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How to become an Immigration Enforcement Officer

Investigates foreign nationals suspected of breaking the law, such as people who entered illegally, overstayed or are working illegally or doing other activities outside the purpose of their visa, and handles the process of deporting them.

Workers in this job say university, vocational college (senmon gakko), or high school is common. From job tag's survey of people in each job, who could give several answers. It shows what workers see as common, not how many workers hold each level.

How to become one

Immigration enforcement officers are national public servants in the Immigration Services Agency, an external agency of the Ministry of Justice, and must pass the immigration enforcement officer recruitment exam. The exam includes a written test, a personal assessment, body measurements and a fitness test. Those who pass are hired by regional immigration services bureaus or immigration centres around the country. Various training is provided after hiring. After working for a short time at a regional immigration office, new officers take the initial training course at a training facility. This live-in course lasts about three months and covers the basic legal knowledge needed for the job, foreign languages, and arrest technique and pistol handling. Intermediate training, for staff with four or more years of service, gives lectures and practical work to build more advanced legal knowledge and practical skill. There is also language training, such as long-term training (about three months) studying English, Chinese or other languages on a specialist course at a language school, and local training where officers attend a language school after work. Immigration enforcement officers have seven ranks, and with effort you can be promoted to higher ranks. You often deal with foreign nationals, so as well as broad legal knowledge you need high personal standards, a strong international outlook and excellent language skills. You also need a strong sense of justice, firm will and the ability to act quickly to protect the nation's security and people's lives.

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How do I become an Immigration Enforcement Officer?

Immigration enforcement officers are national public servants in the Immigration Services Agency, an external agency of the Ministry of Justice, and must pass the immigration enforcement officer recruitment exam. The exam includes a written test, a personal assessment, body measurements and a fitness test. Those who pass are hired by regional immigration services bureaus or immigration centres around the country. Various training is provided after hiring. After working for a short time at a regional immigration office, new officers take the initial training course at a training facility. This live-in course lasts about three months and covers the basic legal knowledge needed for the job, foreign languages, and arrest technique and pistol handling. Intermediate training, for staff with four or more years of service, gives lectures and practical work to build more advanced legal knowledge and practical skill. There is also language training, such as long-term training (about three months) studying English, Chinese or other languages on a specialist course at a language school, and local training where officers attend a language school after work. Immigration enforcement officers have seven ranks, and with effort you can be promoted to higher ranks. You often deal with foreign nationals, so as well as broad legal knowledge you need high personal standards, a strong international outlook and excellent language skills. You also need a strong sense of justice, firm will and the ability to act quickly to protect the nation's security and people's lives.

Do you need a degree to become an Immigration Enforcement Officer?

Usually not. In this job's census occupation group, only 23% of workers are university graduates.

Will AI change the work of an Immigration Enforcement Officer?

Generative AI can do relatively little of this work, by the ILO's global estimate.

Sources

独立行政法人労働政策研究・研修機構（JILPT）作成 職業情報データベース 解説系ダウンロードデータ（IPD_DL_description_7_01.xlsx）ver.7.01 職業情報提供サイト（job tag）より2026年10月4日にダウンロード（https://shigoto.mhlw.go.jp/User/download）を加工して作成

独立行政法人労働政策研究・研修機構（JILPT）作成 職業情報データベース 簡易版数値系ダウンロードデータ（IPD_DL_numeric_7_00.xlsx）ver.7.00 職業情報提供サイト（job tag）より2026年10月4日にダウンロード（https://shigoto.mhlw.go.jp/User/download）を加工して作成

Sources: JILPT Occupational Information Database download data via job tag (解説系 ver.7.01 and 簡易版数値系 ver.7.00, downloaded 4 October 2026), processed by Peernovo; MHLW, Basic Survey on Wage Structure 2025; Statistics Bureau of Japan, 2020 Population Census; MEXT, School Basic Survey 2025; MHLW, Employment Referrals for General Workers (Hello Work statistics). Figures processed by Peernovo. English job names, translations and the matching of jobs to statistical groups, schools and degree fields by Peernovo.

Updated 4 October 2026