Student visa in Japan: work limits and changing to a job

Students need permission to work part-time, up to 28 hours a week. Graduates who qualify can job-hunt for up to 1 year or change to a work status.

Reviewed on 2026-10-26

What does Student status cover?

Student status (留学) covers education at a Japanese university, technical college, high school, junior high or elementary school, specialized training college, miscellaneous school or an equivalent institution. The period of stay is set individually, up to 4 years and 3 months.

Enrollment at a Japanese-language institution is normally limited to a maximum of 2 years. Applicants to these institutions need Japanese of at least A1, confirmed by an exam or an interview.

For certificates of eligibility for students entering from 2026-10, and for change-of-status or renewal applications filed from 2026-07-01, a record of 150 or more hours of Japanese study no longer proves A1; an exam certificate or an interview is mandatory.

How many hours can a student work?

Students need permission for activity outside the status before they take paid work. With the comprehensive permission a student may work up to 28 hours a week, and up to 8 hours a day during the school’s long vacations.

The 28 hours are tested over any 7-day span, not a Monday-to-Sunday week. A student who works as a freelancer or on a contract whose hours cannot be objectively verified needs an individual permit.

Work at adult-entertainment establishments cannot be permitted. The permission is valid only while the student is enrolled, so part-time work is not allowed after graduating if the student is not enrolled anywhere. From 2026-10-01 students, unlike dependants, are excluded from the new permission for pachinko venues.

What happens if the limits are broken?

Working without permission is punishable by up to 1 year of imprisonment, a fine of up to 2,000,000 yen, or both. Clearly engaging mainly in unpermitted income-earning activity falls under a heavier provision, with up to 3 years of imprisonment, a fine of up to 3,000,000 yen, or both.

Residence status can be revoked if the holder does not carry out the status activity for 3 months or more in a row, unless there is a justifiable reason. The agency gives examples such as a closed school with admission procedures under way, or a long hospital stay with a plan to return.

Students who drop out or are expelled and keep staying without a justifiable reason are treated as a negative factor at renewal or change of status. As of 2025-06, a Japanese-language institution must report a student whose monthly attendance is below 50% to the immigration bureau by the end of the following month.

Money, extension and fees

A Student applicant must have sufficient assets, scholarships or other means to cover living costs, unless another person is paying them. Covering all tuition and living costs through part-time work is not allowed. In the JASSO FY2023 survey of privately financed international students, average monthly expenditure was 170,000 yen.

A renewal can be filed from 3 months before the stay expires, for stays of 6 months or more. If it is filed before expiry and not decided by then, the previous status can be kept until the decision or until 2 months after expiry, whichever is earlier.

From 2026-10-01 the change-of-status and extension fee depends on the length of stay granted: at the counter 33,000 yen for 1 year and 48,000 yen for over 1 up to under 3 years. Applications received before 2026-10-01 pay the old flat 6,000 yen.

After graduating: job hunting and changing to a work status

A graduate of a university, a specialized-college advanced course or a vocational college (with a professional title) who keeps job-hunting, has a clean stay record and a recommendation from the school may switch to Designated Activities for 6 months and renew once, for up to 1 year after graduation.

Students who want to start work in April are asked to file their change-of-status applications between 12-01 and 01-31 (month-day). Since 2025-12-01, a student graduating from a Japanese university who changes to Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services or Researcher can omit some documents.

A graduate with a job offer can switch to Designated Activities if employment will start within 1 year of the offer and within 1 year and 6 months after graduation, among other conditions. A graduate of a Japanese university who has a place in a graduate school can switch to Designated Activities to wait, if entering within 1 year of graduating.

Applying: who files and how long it takes

For a student of a Japanese-language institution, the certificate-of-eligibility application is normally filed by the institution on the student’s behalf. It cannot be sent by post but can be filed online, it costs nothing, and the certificate is valid for 3 months from issue.

Standard processing is 1 to 3 months for a certificate, 1 to 2 months for a change of status and 2 weeks to 1 month for an extension.

Official source

Rulebook entries on this topic

What it is

The Student status (留学) covers receiving education at a Japanese university, technical college, high school, junior high or elementary school, specialized training college, miscellaneous school, or an equivalent institution.
在留資格「留学」 · Checked on 2026-10-22
The agency points applicants to the JASSO survey of privately financed international students for typical living costs in Japan.
申請に当たっての留意事項（在留資格「留学」） · Checked on 2026-10-22
A person may be permitted to run a business or take paid work outside the activities of their status only to the extent that it does not hinder those status activities, and the agency head may attach necessary conditions to the permission.
出入国管理及び難民認定法第十九条第二項 · Checked on 2026-10-22
The Dependent status covers the daily activities of a spouse or child supported by a person holding a listed work status, Cultural Activities, or Student status.
在留資格「家族滞在」 · Checked on 2026-10-22
Freelance or self-employed work can fall under the comprehensive permit only when the working hours can be objectively verified, for example a delivery order taken as an individual contractor and paid by results.
「留学」の在留資格に係る資格外活動許可について 1(注) · Checked on 2026-10-22
The agency says the length of stay is decided by factors that differ by status but generally rest on whether notification duties were met, whether taxes and public charges were paid, and the size of the sponsoring institution.
出入国審査・在留審査Q&A Q18 · Checked on 2026-10-22
For a five-year period the agency also looks at school attendance of children of compulsory-education age and at the main earner's tax compliance for residence-type statuses, and where five years is not given it decides three years, one year or similar from the planned stay and the person's record.
出入国審査・在留審査Q&A Q18 · Checked on 2026-10-22
A person granted a stay of three months or less falls outside the group of mid- to long-term residents, the group that carries the residence-card and notification duties.
在留資格の変更、在留期間の更新許可のガイドライン 8 中長期在留者の範囲 · Checked on 2026-10-22

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The sponsor statement form asks for the tuition amount (monthly, half-yearly or yearly), the monthly living-cost amount and the way of payment, and the sponsor promises to supply remittance proof or bankbook copies at renewal.
経費支弁書（参考様式） · Checked on 2026-10-22
Certification review is carried out separately for the study-abroad, work and daily-life courses, and only an institution certified for the study-abroad course can take in students on the Student status.
留学のための課程を置く認定日本語教育機関の認定等について認定制度に関する留意事項 · Checked on 2026-10-22
A "problem enrollee" for the properly-managing-school rate is someone who overstayed, had a renewal refused for poor study record, had status revoked, had out-of-status permission revoked, or was served a deportation order during the previous year.
教育機関の選定について第1 2(1)ア · Checked on 2026-10-22

Who qualifies

A Student applicant must have sufficient assets, scholarships or other means to cover living costs during the stay, unless another person is paying those costs.
出入国管理及び難民認定法第七条第一項第二号の基準を定める省令法別表第一の四の表の留学の項の下欄第二号 · Checked on 2026-10-22
The school the applicant will attend must have a system for properly managing foreign students' attendance, compliance with the work restrictions of Article 19(1), and study progress.
出入国管理及び難民認定法第七条第一項第二号の基準を定める省令法別表第一の四の表の留学の項の下欄第二号の二 · Checked on 2026-10-22
A research or auditing student who studies only by attending lectures must attend at least 10 hours per week at the institution.
出入国管理及び難民認定法第七条第一項第二号の基準を定める省令留学の項第三号 · Checked on 2026-10-22
An applicant who will study at a high school must be 20 years old or younger and have had at least one year of Japanese-language education or education in Japanese, except under certain exchange programs.
出入国管理及び難民認定法第七条第一項第二号の基準を定める省令留学の項第四号 · Checked on 2026-10-22
To enter a vocational (senshu) or miscellaneous school for non-Japanese-language study, the applicant must show one of: one year in a notified or certified Japanese-language institution course, a Japanese test result, or one year at a school under Article 1 of the School Education Act; schools set up mainly to teach foreign nationals in a foreign language are exempt from this.
出入国管理及び難民認定法第七条第一項第二号の基準を定める省令留学の項第五号 · Checked on 2026-10-22
Studying exclusively Japanese language is allowed only at a Japanese-language institution that is notified by the Ministry of Justice or certified under the Japanese-language education institution certification act.
出入国管理及び難民認定法第七条第一項第二号の基準を定める省令留学の項第六号 · Checked on 2026-10-22
Applicants to Japanese-language institutions must have Japanese ability of at least CEFR-based A1 level in the Japanese Language Reference Framework, confirmed by an exam or an interview.
日本語教育機関への入学をお考えのみなさまへ · Checked on 2026-10-22
Applicants from nationalities listed in the table who submit a foreign higher-education graduation certificate do not need to prove Japanese ability for Japanese-language institutions.
日本語教育機関に入学する者に係る運用の一部見直しについて · Checked on 2026-10-22 · In force from 2026-07-01

