for PR.
I recently went through this process and received an HSP COE with an over 80 pts qualification, valid for 5 yrs.
Based on that and the fact that I’d qualified for these points over 10 years ago (during my last stint in Japan) the company lawyer said I’d be eligible to apply for PR 6 months after moving, with expectation to obtain it 6-10 months after application.
I’d say this is a huge plus. We initially considered a spousal visa instead because it didn’t tie into a company, but were informed that even with that it would take a couple years to apply for the PR – so I’m not convinced you can apply “even if you have a non HSP visa and points” at least not right away. But maybe we missed something there.