Japan faces a severe shortage of IT engineers — the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) estimates a shortfall of 789,000 engineers by 2030. This is a golden opportunity for Vietnamese software engineers.
Visa routes for IT engineers
1. Engineer / Specialist in Humanities / International Services visa (技術・人文知識・国際業務)
This is the most common visa for IT engineers. The requirements are:
- A university degree (or a two-year college qualification) in IT, engineering or computer science
- An employment contract with a Japanese company
- Japanese at N2 level or good English (if the company works in English)
- A salary meeting the statutory minimum (around ¥200,000/month)
2. Highly Skilled Professional visa (高度専門職)
For senior engineers with a high HSP score (70/100 or above). The advantages are:
- Renewable in five-year increments
- A faster route to permanent residence (永住) — three to five years rather than ten
- Your spouse may work without industry restrictions
3. Digital Nomad visa (new in 2024)
Since March 2024, Japan has issued a visa for people working remotely for foreign companies. It lasts six months, does not permit work for Japanese companies, and requires a minimum income of USD 68,000 a year.
What employers actually require
Based on a survey of Japanese companies currently recruiting Vietnamese engineers:
The most sought-after skills in 2024
- Java, JavaScript/TypeScript, Python — extremely high demand
- React, Vue.js, Angular — frontend frameworks
- AWS, GCP, Azure — cloud engineering
- Docker, Kubernetes — DevOps and infrastructure
- iOS/Android (Swift, Kotlin) — mobile development
Japanese-language requirements
- Global or offshore companies in Japan: no Japanese required (work is in English)
- Small and medium-sized Japanese companies (SMEs): N2–N3 is typically required
- Large Japanese corporations (NTT, Fujitsu, SoftBank): N2 or better
IT engineer salaries in Japan, 2024
According to data from Doda and JobJapan:
- Junior (0–2 years): ¥250,000 – ¥350,000/month (42–60 million VND)
- Mid-level (3–5 years): ¥350,000 – ¥500,000/month (60–85 million VND)
- Senior (5+ years): ¥500,000 – ¥800,000/month (85–136 million VND)
- Tech lead / architect: ¥700,000 – ¥1,200,000/month (120–200 million VND)
Year-end bonuses are typically two to four months' salary. Many companies also offer stock options.
A realistic roadmap for Vietnamese engineers
- Year 1: Upgrade your skills where needed, study Japanese to N3–N2, and build a portfolio and GitHub profile
- Year 2: Apply through job platforms (Wantedly, LinkedIn, GaijinPot) or via a headhunter
- Year 3 onwards: Build Japanese work experience, sit N1, and aim for the HSP visa and permanent residence
What Nexora sees in practice: Many Vietnamese engineers with three or more years of React/Node.js experience can apply directly to Japanese companies at a starting salary of ¥350,000 – ¥400,000 a month — with no Japanese required if their English is good. Contact Nexora to be introduced to a shortlist of suitable Japanese employers.