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A university pathway can be exempted from the Japanese-ability requirement only if all listed conditions are met, including that the university or a national body fully provides tuition and fees (generally non-repayable) from the Japanese-language division through completion, the sending university recommends the student, a written agreement exists, and most first-year degree classes are taught in a foreign language.
日本語教育機関への入学をお考えのみなさまへ · Checked on 2026-10-22
A loan scholarship may not be terminated just because the student quits a part-time job designated by the lender.
貸与型奨学金により学費等の経費を支弁しようとする留学生及び当該留学生の受入れを予定している教育機関のみなさまへ · Checked on 2026-10-22
Holders of Student or Dependent status may not run a business or receive remuneration for activities outside their status unless they obtain permission to engage in activity other than that permitted by the status.
出入国管理及び難民認定法第十九条第一項第二号 · Checked on 2026-10-22
For a Dependent to get an individual work permit for activity outside the comprehensive permit, the period of the activity must not run beyond the majority of the authorized period of stay.
「家族滞在」の在留資格に係る資格外活動許可について · Checked on 2026-10-23
Activity at establishments operating as adult-entertainment or similar businesses cannot be permitted under the part-time work permission.
資格外活動許可申請入管法第19条第2項 · Checked on 2026-10-22
A student who works as a freelancer or on a contract whose working hours cannot be objectively verified needs an individual work permit rather than the comprehensive permit.
「留学」の在留資格に係る資格外活動許可について · Checked on 2026-10-23
For a job-hunting internship beyond 28 hours a week, the individual permit is expected for university students (not junior colleges) who finish their studies at the end of that year with 90% or more of the credits needed to graduate, or graduate students finishing that year.
「留学」の在留資格に係る資格外活動許可について · Checked on 2026-10-23
A student's comprehensive work permission is valid only while enrolled at an educational institution, so part-time work is not allowed after graduating if the student is not enrolled anywhere.
出入国審査・在留審査Q&A · Checked on 2026-10-22
The job-hunting Designated Activities status is for graduates who want to continue a job search begun before graduation: graduates of a Japanese university (junior college, graduate school and technical college included; special-course, auditing, credit-course and research students excluded), plus certain specialized-college graduates and overseas-university graduates from Japanese-language institutions.
在留資格「特定活動」本邦の大学等を卒業した留学生が就職活動を行う場合 · Checked on 2026-10-22
Graduates of overseas universities who studied at a Japanese-language institution can job-hunt under Designated Activities if their attendance there was roughly 90% or higher, among other conditions.
大学等を卒業後就職活動のための滞在をご希望のみなさまへ · Checked on 2026-10-23
During job hunting, comprehensive permission lets the person work up to 28 hours per week, and permission above 28 hours is possible for job-hunting internships.
大学等を卒業後就職活動のための滞在をご希望のみなさまへ · Checked on 2026-10-22
For a person job-hunting in Designated Activities, the permit for activity outside the status is possible if the school's recommendation mentions it and the stay record is clean; otherwise it is judged individually.
出入国審査・在留審査Q&A · Checked on 2026-10-22
A person in Designated Activities as a job-offer holder may work up to 28 hours per week with comprehensive permission, and above 28 hours for internships at the future employer.
大学又は専門学校の在学中又は卒業後に就職先が内定し採用までの滞在をご希望のみなさまへ · Checked on 2026-10-22
A Student who graduates from a Japanese university and has a place in a graduate school starting after the Student stay ends can switch to Designated Activities to wait, if entering the graduate school within one year of graduating.
大学を卒業後大学院へ進学する留学生等の在留資格について · Checked on 2026-10-22
A former Student in job-hunting Designated Activities can switch to the graduate-school waiting status if entering graduate school within one year and three months after graduating.
大学を卒業後大学院へ進学する留学生等の在留資格について · Checked on 2026-10-22
The Designated Activities category for Japanese-university graduates generally requires JLPT N1 or a BJT Business Japanese score of 480 or more; graduates who majored in Japanese are treated as meeting this.
留学生の就職支援に係る「特定活動」(本邦大学等卒業者)についてのガイドライン · Checked on 2026-10-23
Under the Designated Activities category for Japanese-university graduates, general service or manufacturing work is allowed if the legal conditions are met, whereas it is generally not accepted under the Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services status; licence-reserved work and adult-entertainment work are excluded.
留学生の就職支援に係る「特定活動」(本邦大学等卒業者)についてのガイドライン · Checked on 2026-10-23
Under the university-graduate Designated Activities route the person must be a full-time employee of the designated organization and receive pay equal to or higher than that of Japanese employees doing the same work.
留学生の就職支援に係る「特定活動」(本邦大学等卒業者)についてのガイドライン · Checked on 2026-10-22
A Student can sponsor a Dependent only when the student's study is at the university-level types of institutions (university, technical college, specialized college course) or night graduate courses, not Japanese-language-only or lower-school study.
出入国管理及び難民認定法第七条第一項第二号の基準を定める省令家族滞在の項の下欄 · Checked on 2026-10-22
A Dependent who finished compulsory education in Japan and graduates from a Japanese high school can change to Long-Term Resident if they entered under 18, kept Dependent status continuously, meet public duties such as residence reporting, and have a job or job offer (required when they will work beyond the 28-hour weekly limit of the work permission).
「家族滞在」の在留資格をもって在留し、高等学校卒業後に日本での就労を希望する方へ · Checked on 2026-10-22
On the Designated Activities route for former Dependents, a person who transferred into a Japanese high school must also show Japanese ability at about the JLPT N2 level in addition to graduating.
「家族滞在」の在留資格をもって在留し、高等学校卒業後に日本での就労を希望する方へ · Checked on 2026-10-22
Work at premises running adult-entertainment businesses, including by out-of-status permission, is barred even within the 28 hours, and the bar also covers work for mail-order or video-transmission sex businesses and similar telephone businesses.
資格外活動許可について 1(4)イ · Checked on 2026-10-22
Students, and Designated Activities holders who are dependants of a foreign worker, are excluded from the new pachinko-venue permission.
遊技場営業店舗における資格外活動許可について 1 注 · Checked on 2026-10-22 · In force from 2026-10-01
A pachinko-venue permit requires that the venue holds an adult-entertainment business licence of the type that covers gaming halls, and that the employer signs a pledge, including to encourage workers to get the My Number-integrated residence card and to check combined out-of-status hours.
遊技場営業店舗における資格外活動許可について 2(3)(4) · Checked on 2026-10-22 · In force from 2026-10-01
Work under a service-outsourcing or contract-for-work agreement needs an individual permit when the standard working hours are not clear in the contract; if they are clear, the comprehensive permit is enough.
「留学」の在留資格に係る資格外活動許可について 3(2) · Checked on 2026-10-22
Setting up a new company, hiring employees or opening an office goes beyond small-scale self-employment and requires a change of status to Business Manager.
「留学」の在留資格に係る資格外活動許可について 3(1)(注) · Checked on 2026-10-22
A Student working under a contract with their own university or technical college as a teaching or research assistant needs no out-of-status permission, though the rule is limited to university and fourth-year-or-higher technical college students.
資格外活動の許可（入管法第19条）注 · Checked on 2026-10-22 · In force from 2010-07-01
Someone who already holds one type of out-of-status permission can obtain the other type only if the agency judges that the additional work does not hinder their main activity.
資格外活動許可について 2 · Checked on 2026-10-22
The Student part-time permission applies only while the student is enrolled at the school, so a student who has left school has no right to keep working under it.
就労資格の在留諸申請に関連してお問い合わせの多い事項について（Q&A）令和8年7月 (Q1)(4)③ · Checked on 2026-10-22
Applicants from the table nationalities who submit a graduation certificate from a foreign higher-education institution are exempt from the language-proof requirement for Japanese-language institutions and from the school confirmation forms.
日本語教育機関に入学する者に係る運用の一部見直しについて第1 4イ · Checked on 2026-10-22 · In force from 2026-07-01
The B2 requirement for entrants from FY2027 covers universities, graduate schools, junior colleges and technical colleges when classes or research guidance are in Japanese, but not students who study only Japanese.
高等教育機関等へ入学するための日本語能力について大学等へ入学する場合 · Checked on 2026-10-22 · In force from 2027-04-01
Even when the regulation does not require a test, a vocational or miscellaneous school applicant who clearly lacks B2-level Japanese for the chosen course can be judged unable to carry out the study activity at review.
高等教育機関等へ入学するための日本語能力について専修学校等へ入学する場合 · Checked on 2026-10-22
At review, a Student who stayed on after being struck off the roll or dropping out without justifiable reason is rated negatively for not carrying out the status activity.
在留資格の変更、在留期間の更新許可のガイドライン 3 · Checked on 2026-10-22
Large or long-running unpaid taxes and unpaid public charges such as national health insurance premiums count against a renewal or change when the case is judged malicious; tuition arrears are not named in the guideline.
在留資格の変更、在留期間の更新許可のガイドライン 7 · Checked on 2026-10-22
Employment conditions, including for part-time work, must comply with labour laws, though a labour-law violation by the employer is normally not blamed on the foreign worker.
在留資格の変更、在留期間の更新許可のガイドライン 6 · Checked on 2026-10-22
The landing standard for Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services requires, for technical or humanities work, a degree in a major related to the job or equivalent education (a related vocational-college course or ten years of experience are alternatives), and pay equal to or above that of Japanese staff doing the same work.
出入国管理及び難民認定法第7条第1項第2号の基準を定める省令法別表第一の二の表技術・人文知識・国際業務の項 · Checked on 2026-10-22
A graduate of a vocational college course with the professional title (senmon-shi) meets the education requirement if the job matches the status and relates to the major, and a graduate of an overseas university also meets it.
出入国審査・在留審査Q&A Q42 · Checked on 2026-10-22
Once a student graduates, the Student status no longer fits and cannot be extended, so a graduate who stays on needs a different status such as job-hunting or job-offer Designated Activities.
出入国審査・在留審査Q&A Q43 · Checked on 2026-10-22
The start-up route requires that the person began start-up activity while still enrolled, and that the university recommends and supports it, receives progress reports, and takes responsibility for sending the person home if the venture fails, all confirmed by the university's written pledge.
本邦の大学等を卒業した留学生による起業活動に係る措置について 2(1) · Checked on 2026-10-22
While still a Student, preparatory activity aimed at starting a business in Japan can be approved under an individual out-of-status permit.
「留学」の在留資格に係る資格外活動許可について 2(2)イ · Checked on 2026-10-22
The university-graduate Designated Activities route is open to graduates of Japanese universities and graduate schools, junior college or technical college graduates with a degree conferred through the degree-awarding body, and advanced-diploma holders from certified vocational college courses, but not to overseas graduates or other vocational graduates.
留学生の就職支援に係る「特定活動」（本邦大学等卒業者）についてのガイドライン冒頭・2(1) · Checked on 2026-10-22
On the university-graduate Designated Activities route the job must be full-time with the designated employer; short-hours part-time work and posting to a client as a dispatched worker are not covered.
留学生の就職支援に係る「特定活動」（本邦大学等卒業者）についてのガイドライン 6(3)(4) · Checked on 2026-10-22
The spouse and children of a person on the university-graduate Designated Activities route can stay under a Designated Activities status for dependants of such graduates, which allows daily-life activities.
留学生の就職支援に係る「特定活動」（本邦大学等卒業者）についてのガイドライン 8(2) · Checked on 2026-10-22
Vocational college graduates qualify for the job-hunting status only if they earned the senmon-shi title (course) or finished an advanced course, and what they learned must relate to work in a status such as Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services.
在留資格「特定活動」（本邦の大学等を卒業した留学生が就職活動を行う場合）対象 · Checked on 2026-10-22
Special-course, auditing, credit-course and research students at universities are excluded from the job-hunting Designated Activities status.
在留資格「特定活動」（本邦の大学等を卒業した留学生が就職活動を行う場合）対象 1 · Checked on 2026-10-22
For overseas-university graduates leaving a Japanese-language institution, the conditions include a degree of bachelor level or above, good attendance of roughly 90 percent or more, ability to pay, job hunting begun while enrolled, regular meetings with the school and a recommendation letter.
大学等を卒業後就職活動のための滞在をご希望のみなさまへ 3 留学生の要件 · Checked on 2026-10-22
The Japanese-language institution must be certified with a Student course (notified institutions count until 31 March 2029), have managed enrollment properly for the last three years (a problem-enrollment rate above 5 percent is in principle treated as improper), hold a job-placement licence or notification or offer a job-oriented course, and have placed at least one student in Japanese jobs in the last year or two in the last three years.
大学等を卒業後就職活動のための滞在をご希望のみなさまへ 3 日本語教育機関の要件 · Checked on 2026-10-22 · In force from 2029-03-31
For the job-offer waiting status, the employer must pledge to keep in regular contact with the person and to tell the immigration bureau without delay if it withdraws the offer, in addition to the person having graduated and starting work within the set limits.
大学又は専門学校の在学中又は卒業後に就職先が内定し採用までの滞在をご希望のみなさまへ要件 · Checked on 2026-10-22
Only a spouse or child supported by a person in the covered status can be brought as a mid- to long-term resident, and no status is granted to a foreigner's parents on that basis, apart from the preferential treatment of highly skilled professionals.
出入国審査・在留審査Q&A Q56 · Checked on 2026-10-22
There is no age limit for coming to Japan as a Dependent as long as the person is supported.
出入国審査・在留審査Q&A Q48 · Checked on 2026-10-22
If a Dependent grows older or the support relationship ends after entry, the landing standards may no longer be met, but the agency says this alone does not mean an extension is refused.
在留資格の変更、在留期間の更新許可のガイドライン 2 · Checked on 2026-10-22
A Dependent who wants to become a Student is reviewed flexibly because Dependents are excluded from some scholarships such as those of JASSO.
出入国審査・在留審査Q&A Q47 · Checked on 2026-10-22
For the Long-Term Resident change, a person who transferred into a Japanese high school must also submit proof of JLPT N2 or higher, or a BJT Business Japanese score of 400 or more.
「家族滞在」の在留資格をもって在留し、高等学校卒業後に日本での就労を希望する方へ · Checked on 2026-10-23

