Japan to require B1 level for permanent residency — The Japan Times
In Japan, from April 2027, applicants for permanent residency will have to demonstrate Japanese-language proficiency of at least B1 under the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). The updated requirements were published by Japan’s Immigration Services Agency, The Japan Times reports.
Level B1 roughly corresponds to N3 on the Japanese-Language Proficiency Test (JLPT). The CEFR scale has six levels, from A1 for beginners to C2, which means language proficiency close to that of a native speaker.
Demand for language certificates has increased
Since April, the B2 requirement, which roughly corresponds to N2 on the JLPT, has already applied to the Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services status if Japanese or another language is necessary for the job. This applies, in particular, to translators and employees who interact with clients. A B2 level has also been introduced for Business Manager status, and it may be confirmed either by the applicant or by a full-time employee of their company.
Demand for the JLPT has risen amid the new rules. In 2025, around 1.9 million people worldwide applied for the test, a record figure. The organizers said that due to the rapid increase in the number of applicants, registration for the December session had to be closed early at some test centers in Japan and abroad. The JLPT is usually held twice a year, in July and December. In some overseas cities, the test is available only once a year, while in certain countries it is not held.
More current news is available on the UA.News Telegram channel Telegram.
What alternatives to the JLPT are available
Japan’s system for assessing language skills is based on the CEFR and does not explicitly require a JLPT certificate in all of the new rules. The Agency for Cultural Affairs previously studied how different tests correspond to CEFR levels. They include JPT, NAT-TEST, J.TEST, STBJ, J-CAT, TOPJ, J-cert, PJC, JLCT, S-JEP, JLCAT, JFT-Basic, OPIc, ONiT and ACTFL assessments.
However, a test’s correspondence to the CEFR scale does not mean that its result will automatically be accepted by immigration authorities. The Immigration Services Agency has not yet published a comprehensive list of certificates and passing scores it will accept for each residence status.
At the same time, the authorities explicitly recognize the Business Japanese Proficiency Test (BJT): a score of 400 points or more may serve as proof of B2 level for Business Manager and Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services statuses. The official JLPT website also recommended the BJT as an alternative for applicants for several residence statuses. The BJT tests reading and listening in workplace situations and is administered on an individual schedule.
