Student Visa

What is a Student Visa? Application process, required documents, key points for Student visas, etc.

For customers who

☑ Want my child to receive Japanese education
☑ Want to study by attending a university, vocational school, or Japanese language school in Japan for a long period.
☑ Want to receive a scholarship or have advantageous conditions for entering university by applying to a university etc. as an international student.

Student Visa

A Student visa is a status of residence that allows foreigners to study abroad at schools such as universities and vocational schools in Japan. Study abroad destinations are basically elementary schools to graduate schools, such as elementary schools, junior high schools, high schools, Japanese language schools, vocational schools, junior colleges, and universities The Japanese language schools (schools notified by the Ministry of Justice) and vocational schools are also included.

However, you need to be careful that some international schools for elementary, junior high, and high schools and Japanese language schools may not allow you to obtain a Student visa, and even if you can obtain a Student visa, there are cases in which the school does not allow you to enroll on a Student visa due to the school’s screening criteria.

• Required conditions for a Student Visa at a Japanese language school/private university special course for international students

・Persons with an educational background equivalent to a Japanese high school graduate (12 years or more).

・People who have mastered the basics of Japanese (Japanese proficiency equivalent to or above N5 of the Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT)).

・Persons who have the financial ability to cover the cost of studying abroad (it is necessary to prove the financial ability of the person studying abroad or his or her parents).

 

Those who have completed 10 or 11 years of primary or secondary education in India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Malaysia, Mongolia, etc. must meet one of the following conditions: If you are unsure whether you are eligible for admission, please contact the school of your choice.
– Complete the 12th year of formal school education by enrolling in a pre-university preparatory course or university school in your home country for one or two years.
・Complete a preparatory education course designated by the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (limited to those who have completed a course equivalent to a Japanese high school) However, for those who have completed a primary or secondary education curriculum that is less than 12 years long, if they have completed a curriculum that is 11 years or more in the country designated by the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, they are also considered eligible for admission despite of being deemed to have not completed the preparatory education curriculum.

 

There are two types of vocational schools in Japan: “schools that are approved by public institutions” and “schools that are not approved”. You can obtain the title of Specialist or Advanced Specialist if you graduate from a school approved by a public institution. If you are thinking of finding a job in Japan after graduating from a vocational school, you will need the title of Specialist or Advanced Specialist, so it is wiser to choose a school that is approved by a public institution.

• Requirements for a Student visa at a vocational school

・Persons who have the financial ability to cover the cost of studying abroad (it is necessary to prove the financial ability of the person studying abroad or his or her parents).

・Persons who meet any of the following educational requirements.

　A: A person who has completed a 12-year course of school education in a foreign country.

　B: A person who has passed the academic ability certification test equivalent to completing a 12-year course in a foreign country and has turned 18 years old.

　C: A person who has completed a foreign school designated as equivalent to a foreign high school in Japan.

・A person who has completed a course designated by the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology for 11 years or more in a foreign country.

・Persons holding the International Baccalaureate, German Abitur, and French Baccalaureate qualifications for the GCE (General Certificate of Education) -Regarding A level exam, have met the grades individually determined by the school

・A person who has completed a 12-year course at a foreign school established in Japan that is accredited by an international evaluation organization (WASC, CIS, ACSI).

・A person who has passed the high school graduation level certification examination and has reached the age of 18.

・A person who has been recognized by the school to have academic ability equivalent to or higher than that of a high school graduate through an individual entrance qualification screening, and is over 18 years old.

・A person who meets any of the admission qualifications other than the above stipulated in the School Education Act.

※ For A, B, and C courses that take less than 12 years, you will also be required to complete a designated preparatory education course or course at a training facility.

 

Even if you graduate from a vocational school in a field such as “groomer” or “animal nursing (veterinary nurse)”, you cannot directly work in the field.
In Japan, there are no visas available that allow you to get a job like this based on your educational background alone. However, it is possible to work in a management position such as a supervisor or manager.

Regarding “makeup artists” and “manicurists”, it was previously not allowed to work in these fields even if you graduated from a vocational school. However, to promote the export of Japanese beauty products and respond to inbound demand, now the foreign students who have graduated from Japanese beautician training facilities and obtained beautician licenses can work as a hairdresser only in certain regions by obtaining a “Specified Activities” visa and meeting certain requirements.

 

Some vocational schools have courses that are rated as “low specialization” by immigration authorities. For example, professional qualifications such as international business studies and Japanese studies tend to be unapproved by the immigration authorities due to the lack of connection with the work content and the application for work visa tends to be rejected.
Especially courses of more than half of the credits are Japanese or business etiquette classes are particularly difficult to be approved.