Numbers and tests

Under the landing standards, a junior high school applicant must be 17 or younger and an elementary school applicant 14 or younger; a guardian in Japan and other conditions also apply, with an exception for approved exchange programs.
出入国管理及び難民認定法第七条第一項第二号の基準を定める省令留学の項第四号の二 · Checked on 2026-10-23
Until the end of FY2029, JLPT N2 or higher counts as meeting the university-entry Japanese requirement, and 600 or more class hours of study is accepted as equivalent to N2.
申請に当たっての留意事項（在留資格「留学」） · Checked on 2026-10-23
Under the transition measure for entrants up to the end of FY2029, a score of 200 or more on the Japanese section (reading, listening and listening-reading total) of the EJU is accepted as proof of the needed Japanese for university entry.
申請に当たっての留意事項（在留資格「留学」） · Checked on 2026-10-23
Under the transition measure for entrants up to the end of FY2029, a BJT Business Japanese Proficiency Test score of 400 or more is accepted as proof of the Japanese needed for university entry.
申請に当たっての留意事項（在留資格「留学」） · Checked on 2026-10-23
In the JASSO FY2023 survey of privately financed international students, average monthly expenditure was 170,000 yen.
令和５年度私費外国人留学生生活実態調査概要 · Checked on 2026-10-23
As an example of a repayment burden that does not disrupt daily life, the agency says a monthly loan-scholarship repayment within about 10% of take-home pay is generally regarded as acceptable.
貸与型奨学金により学費等の経費を支弁しようとする留学生及び当該留学生の受入れを予定している教育機関のみなさまへ · Checked on 2026-10-23
Under the enforcement regulations, a student with comprehensive permission may work up to 28 hours a week, and up to 8 hours a day during the school's long vacation periods defined in its rules.
出入国管理及び難民認定法施行規則第十九条第五項第一号 · Checked on 2026-10-22
The ISA page confirms that students need comprehensive permission for up to 28 hours per week, or up to 8 hours per day in school long vacations, of paid work or business activity.
「留学」の在留資格に係る資格外活動許可について · Checked on 2026-10-22

