The Dependent status: who can sponsor family
The Dependent status (kazoku taizai) covers the daily activities of a spouse or child who is supported by a foreign resident holding one of the following statuses. This is the ISA's own list:
| Group | Statuses whose holders can bring a spouse and children as Dependents |
|---|---|
| Professional and work statuses | Professor, Artist, Religious Activities, Journalist, Highly Skilled Professional, Business Manager, Legal/Accounting Services, Medical Services, Researcher, Instructor, Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services, Intra-company Transferee, Nursing Care, Entertainer, Skilled Labor, Specified Skilled Worker (ii) |
| Non-work statuses | Cultural Activities, Student |
Statuses that are not on the list include Specified Skilled Worker (i) and Technical Intern Training. A worker on SSW (i) cannot bring a spouse or children on the Dependent status; Specified Skilled Worker (ii) is on the list, so a worker who moves from (i) to (ii) can bring a spouse and children if the requirements are met.
Two more points from the definition:
- Only a spouse or child is covered. Parents and siblings are not part of the Dependent status
- The family member must be supported by the status holder. The period of stay is set individually, up to 5 years
What the immigration office asks for
For a family member coming from abroad (Certificate of Eligibility application), the ISA's document list includes:
- A document proving the family relationship: family register, marriage certificate or birth certificate
- A copy of the supporting person's residence card or passport
- Proof of the supporting person's job and income: a certificate of employment or business licence, and the resident tax certificate and tax payment certificate showing annual income and tax payment
- If the supporting person is a student or otherwise has no salary: a bank balance certificate or scholarship certificate showing they can cover the family's living costs
Documents issued in Japan must be dated within 3 months, and documents in other languages need a Japanese translation. The ISA warns that an incomplete application can be delayed considerably or refused.
Can a dependent spouse work?
Dependents do not have a work status. To earn money they need permission to engage in activity other than that permitted. A comprehensive permission covers work of up to 28 hours a week; work outside that frame needs an individual permission. The same rules apply in principle to family members of some Designated Activities holders.
This matters for family budgets and later for permanent residence: under the guideline revised on 1 October 2026, income earned on the Dependent status is not added to household income when the main applicant's income is assessed, because it is only exceptional, limited income.
Family routes outside the Dependent status
| Your situation | Family member's status | Work |
|---|---|---|
| You are a Japanese national | Spouse or Child of Japanese National (5 years, 3 years, 1 year or 6 months) | No work restriction |
| You are a permanent resident | Spouse or Child of Permanent Resident (for children, those born in Japan and living here since) | No work restriction |
| You are a Permanent Resident, Long-Term Resident or holder of a spouse status | Long-Term Resident, for a minor, unmarried biological child you support (and some adopted children under 6) | No work restriction |
| You graduated from a Japanese university and work on Designated Activities (No. 46) | Designated Activities, as your spouse or child | Permission needed |
Details for couples are in moving to Japan with a Japanese spouse, and for long-term residents in Permanent Resident or Long-Term Resident: choosing work.
A family that works together
When both partners hold statuses with no work restriction, they can choose work they do as a pair. The recruitment on this site is one such option: two people run one business hotel under a management contract, as manager and deputy manager, and live in a 1LDK apartment inside the hotel with rent and utilities at ¥0. The first-year fee is ¥11.5 million or more for the pair combined (excluding tax). Living there with one child of primary school age or older can be discussed. Japanese around JLPT N2 is the guideline.
Permanent residents, spouses of Japanese nationals or permanent residents and long-term residents can take part without a status change. Visa support: for applicants who meet the requirements of the Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services status, including people living outside Japan, the hiring company supports the visa application (the selection is online, with only the final interview in person). Both members of the pair are checked individually. Our recruitment service does not file visa applications, and only the immigration authorities decide, so no visa is guaranteed.