• Requirements for a Student visa at a vocational school

・Persons who have the financial ability to cover the cost of studying abroad (it is necessary to prove the financial ability of the person studying abroad or his or her parents).

・Persons who meet any of the following educational requirements.

　A: A person who has completed a 12-year course of school education in a foreign country.

　B: A person who has passed the academic ability certification test equivalent to completing a 12-year course in a foreign country and has turned 18 years old.

　C: A person who has completed a foreign school designated as equivalent to a foreign high school in Japan.

・A person who has completed a course designated by the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology for 11 years or more in a foreign country.

・Persons holding the International Baccalaureate, German Abitur, and French Baccalaureate qualifications for the GCE (General Certificate of Education) -Regarding A level exam, have met the grades individually determined by the school

・A person who has completed a 12-year course at a foreign school established in Japan that is accredited by an international evaluation organization (WASC, CIS, ACSI).

・A person who has passed the high school graduation level certification examination and has reached the age of 18.

・A person who has been recognized by the school to have academic ability equivalent to or higher than that of a high school graduate through an individual entrance qualification screening, and is over 18 years old.

・A person who meets any of the admission qualifications other than the above stipulated in the School Education Act.

※ For A, B, and C courses that take less than 12 years, you will also be required to complete a designated preparatory education course or course at a training facility.

Applying for a Student visa

We will provide an easy-to-understand explanation of the application process, required documents, standard examination period, etc. when applying for a Student visa.
Regarding Japanese language schools, since the Immigration Services Agency has set a date for applications from all schools at once, it is common for schools to apply for status of residence at that time.

Application flow

Now, let’s take a look at the specific application process for actually applying for “Certification”, “Change”, and “Extension” of a Student visa.

For more information on the Immigration Bureau (Immigration Bureau) and the Immigration Agency (Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Agency), please click here(currently in preparation) for a detailed explanation.

Required documents for “Certification” procedure

We will guide you through the basic required documents for obtaining a Student visa (Application for permission for extension of period of residence). The required documents listed below are basic, and additional documents may be required depending on the applicant’s circumstances.

Obtaining the appropriate documents tailored to the applicant’s situation usually requires specialized knowledge and experience. It is more reassuring to seek advice from professionals rather than invest significant effort and time only to receive undesired results. (Please feel free to make use of our office’s ” Free consultation ” service.)

*1 Documents in ④ according to the type of school you are enrolling in, and within these types, they also differ depending on whether the school is excellent enrollment management, an appropriate school, or other schools besides mentioned. For more information, please contact our office (from here).

You can also download documents such as the “Application for Certificate of Eligibility ” (PDF・Excel)from the Immigration Services Agency of Japan’s website. Please check for further details.

• Procedures at the local Japanese embassy/consulate general

After receiving the issued Certificate of Eligibility (COE), you need to apply for a visa at the nearest Japanese embassy or consulate. The documents required to apply for a visa at an embassy or consulate are listed below.
However, other countries may require specific documents or may require an interview.

・Visa application form (ID photo attached)

・Passport

・Certificate of Eligibility (COE)

・Other required documents

Please make sure to check the details of the documents required for application on the website of the nearest Japanese embassy or consulate before applying.

• Participation in National Health Insurance and National Pension

People who stay in Japan for more than 3 months are required to enroll in Japanese health insurance. Additionally, those who stay in Japan for more than three months and are over 20 years of age will also be enrolled in the Japanese National Pension. Since many international students fall under both of these categories, we will provide a guidance regarding these characteristics and precautions.

Required documents for “Extension” procedure

We will guide you through the basic required documents for renewing your Student visa (application for extension of period of stay). The required documents listed below are basic, and additional documents may be required depending on the applicant’s circumstances.

Obtaining the appropriate documents tailored to the applicant’s situation usually requires specialized knowledge and experience. It is more reassuring to seek advice from professionals rather than invest significant effort and time only to receive undesired results. (Please feel free to make use of our office’s ” Free consultation ” service.)

*1 Contents vary depending on the type of school, etc.
*2 Documents in ⑥ according to the type of school you are enrolling in, and within these types, they also differ depending on whether the school is excellent enrollment management, an appropriate school, or other schools besides mentioned. For more information, please contact our office (from here).

You can also download documents such as the “Application for extension of period of stay” (PDF・Excel)from the Immigration Services Agency of Japan’s website. Please check for further details.

• Cases where Student visa Extension is likely to be refused

We will introduce cases where an application for Extension of a Student visa is likely to be rejected. It is necessary to be very careful to prevent this from happening.