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A Dependent needs comprehensive permission to work up to 28 hours per week.
「家族滞在」の在留資格に係る資格外活動許可について · Checked on 2026-10-22
One of the criteria for a properly managing school (適正校) is a problem-enrollment rate of 5% or less, or, for schools with 19 or fewer students, no more than one problem student; the other listed criteria must also be met.
教育機関の選定について · Checked on 2026-10-23
One of the criteria for a Class I properly managing school is a problem-enrollment rate of 1% or less for three consecutive years (at most one problem student for schools with 99 or fewer students); other criteria apply as well.
教育機関の選定について · Checked on 2026-10-23
A Japanese-language institution must give guidance to any student whose monthly attendance rate falls below 80% until it recovers to 80% or more, except for absences due to illness or other unavoidable reasons.
日本語教育機関の告示基準 · Checked on 2026-10-23
A notified Japanese-language institution's course must run at least one year (six months in special cases) and provide at least 760 class hours per year and at least 20 class hours per week.
日本語教育機関の告示基準 · Checked on 2026-10-23
The 28-hour weekly cap is tested over any seven-day span: whichever weekday a week is counted from, the hours must always stay at or below 28, so a Monday-to-Sunday calendar week is not the test.
就労資格の在留諸申請に関連してお問い合わせの多い事項について（Q&A）令和8年7月 (Q1)(4) · Checked on 2026-10-22
In the conditions for the new pachinko-venue permit, the Immigration Services Agency requires that hours worked under all out-of-status permissions, whether comprehensive or individual, add up to no more than 28 hours a week.
遊技場営業店舗における資格外活動許可について 2(5) · Checked on 2026-10-22
For Dependents, holding several part-time jobs is allowed, but the hours of all jobs combined must not exceed 28 per week.
遊技場営業店舗（ぱちんこ店等）でのアルバイトについて · Checked on 2026-10-22
Only Student status holders get the eight-hours-per-day rule during the long vacations of their school; the vacation rule is not extended to Dependents.
就労資格の在留諸申請に関連してお問い合わせの多い事項について（Q&A）令和8年7月 (Q1)(4) · Checked on 2026-10-22
Under the university-entry transition measure, a score of 525 or more on the JPT Japanese Proficiency Test counts as meeting the Japanese-ability requirement for entrants up to the end of FY2029, one of four accepted exams alongside JLPT N2, EJU 200 and BJT 400.
高等教育機関等へ入学するための日本語能力について大学等へ入学する場合 · Checked on 2026-10-23
In the JASSO survey of privately financed international students, average monthly spending was highest for degree students at 185,000 yen, then 175,000 yen for preparatory courses, and 174,000 yen for graduate research students.
私費外国人留学生生活実態調査（令和5年度） 7 支出 · Checked on 2026-10-22
The same survey puts average monthly spending at 169,000 yen for Japanese-language course students and 163,000 yen for students in vocational college courses.
私費外国人留学生生活実態調査（令和5年度） 7 支出 · Checked on 2026-10-22
Among monthly costs in the survey, study and research costs averaged 61,000 yen, housing 44,000 yen and food 34,000 yen, with tuition alone averaging 60,000 yen a month among those paying it.
私費外国人留学生生活実態調査（令和5年度） 7 支出 · Checked on 2026-10-22
By school type, the survey reports average monthly tuition (among students who pay it) of about 40,000 yen at national universities, 36,000 yen at public universities, 73,000 yen at private universities, 61,000 yen at vocational colleges and 56,000 yen at Japanese-language institutions.
私費外国人留学生生活実態調査（令和5年度）第7-6表 · Checked on 2026-10-23
Among respondents who do part-time work, average monthly earnings were 81,000 yen for those in higher education and 106,000 yen for those in Japanese-language institutions.
私費外国人留学生生活実態調査（令和5年度） 5 収入 · Checked on 2026-10-22
In the survey, 65.2 percent of students did some part-time work, and the most common weekly working time was 20 to under 25 hours.
私費外国人留学生生活実態調査（令和5年度） 8 アルバイト · Checked on 2026-10-23
Under the certification standards, a study-abroad course must have at least 760 class hours a year, at least a one-year programme, and at least one course aiming at B2; work and life courses need only B1, with minimum hours of 350, 200 or 100 depending on the target level.
留学のための課程を置く認定日本語教育機関の認定等について認定日本語教育機関と法務省告示機関との比較 · Checked on 2026-10-22
A newly certified institution may enrol at most 100 students and may raise capacity by up to 1.5 times each year after the first.
留学のための課程を置く認定日本語教育機関の認定等について認定基準の概要 · Checked on 2026-10-22
Notified Japanese-language institutions must report each year, by the end of June of the fiscal year after the course period ends, how many completers advanced to higher education, changed to certain work-type statuses or showed A2-level Japanese, and must add an improvement plan if that total is under 70 percent of completers.
日本語教育機関の告示基準に基づく各種報告について 3 告示基準第1条第1項第44号 · Checked on 2026-10-23

Periods

The period of stay for a Student is set individually by the Minister of Justice, up to 4 years and 3 months.
在留資格「留学」 · Checked on 2026-10-22
The enforcement regulations list Student stay periods as a period designated individually by the Minister of Justice not exceeding 4 years and 3 months.
出入国管理及び難民認定法施行規則別表第二（第三条関係） · Checked on 2026-10-22
Enrollment at a Japanese-language institution under the Student status is normally limited to a maximum of two years.
日本語教育機関への入学をお考えのみなさまへ · Checked on 2026-10-22
The standard processing period for a permit to engage in activity outside the status is two weeks to two months.
資格外活動許可申請入管法第19条第2項 · Checked on 2026-10-22
If a renewal or change application is filed before the stay expires and no decision is made by then, the person may keep the previous status until the decision or until two months after expiry, whichever is earlier.
特例期間とは？入管法第20条第6項 · Checked on 2026-10-22
A graduate of a university, specialized-college advanced course, or vocational college (with a professional title) who keeps job-hunting, has a clean stay record and a recommendation from the school may switch to Designated Activities for 6 months and renew once, for up to one year of stay after graduation.
大学等を卒業後就職活動のための滞在をご希望のみなさまへ · Checked on 2026-10-22
In the second year after graduation, a graduate taking part in a qualifying local-government job-support programme may get another 6-month Designated Activities status plus one renewal, for up to one more year.
大学等を卒業後就職活動のための滞在をご希望のみなさまへ · Checked on 2026-10-22
The period of stay for a Dependent is set individually by the Minister of Justice, up to five years.
在留資格「家族滞在」 · Checked on 2026-10-22

