Change of Status of Residence

Apply at the Oita Branch of the Fukuoka Immigration Bureau. If the address on your Residence Card is not in Oita, then please apply at the Immigration Bureau that has jurisdiction over the address stated on your card.

List of jurisdictions (offices):

Please refer to Ministry of Justice website.

■ Application for permission to change residence status

Application for permission to change status of residence | Immigration Services Agency

■ Application for Certificate of Eligibility

Application for Certificate of Eligibility | Immigration Services Agency

Make sure you apply for your new visa before your current student visa expires. When you apply at the immigration bureau, your current residence card will be stamped to show that you are currently in the application process for a new visa. So, you will be covered in the case that your current visa expires while the new one is being processed.

Yes, as long as you return while your current residence card is valid.

However, you will need to inform the Immigration Bureau of the period you will be outside of Japan and your contact information. Your current residence card will be needed when picking up the new residence card, so do not return your residence card when leaving Japan. Keep your card with you when returning home and bring it back with you when you reenter Japan.

When you go to the Immigration Bureau to get your new status of residence, make sure you bring both your old and your new passports with you. If you are from a country where the old passport is not returned to you after the renewal application, make sure you get a letter certifying that fact and bring it to the Immigration Bureau with a copy of your old passport to receive your new visa.

Make sure you inform the Immigration Bureau where you applied for a change of status about your address if you decide to move out during or after application. It is important for immigration to have an address for you where you can receive mail, as they will send a postcard when your new visa is ready, which you will need to pick up that visa.

Processing times vary widely based on where you apply for the visa. Locations such as Oita will take less time compared to high-volume centers such as Tokyo or Osaka. So please inquire with the location where you plan to apply.

Although students apply to immigration on their own for this visa, one of the required documents is a recommendation letter from the university. To receive this letter, students will need to submit a separate application to the university. This application has a strict deadline, so please be sure to confirm the application timeline on the Career Support website.

As a general rule, students need a recommendation letter from the university to apply. However, you are still free to inquire with immigration regarding your options. If immigration asks for supporting documents, you may show them the application guidelines listed on the Career Support website.

As a rule, students must apply for the recommendation letter during the designated application period. Applications outside of the application period are generally not accepted.

We do not tell students reasons for why they failed the screening for the recommendation letter.

The student visa is for studying in Japan. Once students graduate, then they have completed the purpose of their student visa. So, they need to change to another status of residence as soon as possible.

The stance of the Student Office is that graduates have 1 month after graduation to either change to another visa status or prepare to leave Japan. This is because staying in Japan on a student visa while you are no longer a student puts graduates in a legal gray area. So, if they get into trouble or similar and it is revealed that the student is staying in Japan without engaging in the status of their visa, this could result in trouble for them that the university cannot help with because they have already graduated.

Please check the following website for the University policy:

There is no designated amount that we are looking for. The most important thing is being able to show regular income, not just showing a high number. In fact, having a high number could have the opposite effect and seem suspicious. If you have a considerably low amount, be prepared to explain to the office (and potentially immigration) how you are planning to support yourself should you receive the job-hunting visa.

Yes, when applying for the “designated activities” visa, students can also apply for a work permit to allow part-time work up to 28 hours per week. When applying for the visa, please also explain to the immigration office that you want to apply for the work permit as well. Please be aware that it will be difficult to apply for the permit once the Bureau has started processing your visa application.

We recommend that you discuss with your hiring company about your work duties/ responsibilities and the change of status of residence early on if you have received a job offer from a company that is new to hiring foreigners.

Most Immigration Bureaus will accept applications from up to three months prior to the date you are scheduled to join the company. Students who start work in October (i.e. those who will graduate in September) can submit their application from July.

Students can apply for a type of designated activities visa allowing them to stay in Japan after graduation while waiting for their job to start. Please see the Ministry of Justice homepage for application requirements. The application will require support from the company, so please discuss it with them as well.

• Note: there are multiple types of “designated activities” visas, so please be sure to specify the type you are applying for.

[Attention]

If you plan to return to your country, go on trips, or change your home address before your start date, please make sure that you inform your company and are reachable at all times. Do inform your employer if you ever be unreachable and let them know how and when they can contact you again. Every year, some students who are given job offers from companies suddenly abandon correspondences with their employers, and the Student Office receive many inquiries from such companies about these “missing students”. Please be careful as the company may decide to rescind your job offer.