These two cases that are likely to be rejected often occur in conjunction with each other. A Student visa is a status of residence that allows you to “study and learn at a Japanese school.” Therefore, students must be very careful in their school life to avoid a negative spiral, such as “stop going to school” → “increase part-time jobs hours” → “Being tired from working part-time and don’t go to school even more”.

If you work part-time jobs too much , the immigration authorities will definitely know about it. Even if you think it’s okay as long as you don’t get caught, you’ll eventually be caught violating the rules, so be sure to follow the rules.
In the unlikely event that you end up overworked due to a mistake in calculating working hours, etc., please consider consulting with a specialist and submitting a written reflection.

Required documents for “Change” procedure

We will guide you through the basic required documents for changing to a Student visa (application for change of residence status). The required documents listed below are basic, and additional documents may be required depending on the applicant’s circumstances.

Obtaining the appropriate documents tailored to the applicant’s situation usually requires specialized knowledge and experience. It is more reassuring to seek advice from professionals rather than invest significant effort and time only to receive undesired results. (Please feel free to make use of our office’s ” Free consultation ” service.)

Required documents for “Change” procedure

*1 Documents in ④ according to the type of school you are enrolling in, and within these types, they also differ depending on whether the school is excellent enrollment management, an appropriate school, or other schools besides mentioned. For more information, please contact our office (from here).

You can also download documents such as the “Application for permission to change status of residence ” (PDF・Excel)from the Immigration Services Agency of Japan’s website. Please check for further details.

Average processing period

The Average processing period for a Student visa is approximately two months. This is just a standard, and the examination period will vary depending on the applicant’s application details and circumstances, as well as the congestion status of the application reception at the Immigration Bureau/Immigration Bureau.

When Japanese language schools, etc. apply all at once, the issuance date is set for each semester application (January, April, July, October admission), the examination ends on that day, and the results will be notified to the school.

Key points of a Student visa

We will explain in an easy-to-understand way the important points regarding Student visas, such as things to be careful of and frequently asked questions.

Points to note when working part-time with a Student visa

When working part-time on a Student visa, it is necessary to obtain a “permission to engage in activities other than that permitted under the status of residence previously granted (comprehensive)” at the local immigration bureau. This procedure can be completed together with a landing permit at the airport of entry at New Chitose Airport, Narita Airport, Haneda Airport, Chubu Airport, Kansai Airport, Hiroshima Airport, and Fukuoka Airport.

Part-time work may be performed within the limit of “up to a total of 28 hours in seven consecutive days. For example, even if you have two or three part-time jobs, the total hours you can work part-time is limited to 28 hours in seven consecutive days by one person, not by each of those part-time jobs.
During periods such as spring, summer, and winter, which are designated by schools as long vacations, you can work part-time for up to 40 hours in 7 consecutive days, with a standard of 8 hours a day.

 

Seven consecutive days” does not mean “one week (Sunday through Saturday) in a 52-week year. Seven consecutive days” means “seven days no matter which day of the week you count. For example, if you count from Tuesday, it is 7 days until Monday of the following week, and if you count from Friday, it is 7 days until Thursday of the following week, and so on.

 

In this table above, the “seven consecutive days” are always counted from Sunday to Saturday for a total of 28 hours of part-time work. However, this is not correct. The first week from Sunday to Saturday (7 days in blue) is 28 hours, but the second week from Thursday to Wednesday (7 days in green) is 35 hours in 7 consecutive days, which is a violation. The total hours worked in the “seven consecutive days” must not exceed 28 hours in total, no matter which day of the week is counted.

Many international students have lost their visas and have to leave Japan due to the violation of the 28-hour rule for seven consecutive days. If you are an international student and want to work part-time, please pay particular attention to the time regulations.

In addition, please be aware that any activities of earning continuous advertising income that the working hours cannot be calculated, such as YouTubers, are not allowed.

When international students engage in activities other than that permitted under the status of residence permitted for more than 28 hours per week, such as when engaging in an internship for the purpose of work experience, they may need to obtain individual permission for activities other than those permitted under the qualifications permitted under the status of residence previously granted.

In addition, if the student drop out of school or graduate and take a break from studies, it will be a violation of activities other than that permitted if you work part-time even if the expiration date of your permission to engage in activities other than that permitted under the status of residence or the period of stay for studying abroad remains.
Permission to engage in activities other than that permitted under the status of residence granted is only granted to those residing in the country with the student residence status while they are enrolled in an educational institution, so they cannot work part-time while they are not enrolled as an international student. .