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For the Student status, the enforcement regulations let the Minister of Justice designate each foreigner's period of stay individually, within a maximum of 4 years 3 months.
出入国管理及び難民認定法施行規則別表第二留学の項 · Checked on 2026-10-23
The standard processing period for a certificate of eligibility is one to three months.
在留資格認定証明書交付申請標準処理期間 · Checked on 2026-10-22
The standard processing period for an extension of the period of stay is two weeks to one month.
在留期間更新許可申請標準処理期間 · Checked on 2026-10-22
The standard processing period for a change of status of residence is one to two months.
在留資格変更許可申請標準処理期間 · Checked on 2026-10-22
For permits granted in August 2026, the average actual time for a Student certificate of eligibility was 63.7 days to issuance, versus 59.3 days for an extension and 63.2 days for a change of status, each counted to notification of the permit.
在留審査処理期間（令和8年8月許可分）留学 · Checked on 2026-10-23
For permits granted in August 2026, the average actual time for Dependents was 74.1 days to issuance of a certificate of eligibility, versus 39.2 days for an extension and 38.6 days for a change of status.
在留審査処理期間（令和8年8月許可分）家族滞在 · Checked on 2026-10-23
A certificate of eligibility is valid for three months from the day it is issued, and it loses effect if the holder does not apply to land within that time; its validity is separate from the visa's validity.
出入国審査・在留審査Q&A Q6 · Checked on 2026-10-22
The period of stay for Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services is one of 5 years, 3 years, 1 year or 3 months.
在留資格「技術・人文知識・国際業務」在留期間 · Checked on 2026-10-22
The start-up Designated Activities measure lets graduates of universities taking part in the government's student-employment or super-global programmes keep doing start-up activity for up to two years after graduation.
本邦の大学等を卒業した留学生による起業活動に係る措置について 1 概要 · Checked on 2026-10-22
Under the Designated Activities category for Japanese-university graduates, the period of stay is set at 5 years, 3 years, 1 year, 6 months or 3 months, and the period set on a change from Student and at the first renewal is in principle 1 year.
留学生の就職支援に係る「特定活動」（本邦大学等卒業者）についてのガイドライン 8(3) · Checked on 2026-10-23

Deadlines

The stricter language check applies to certificate-of-eligibility applications for students entering from October 2026, and to change-of-status and renewal applications filed from 1 July 2026.
日本語教育機関に入学する者に係る運用の一部見直しについて · Checked on 2026-10-22 · In force from 2026-07-01
A renewal application can be filed from three months before the stay expires (for holders of a stay of six months or more), up to the expiry date.
在留期間更新許可申請入管法第21条 · Checked on 2026-10-22
Students who want to start work in April are asked to file their change-of-status applications between 1 December and the end of January.
在留資格「留学」から就労資格への変更申請を予定されている皆様へ · Checked on 2026-10-22
A Student or job-hunting Designated Activities holder who has graduated from a Japanese school and received a job offer can switch to Designated Activities if employment will start within one year of the offer and within one year and six months after graduation, among other conditions.
大学又は専門学校の在学中又は卒業後に就職先が内定し採用までの滞在をご希望のみなさまへ · Checked on 2026-10-22
Japanese-language institutions taking Students must obtain MEXT certification of their course for international students by 31 March 2029; until then the notification standards continue to apply.
日本語教育機関の告示基準 · Checked on 2026-10-22 · In force from 2029-03-31
Residence-card holders who want an extension decided within their period of stay are asked to apply between three months and 45 days before it expires, and holders of stays of three months or less may apply once about half of the stay has passed.
在留期間内での変更又は更新許可を希望する場合について · Checked on 2026-10-22
For a change of status, the agency asks applicants who want a decision within their period of stay to file promptly once the reason arises, and this request does not cover the separately announced cases of students changing status to start work in April and technical intern trainees changing to Specified Skilled Worker.
在留期間内での変更又は更新許可を希望する場合について · Checked on 2026-10-23
A Student must notify the immigration office within 14 days when the school changes its name or address, closes, or when the student leaves it or moves to another school.
所属（活動）機関に関する届出（留学ほか）入管法第19条の16第1号 · Checked on 2026-10-22

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A change of residence address must be reported within 14 days of moving, and taking the residence card to the municipal office for the resident-register notice counts as the immigration notification.
住居地の変更届出（中長期在留者）入管法第19条の9第1項 · Checked on 2026-10-22
A change of name, birth date, sex or nationality on the residence card must also be reported within 14 days.
住居地以外の在留カード記載事項の変更届出入管法第19条の10 · Checked on 2026-10-22
A Dependent spouse who loses the spouse through divorce or death must notify the immigration agency within 14 days.
配偶者に関する届出入管法第19条の16第3号 · Checked on 2026-10-22
A university that gives Japanese-only instruction to international students below roughly JLPT N2 level must, in principle, hold study-abroad course certification by 31 March 2029 to admit them on a Student status.
留学のための課程を置く認定日本語教育機関の認定等について認定制度に関する留意事項 · Checked on 2026-10-22 · In force from 2029-03-31

Fees

There is no fee for applying for permission to engage in activity outside the status.
資格外活動許可申請入管法第19条第2項 · Checked on 2026-10-22
At the counter from 1 October 2026 the fee is 10,000 yen for a stay of 3 months or less, 18,000 yen for over 3 up to 6 months, 25,000 yen for over 6 months up to under 1 year, and 33,000 yen for 1 year.
収入印紙の購入について · Checked on 2026-10-22 · In force from 2026-10-01
At the counter from 1 October 2026 the fee is 48,000 yen for a stay of over 1 up to under 3 years, 64,000 yen for 3 up to under 5 years, and 75,000 yen for 5 years or more.
収入印紙の購入について · Checked on 2026-10-22 · In force from 2026-10-01
For online applications from 1 October 2026 the fee is 10,000 yen for 3 months or less, 15,000 yen for up to 6 months, 21,000 yen for under 1 year, 27,000 yen for 1 year, 42,000 yen for 1 to under 3 years, 56,000 yen for 3 to under 5 years and 65,000 yen for 5 years or more, plus a payment-processing fee of 330 yen (permits under 3 years) or 550 yen (3 years or more).
オンライン申請における手数料額及び手数料納付方法について · Checked on 2026-10-22 · In force from 2026-10-01
People living in near-destitution or needing humanitarian consideration may get the change or extension fee reduced to 10,000 yen, but reductions are not supported in the online system, so they must apply at the counter.
令和８年１０月１日以降における在留許可手数料の減額措置又は免除措置について · Checked on 2026-10-22 · In force from 2026-10-01
Applying for a certificate of eligibility costs nothing.
在留資格認定証明書交付申請手数料 · Checked on 2026-10-22
An application for acquisition of status of residence, for people who stay in Japan without a landing procedure, such as a child born in Japan, is also free, and must be filed within 30 days of the event.
在留資格取得許可申請手数料・申請期間 · Checked on 2026-10-22
A re-entry permit costs 4,000 yen for a single trip and 7,000 yen for multiple trips when filed at the counter, paid by revenue stamp, or 3,500 yen and 6,500 yen when filed online; these fees apply to applications received from 1 April 2025.
再入国許可申請手数料 · Checked on 2026-10-22 · In force from 2025-04-01

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Reissuing a residence card because it was lost is free and is normally done the same day, and it must be applied for within 14 days of learning of the loss.
紛失等による在留カードの再交付申請 · Checked on 2026-10-23
From 1 October 2026 a six-month Designated Activities stay such as the job-hunting status costs 18,000 yen at the counter, since the fee band for over three months up to six months is 18,000 yen.
在留資格変更許可申請手数料 · Checked on 2026-10-22 · In force from 2026-10-01

