How many Highly Skilled Professional points does Japanese give?
JLPT N1 or BJT 480 gives 15 Highly Skilled Professional points, N2 or BJT 400 gives 10, and a Japanese degree changes the sum. ISA's table explained.
Short answer
Highly Skilled Professional points for Japanese come from the points table of the Immigration Services Agency of Japan (ISA): 15 points for JLPT N1 or a BJT score of 480 or more, and 10 points for JLPT N2 or BJT 400 or more. The 10-point item does not count if you already get the 15-point item or the 10 points for a degree from a Japanese university; the table has no such limit between the degree and the 15-point item, so, on our reading of the table, those two add up to 25.
The three Japanese-related bonus items
Japanese can give up to 15 points on its own and, on our reading of the table, up to 25 together with a Japanese degree. The points come from three bonus items (ボーナス, bōnasu) in ISA's points table for the Highly Skilled Professional status (高度専門職, kōdo senmonshoku). The table is the same in ISA's Japanese and English PDFs; we read the value of item 9 from the Japanese table, because the text layer of the English PDF does not show it cleanly. The tests the table names are the Japanese-Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) and the BJT Business Japanese Proficiency Test, run by the Japan Kanji Aptitude Testing Foundation (Kanken).
Bonus items for Japanese
| Item | What ISA counts | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Bonus 7 | A degree from a Japanese university or other institution of higher education | 10 |
| Bonus 8 | JLPT N1, or an equivalent test result such as BJT 480 or more; or graduation from a university outside Japan with a major in Japanese | 15 |
| Bonus 9 | JLPT N2, or an equivalent test result such as BJT 400 or more; not given if you get bonus 7 or bonus 8 | 10 |
How the items add up
Only bonus 9 has a limit. It is not given to anyone who already gets bonus 7 or bonus 8. The table sets no limit between bonus 7 and bonus 8. Read that way, the cases look like this:
- JLPT N1 or BJT 480 or more: 15 points.
- JLPT N2 or BJT 400 to 479: 10 points.
- Both N1 and N2: 15 points. Bonus 9 drops once you get bonus 8.
- A Japanese degree and N2 or BJT 400: 10 points. Bonus 9 drops once you get bonus 7, so the test adds nothing.
- A Japanese degree and N1 or BJT 480: 25 points on our reading, 10 for the degree and 15 for the test. ISA does not state this case in words.
So if you already hold BJT 400 and no Japanese degree, a score of 480 or more adds 5 points. If you hold a Japanese degree, only the N1 level, or BJT 480, adds points.
Where BJT fits
ISA's table names BJT as an example, not as the only option. Its English note to bonus 8 reads: "Including applicants with equivalent proficiency which was certified through testing (for example, a score of 480 or more in the Business Japanese Language Proficiency (BJT) Test)." ISA's separate list of Japanese ability for the points names only two tests, JLPT and the BJT Business Japanese Proficiency Test, and it does not name any other. The table uses the score, not the BJT level, so 400 counts even though it sits in level J3. What each level means is in what your BJT score means, and why 400 sits next to N2 in Is a BJT score of 400 the same as JLPT N2?
Why the points matter later
The points also open a shorter route to permanent residence. ISA's permanent residence guideline lets a person with 70 points or more apply after 3 years, and a person with 80 points or more after 1 year, instead of the usual 10 years in Japan. People on those routes, and their families, are also not considered under the new B1 Japanese factor for permanent residence applications filed from 1 April 2027.
What to do
- Count what you already have. A Japanese degree gives 10 points; on our reading of the table, only N1 level then adds to it.
- Choose the test that fits your date. How BJT and JLPT compare on dates and results is in BJT or JLPT for your visa.
- Use the official points table for the other items and the total. The required score is 70.
This article is general information, not legal advice. The points tables show no edition date; we checked them on 11 November 2026. The reading that bonus 7 and bonus 8 add up is ours, from the wording of the table. Check the Immigration Services Agency pages below or ask an immigration specialist (gyōseishoshi).
Questions people ask
How many Highly Skilled Professional points is JLPT N1 worth?
15 points, as bonus item 8 of ISA's points table. The same item covers an equivalent test result, with BJT 480 or more as ISA's example, and graduation from a university outside Japan with a Japanese major.
Does BJT count for Highly Skilled Professional points?
Yes. ISA's points table names a BJT score of 480 or more as an example of N1-level Japanese (15 points) and 400 or more as an example of N2-level Japanese (10 points). ISA's list of Japanese ability for the points names only JLPT and BJT.
Can I get points for both JLPT N2 and a Japanese degree?
No. The 10-point item for N2-level Japanese is not given to anyone who already gets bonus item 7, the 10 points for a degree from a Japanese university or other higher-education institution.
How many points do I need for the Highly Skilled Professional visa?
The required score in ISA's points table is 70. Japanese is only one part of it; the bonus items add to points for items such as academic background, work experience and annual salary.
What are the 80 points for permanent residency in Japan?
Under ISA's permanent residence guideline, a person with 80 points or more who has kept them for 1 year can apply on a shortened route, instead of the usual 10 years in Japan. With 70 points or more, the shortened route needs 3 years.
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