Visa that allows job hunting after graduation

Even if you want to find a job in Japan, you may not be able to find a job by the time you graduate from school. If you cannot find a job, there is a visa that allows you to continue job hunting in Japan even after graduation (commonly known as a job hunting visa), so you can change your status of residence and start job hunting.

• Who is eligible for this visa?

A: People who have graduated from graduate schools, universities, junior colleges, technical colleges, etc. and have been job hunting even before graduation.
B: A person who has graduated from a vocational school with the title of specialist and is specialized in the range of occupations of Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services visa and have been job-hunting since before graduation.

• How to change to this visa

First, ask the school you are graduating from to issue a letter of recommendation regarding your continued job hunting. Please note that each school has its own rules regarding this document, so be sure to check with the school in advance.
Next, submit the following documents to the Immigration Bureau and undergo a visa change examination.

❶ Application for Change of Status of Residence　1copy
❷ Photo 1 leaf(4cm x 3cm)
❸ Passport and Residence Card (Presentation)
❹ Documents proving the applicant’s ability to pay all expenses during his/her stay (bank account balance certificate, etc.) as appropriate
❺ Documents for university students, graduate students, junior college students, and technical college students
　 ・One copy of your Diploma, graduation certificate, or certificate of expected graduation from the university you were enrolled in until recently.
　 ・1 letter of recommendation regarding continued job hunting issued by the school
　 ・Documents that demonstrate that you are continuously engaged in job hunting, as appropriate.
❻ Documents for vocational school students
　 ・One certificate showing that you have the title of specialist issued by the vocational school you were enrolled in until recently.
　 ・One copy each of a Diploma or graduation certificate from the vocational school you were enrolled in until recently, and a transcript.
　 ・1 letter of recommendation for continued job hunting from the vocational school where you were enrolled until recently
　 ・Documents that clarify that you are continuing job hunting, as appropriate
　 ・1 document clarifying the details of the content acquired in the specialized course

• Points to note when changing to this visa

Even if you change from a Student visa to a specified activity visa (commonly known as a job-hunting visa), you can still work part-time just like when you are an international student. However, please note that you will need to obtain permission to engage in activities other than that permitted under the status of residence previously granted to work part-time after changing to this visa.

• How to change to a Specified Activities visa for those who have a job offer

First, with the cooperation of the person in charge of the company you have been offered, you will need to prepare the documents that the company will submit to you. Next, submit the following documents to the Immigration Bureau along with below documents to undergo a visa change examination.

❶ Application for Change of Status of Residence 1 copy
❷ Photo 1 leaf(4cm x 3cm)
❸ Passport and residence card (Presentation)
❹ Documents proving the applicant’s ability to pay all expenses during his/her stay (bank account balance certificate, etc.) as appropriate
❺ Documents required for Application for Change of Status of Residence to one related to employment, which will change depending on the activities to be carried out after employment at the company that has been offered a job offer.
❻ One document that can confirm the fact that the company has offered you employment and the date of the offer.
❼ One copy of a written oath stating compliance with communication obligations, etc.
❽ Materials that can confirm the content of training etc. to be conducted prior to employment (only if there are relevant activities) as appropriate

There might be more troubles and worries about Student visas than when getting certified, such as when renewing or changing your visa. Be sure to carefully check the Immigration Bureau’s website and consult with experts before proceeding to avoid any flaws in your application or your application being rejected based on your own judgment. The first consultation with our office is free, so please feel free to contact us (to make a reservation of “free consultation” here).

Frequently asked questions about Student visas

Student visa support and costs

The support and fees for Student visas are as follows.

Generally, if the school has a Student visa for you, there are many cases where you can apply on your behalf.
However, in cases where the school is unable to apply, or where there is a possibility that the Extension of the residence status may be refused due to poor academic status, the school may apply for the student residence status individually using special specialized knowledge and know-how. You will need to decide whether it is possible.
When applying for an individual visa, you need to decide and manage what materials are required and what materials are not needed, as well as schedules such as what materials must be prepared by when. There are many tasks, such as managing preparations, that are difficult without specialized knowledge and experience. Even if you put a lot of effort and time into something difficult like this, there are many times when you don’t get the results you want due to a lack of effort.

At our office, we support these types of visa applications in a kind, courteous, and speedy manner while carefully listening to the applicant’s situation, providing support with the peace of mind and satisfaction that only professionals can provide.

In order to better resolve applicants’ problems, as necessary, our legal group provides one-stop legal services in collaboration with administrative scriveners, lawyers, judicial scriveners, and other professionals.
We also have foreign staff who can speak English, Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, and Nepali.

Please feel free to contact our office for a consultation.
For consultations, please use the “Free Consultation” service, where you can consult with a specialist free of charge (for the first time only) from here.

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