How it works

The school confirmation forms (各種確認書) must be prepared by the school where the student is or will be enrolled, not by the applicant, and are not required in several cases, including when the student stays at the same school as in the previous application (unless a Japanese-only student starts other studies at that school).
在留資格「留学」 · Checked on 2026-10-22
The Immigration Services Agency places emphasis on checking financial ability to pay all costs of the stay, to prevent students falling into hardship after arrival.
申請に当たっての留意事項（在留資格「留学」） · Checked on 2026-10-22
A bank balance certificate must come from an account at a bank recognized by the government or central bank of the country concerned.
申請に当たっての留意事項（在留資格「留学」） · Checked on 2026-10-22
To show how the funds were built up, applicants should submit transaction statements, copies of bankbooks, or annual income certificates issued by public bodies.
申請に当たっての留意事項（在留資格「留学」） · Checked on 2026-10-22
If someone other than the applicant pays the costs, documents proving that person's ability to pay and how they came to pay must be submitted.
申請に当たっての留意事項（在留資格「留学」） · Checked on 2026-10-22
For a loan scholarship, the certificate-of-eligibility application must include the lender's corporate registry extract and its latest financial statements, along with the scholarship rules and a signed contract copy.
貸与型奨学金により学費等の経費を支弁しようとする留学生及び当該留学生の受入れを予定している教育機関のみなさまへ · Checked on 2026-10-22
The permit can be applied for online only when it is submitted together with a change-of-status, extension or status-acquisition application.
資格外活動許可申請入管法第19条第2項 · Checked on 2026-10-22
An unpaid internship does not require advance permission for activity outside the status.
インターンシップをご希望のみなさまへ · Checked on 2026-10-22

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Students who drop out or are expelled and keep staying without a justifiable reason are treated as a negative factor when applying for renewal or change of status.
在留資格の変更、在留期間の更新許可のガイドライン · Checked on 2026-10-22
When a Student transfers schools, a notice of leaving the former school and a notice of enrolling at the new school must be filed within 14 days.
出入国審査・在留審査Q&A · Checked on 2026-10-22
A student can file for the job-hunting status before graduation with a school recommendation and an expected-graduation certificate, but the graduation certificate is needed when the change is granted.
在留資格「特定活動」本邦の大学等を卒業した留学生が就職活動を行う場合 · Checked on 2026-10-22
For a university graduate, the change application needs the graduation certificate, the university's recommendation for continued job hunting, and evidence of the job hunting.
在留資格「特定活動」本邦の大学等を卒業した留学生が就職活動を行う場合 · Checked on 2026-10-22
Changing employers on the university-graduate Designated Activities route changes the designated activity, so a new change-of-status application is required.
留学生の就職支援に係る「特定活動」(本邦大学等卒業者)についてのガイドライン · Checked on 2026-10-22
A Dependent applicant must submit a document proving the family relationship to the sponsor, such as a family register, marriage certificate or birth certificate.
在留資格「家族滞在」 · Checked on 2026-10-22
The sponsor's income documents include residence-tax assessment and tax-payment certificates, or for sponsors without income activity a bank balance or scholarship certificate in the sponsor's name; the page states no minimum income figure.
在留資格「家族滞在」 · Checked on 2026-10-22
A Dependent who loses the spouse through death or divorce must file a notification about the spouse.
在留資格「家族滞在」 · Checked on 2026-10-22
A Japanese-language institution must report a student whose monthly attendance is below 50% to the immigration bureau by the end of the following month, with the name of the part-time employer if the student has a work permit.
日本語教育機関の告示基準 · Checked on 2026-10-22
A Japanese-language institution must report a student's withdrawal to the immigration bureau by the end of the following month.
日本語教育機関の告示基準 · Checked on 2026-10-22
Schools are asked to check with each student at least once every three months whether the student has work permission, the employer names, the nature of the work and the daily hours worked.
日本語教育機関に入学する者に係る運用の一部見直しについて · Checked on 2026-10-22
If a student reports that an employer demands work beyond 28 hours a week, or guidance does not fix a violation, the school should report the records to the nearest immigration office.
日本語教育機関に入学する者に係る運用の一部見直しについて · Checked on 2026-10-22
The agency gives summer and winter breaks as examples of long vacations, and the exact working-time conditions of a permit are written on the permission sticker in the passport or on the permission certificate.
出入国審査・在留審査Q&A Q65, Q66 · Checked on 2026-10-22
A person landing in Japan with a Student status (other than a three-month stay) can, if the application meets the comprehensive-permit conditions for students, apply for the permit at the airport right after landing permission and receive it at the same port.
資格外活動の許可（入管法第19条） · Checked on 2026-10-22
The residence card lists a summary of any out-of-status permission on its back and in its chip, so employers are asked to check the back of the card as well as the passport sticker or permission certificate.
資格外活動の許可（入管法第19条） · Checked on 2026-10-22
A certificate-of-eligibility application for a Student is normally filed by the Japanese-language institution on the student's behalf.
日本語教育機関への入学をお考えのみなさまへ · Checked on 2026-10-22
Each regional immigration bureau designates its own intake periods for certificate applications from Japanese-language institutions, because the volume is large.
日本語教育機関への入学をお考えのみなさまへ · Checked on 2026-10-22
Certificate-of-eligibility applications cannot be sent by post, but they can be filed through the online system.
在留資格認定証明書交付申請申請先 · Checked on 2026-10-22
Beyond the applicant, an application may be filed by an approved staff member of the institution that employs or teaches the applicant, by a lawyer or administrative scrivener notified to the bureau, or, for a person under 16 or unable to attend due to illness, by a relative; applicants aged 18 or over file in person unless an agent is used.
在留期間更新許可申請申請提出者 · Checked on 2026-10-22
Certificates issued in Japan for a Student application must be dated within three months of filing, and originals required by the checklist must be no older than three months from issue.
在留資格「留学」 · Checked on 2026-10-22
If a listed document cannot be submitted, the applicant should explain why and provide a substitute document.
在留資格「留学」申請に当たっての留意事項 · Checked on 2026-10-22
Even where the checklist omits them, schools should obtain from applicants at selection the proof of ability to pay all costs and the proof of language ability, and the agency may request more documents during review.
在留資格「留学」申請に当たっての留意事項 · Checked on 2026-10-22
Applicants from countries where remittance is difficult must also submit a document explaining how the assets will be taken out of the country.
在留資格「留学」申請に当たっての留意事項 · Checked on 2026-10-22
For tests whose organizer issues a special certificate for immigration offices, that certificate must be submitted.
在留資格「留学」申請に当たっての留意事項 · Checked on 2026-10-22
The agency issued guidelines on 2 March 2026 for creating Japanese tests that can be added to the lists accepted for Student applications, and test providers can request to be added by following them.
高等教育機関等へ入学するための日本語能力について · Checked on 2026-10-22 · In force from 2026-03-02
The notification can be made online at any hour through the electronic notification system, in person at the immigration office with the residence card, or by post with a copy of the card; reference forms exist for leaving, moving, both together, and name or address changes of the school.
所属（活動）機関に関する届出（留学ほか）届出方法・届出書参考様式 · Checked on 2026-10-22
When status is revoked for not doing the main activity for three months (six for some Highly Skilled Professionals) or similar grounds, the Minister normally sets a departure period of up to 30 days within which the person must leave.
出入国管理及び難民認定法第22条の4第7項 · Checked on 2026-10-22
After status has been revoked, a person cannot change or extend status in Japan, so a student whose Student status was revoked for non-attendance who enrolls elsewhere within the departure period must still leave and apply again for a certificate of eligibility.
出入国審査・在留審査Q&A Q76 · Checked on 2026-10-22
When the start-up activity is completed within the two years, the person applies to change to Business Manager.
本邦の大学等を卒業した留学生による起業活動に係る措置について 4 · Checked on 2026-10-22

Penalties

Forging certificates or temporarily depositing a large sum into an account may cause doubts about proper residence and affect future applications.
申請に当たっての留意事項（在留資格「留学」） · Checked on 2026-10-22
Covering all tuition and living costs through part-time work is not allowed for Student status holders.
日本語教育機関への入学をお考えのみなさまへ · Checked on 2026-10-22
The permission can be revoked if the holder violates an attached condition or if continuing it is judged inappropriate.
出入国管理及び難民認定法第十九条第三項 · Checked on 2026-10-22
Working without permission is punishable by up to one year of imprisonment, a fine of up to 2,000,000 yen, or both, unless the person is clearly engaged mainly in such work, which falls under the heavier Article 70.
出入国管理及び難民認定法第七十三条第一号 · Checked on 2026-10-22
Article 70 provides up to three years of imprisonment, a fine of up to 3 million yen, or both for a set of offences that includes clearly engaging mainly in unpermitted income-earning activity.
出入国管理及び難民認定法第七十条第一項第四号 · Checked on 2026-10-22
Residence status can be revoked if the holder is not carrying out the status activity and instead engages or intends to engage in other activities, unless there is a justifiable reason.
出入国管理及び難民認定法第二十二条の四第一項第五号 · Checked on 2026-10-22
Residence status can be revoked if the holder continuously does not carry out the status activity for three months or more, unless there is a justifiable reason.
出入国管理及び難民認定法第二十二条の四第一項第六号 · Checked on 2026-10-22
A notified institution can be removed from the list if the average six-month attendance of all its students falls below 70% and letting it host students is judged inappropriate.
日本語教育機関の告示基準 · Checked on 2026-10-22

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A notified institution can be removed from the list if 30% or more of students admitted in one calendar year stayed past their stay period without renewal or change and letting it host students is judged inappropriate.
日本語教育機関の告示基準 · Checked on 2026-10-22
Regularly working over 28 hours a week in breach of the permit conditions is treated as not showing good conduct in later applications, with the university-graduate Designated Activities guideline giving this as its example.
留学生の就職支援に係る「特定活動」（本邦大学等卒業者）についてのガイドライン 8(1)ア · Checked on 2026-10-22
Failing to make the address, card-item or school-change notifications is punishable by a fine of up to 200,000 yen.
出入国管理及び難民認定法第71条の5 · Checked on 2026-10-22
Status can be revoked if a person newly becoming a mid- to long-term resident fails to report an address within 90 days, or if they leave the reported address and do not report the new address within 90 days, unless there is a justifiable reason.
出入国管理及び難民認定法第22条の4第1項第8号・第9号 · Checked on 2026-10-22
From 1 April 2027 the penalty for causing a foreigner to do unlawful work is up to five years in prison or a fine of up to 5 million yen, or both, which will affect employers of students working beyond their permit.
出入国管理及び難民認定法（令和9年4月1日施行時点）第73条の2 · Checked on 2026-10-22 · In force from 2027-04-01

Lists and tables

Japanese-language institutions usually admit students twice a year (April and October) or four times a year (January, April, July and October).
日本語教育機関への入学をお考えのみなさまへ · Checked on 2026-10-22
JLPT N5 or higher and JFT-Basic A1 or higher are the two main tests that prove A1-equivalent Japanese for entry to a Japanese-language institution; a list of other tests, such as BJT 300 or more, is accepted for the time being.
日本語教育機関への入学をお考えのみなさまへ · Checked on 2026-10-22
The Ministry of Justice table names the nationalities that are not designated for careful screening, including South Korea, China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, Mongolia, the United States, Canada and many European countries; all other nationalities are treated as careful-screening countries.
留学の在留資格に係る別表（慎重審査対象国）別表 · Checked on 2026-10-22
The agency gives examples of justifiable reasons for not studying for 3 months, such as a closed school with admission procedures under way, or a long hospital stay with a plan to return.
出入国審査・在留審査Q&A · Checked on 2026-10-22
The general conditions for any out-of-status permit include that the activity does not hinder the main activity, the person is actually doing the main activity, the person has no bad conduct record, and the employing or sponsoring institution consents where a contract exists.
資格外活動許可について 1(1)~(7) · Checked on 2026-10-22
The agency's online system covers certificate of eligibility, change of status, extension, status acquisition, re-entry permit, out-of-status permission and work-qualification certificate applications.
出入国在留管理庁オンライン申請 · Checked on 2026-10-22
For a university or technical college that is not a "properly managing" school, the certificate checklist adds a sponsor statement of costs, proof of the sponsor's relationship, an original bank balance certificate, one year of fund-building records, the sponsor's occupation and the sponsor's income for the past year.
提出書類一覧表（認定用）適正校でない大学・高等専門学校提出書類一覧表 8~13 · Checked on 2026-10-22
For a university, graduate school or technical college that the agency has designated a Class I or Class II "properly managing" school, the certificate checklist lists no financial-capacity documents; it consists of the application, a passport copy and situation-specific items such as a research plan or management system description.
提出書類一覧表（認定用）適正校（クラスⅠ又はクラスⅡ）の大学・高等専門学校提出書類一覧表 · Checked on 2026-10-22

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For a Class I properly managing vocational or miscellaneous school, the certificate-of-eligibility checklist lists no financial documents: its items are the application form, the checklist itself, a passport copy, Japanese-ability evidence, and, only in particular cases, a support-arrangement confirmation for a student under 18 living alone and an explanation of the reasons for an earlier refusal.
提出書類一覧表（認定用）適正校（クラスⅠ）の専修学校・各種学校提出書類一覧表 · Checked on 2026-10-22
For a Class II properly managing vocational or miscellaneous school, applicants from the nationalities in the agency's table need no financial documents, while all others must add a sponsor statement of costs and an original bank balance certificate.
提出書類一覧表（認定用）適正校（クラスⅡ）の専修学校・各種学校提出書類一覧表 5, 6 · Checked on 2026-10-22
For a vocational or miscellaneous school that is not designated a properly managing school, the checklist also asks for the final-school graduation certificate and the full set of financial documents, including a record of how funds were built up over the past year.
提出書類一覧表（認定用）適正校でない専修学校・各種学校提出書類一覧表 4, 6~11 · Checked on 2026-10-22
For a Class I properly managing Japanese-language institution, the checklist is the application, a passport copy and, if the school form selects an exam, the exam certificate.
提出書類一覧表（認定用）適正校（クラスⅠ）の日本語教育機関提出書類一覧表 · Checked on 2026-10-22
For a Class II properly managing Japanese-language institution, applicants from the table nationalities have no financial documents, but others must add a sponsor statement, proof of relationship, an original bank balance certificate and a record of how the funds were built up.
提出書類一覧表（認定用）適正校（クラスⅡ）の日本語教育機関提出書類一覧表 5~8 · Checked on 2026-10-22
For a Japanese-language institution that is not a properly managing school, every applicant must also submit the final-school graduation certificate and the whole set of financial documents, including the sponsor's occupation and past-year income.
提出書類一覧表（認定用）適正校でない日本語教育機関提出書類一覧表 4, 6~11 · Checked on 2026-10-22
For a high school, junior high or elementary school, the checklist includes a family register or equivalent, guardian-related documents, a parental consent form if the student is a minor under home-country law, and, for the lower schools, a description of lodging and a student-life staff certificate.
提出書類一覧表（認定用）高等学校・中学校・小学校提出書類一覧表 4, 14~17, 19 · Checked on 2026-10-22
When funds come from a scholarship, the checklist asks for the award notice, the scholarship contract signed by the student, and further items such as the lender's registry extract and financial statements for loan-type scholarships.
奨学金の給付に関する証明書一覧 · Checked on 2026-10-22
Besides JLPT N5 and JFT-Basic A1, the agency accepts for the time being eleven other tests as A1-level proof for Japanese-language institutions: BJT 300, J.TEST grade F, NAT-TEST grade 5, STBJ 350, TOPJ elementary A, J-cert elementary, JLCT JCT5, PJC Bridge C-, JPT 315, a Japanese online test JT5 and S-JEP 300.
日本語教育機関への入学をお考えのみなさまへ · Checked on 2026-10-22
A Student extension for a university or technical college that is a properly managing school asks for an attendance certificate where issuable, transcripts and graduation certificates for every school attended since the last application, and an enrollment certificate (or an admission letter if the new school has not yet started).
提出書類一覧表（更新用）適正校（クラスⅠ又はクラスⅡ）の大学・高等専門学校提出書類一覧表 3, 7 · Checked on 2026-10-22
A student who paid their own way and has worked part-time for a year or more submits the latest residence-tax and tax-payment certificates, or a payslip copy if the work lasted under a year, and a bankbook copy showing the income can replace them.
提出書類一覧表（更新用）適正校（クラスⅠ又はクラスⅡ）の大学・高等専門学校提出書類一覧表 10, 11 · Checked on 2026-10-22
If a student was given guidance about out-of-status work at the previous extension, the next checklist adds a statement on how stay costs are covered and, depending on who pays, proof of income or remittance.
提出書類一覧表（更新用）適正校（クラスⅠ又はクラスⅡ）の大学・高等専門学校提出書類一覧表 8, 12~16 · Checked on 2026-10-22
Employers are sorted into four categories for filing: listed companies and public bodies in category 1, employers with withholding tax of 10,000,000 yen or more in category 2, employers that filed withholding statements in category 3 and all others in category 4; the documents to submit differ by category, and categories 1 and 2 generally need no further materials.
在留資格「技術・人文知識・国際業務」提出書類カテゴリー · Checked on 2026-10-22
For Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services applications from 15 April 2026 by category 3 or 4 employers, the CEFR B2-equivalent Japanese proof for language-based jobs is deemed met by JLPT N2, BJT 400, EJU Japanese 200, JPT 525, 20 years as a mid- to long-term resident, a Japanese university or vocational college degree, or finishing compulsory education and high school in Japan.
在留資格「技術・人文知識・国際業務」お知らせ注1 · Checked on 2026-10-22 · In force from 2026-04-15
For a graduate-school waiting status, the change application needs proof of ability to pay, the diploma or graduation certificate, an admission letter showing the entry date, and a pledge from the graduate school to keep in regular contact; a former job-seeker also adds job-hunting evidence and a reason statement.
大学を卒業後大学院へ進学する留学生等の在留資格について提出資料 · Checked on 2026-10-22
Examples the guideline says may be accepted under the Designated Activities scheme for Japanese university graduates include a restaurant job combining shop management and interpreting-based service, a factory line job that also conveys instructions in a foreign language, and retail purchasing or product planning with interpreting-based sales, while washing dishes, cleaning or following line instructions alone is not accepted.
留学生の就職支援に係る「特定活動」（本邦大学等卒業者）についてのガイドライン 5 · Checked on 2026-10-22
For job-hunting Designated Activities, proof of continued job hunting is required in an unspecified form, with no minimum number of applications or interviews published, along with a financial-capacity document.
在留資格「特定活動」（本邦の大学等を卒業した留学生が就職活動を行う場合）提出書類 · Checked on 2026-10-22
In the second year after graduation, the person needs a certificate from the municipality stating that they are a target of its job-support programme, and a person in such a programme taking an internship as part of it needs no out-of-status permission.
大学等を卒業後就職活動のための滞在をご希望のみなさまへ 2, 4 · Checked on 2026-10-22
In the April 2026 round of certification, 100 institutions applied, 32 were certified (all study-abroad courses, 22 of them formerly notified institutions), 2 were rejected, 13 stay under review and 53 withdrew.
認定日本語教育機関の認定結果令和7年度2回目の認定結果 · Checked on 2026-10-22 · In force from 2026-04-30
The agency publishes the list of Ministry of Justice-notified Japanese-language institutions as of 20 October 2026, with an English-name list and a list of course names.
受入れ機関に係る情報 · Checked on 2026-10-22

Recent changes

For certificate-of-eligibility applications for students entering from October 2026, and for change-of-status or renewal applications filed from 1 July 2026, a record of 150 or more hours of Japanese study no longer proves A1 ability; an exam certificate or an interview is mandatory.
日本語教育機関に入学する者に係る運用の一部見直しについて · Checked on 2026-10-22
Students entering universities (including graduate schools, excluding Japanese-language divisions) or technical colleges from FY2027 must prove Japanese ability at CEFR-based B2 level of the Japanese Language Reference Framework.
申請に当たっての留意事項（在留資格「留学」） · Checked on 2026-10-22 · In force from 2027-04-01
Since 1 December 2025, students changing to Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services or Researcher can omit some documents if they are graduating from a Japanese university, graduated from an overseas university ranked in the top 300 in at least two of three named world rankings, or join an employer that already employs a former student with that status who has received at least one renewal there (dispatch employment excluded).
在留資格「留学」から就労資格への変更申請を予定されている皆様へ · Checked on 2026-10-22 · In force from 2025-12-01
From 1 October 2026 the fee for a change of status or extension depends on the length of stay granted, replacing the old flat fee of 6,000 yen at the counter and 5,500 yen online; applications received up to 30 September 2026 pay the old fee.
在留許可手数料の額の改定について（ポスター）改正入管法施行令第25条第1項 · Checked on 2026-10-22 · In force from 2026-10-01
For residence cards issued from 14 June 2026, a photo is required for applicants aged one year or older, whereas previously children under 16 did not need a photo.
在留資格「家族滞在」 · Checked on 2026-10-22 · In force from 2026-06-14
From 1 October 2026 only Dependents, not Students, may work in pachinko parlours and similar gaming venues, and only with an individual permit.
遊技場営業店舗における資格外活動許可について · Checked on 2026-10-22 · In force from 2026-10-01
Anyone asking for a new test to be added to the list accepted for university entry must show it is mapped to B2 or above on the Japanese Language Reference Framework; mapping to JLPT N2-level, which is allowed only under the transitional measure that runs through FY2029 entrants, is not enough.
高等教育機関等へ入学するための日本語能力について · Checked on 2026-10-22
The agency's guideline for changes and extensions was last revised in June 2026, when it added a note on information received from other bodies about tax compliance; it says the results of that information can be used in decisions.
在留資格の変更、在留期間の更新許可のガイドライン · Checked on 2026-10-22 · In force from 2026-06-01

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The government's January 2026 comprehensive measures say that cases of working more than 28 hours a week are occurring, and the agency has begun using employment notifications to check students with permits.
外国人の受入れ・秩序ある共生のための総合的対応策 ④ 在留資格「留学」に係る適正化 ⅰ・ⅱ · Checked on 2026-10-22
The measures also plan to use employment notifications to identify students working at several places and to guide them together with schools, and to work out how students' income information could be used, with the My Number-based data link planned to start in 2027, for more accurate and strict review of out-of-status-work violations.
外国人の受入れ・秩序ある共生のための総合的対応策 ④ ⅲ · Checked on 2026-10-22
The measures list as a future task a review of how out-of-status permission and its management should work, including how Japanese-language institutions track and guide their students' part-time work; the only mention of the 28-hour weekly limit is in describing the problem of students working beyond it, and no change to the limit is proposed.
外国人の受入れ・秩序ある共生のための総合的対応策 ④ ⅳ 今後の課題 · Checked on 2026-10-22
For universities judged to have a seriously inappropriate student-management system, the measures say new international students will in principle not be accepted until improvement is shown, as a tightening of status review.
外国人の受入れ・秩序ある共生のための総合的対応策ウ外国人留学生に対する支援に係る運用の適正化 · Checked on 2026-10-22
The January 2026 comprehensive measures are the basis the agency cites for the 2026 changes to Japanese-language institution intake, namely the mandatory test or interview proof of A1 Japanese and the three-monthly check on students' part-time work.
日本語教育機関に入学する者に係る運用の一部見直しについて · Checked on 2026-10-22 · In force from 2026-07-01
For applications from 15 April 2026, employers in category 3 or 4 must add a statement from the head of the organization and, for jobs mainly using language skills with people, proof of B2-level ability in the working language.
在留資格「技術・人文知識・国際業務」お知らせ · Checked on 2026-10-22 · In force from 2026-04-15
A school that is not selected as properly managing is placed under careful review instead of simplified procedures, and a notified Japanese-language institution that receives the "not properly managed" notice three years in a row can be removed from the list.
教育機関の選定について第2 1 · Checked on 2026-10-22
The notification standards for Japanese-language institutions were last partly revised on 1 June 2025, and the interpretation guideline on 1 September 2026, while notified institutions must still obtain certification by 31 March 2029.
日本語教育機関の告示基準に基づく各種報告について · Checked on 2026-10-22 · In force from 2026-09-01

Information only. Not legal advice and not an official service. Check the official source and consult the Immigration Services Agency or a licensed administrative scrivener (行政書士) before you decide.