A GUIDE TO EMPLOYMENT FOR FOREIGN STUDENTS by JASSO

Job Hunting/Work in Japan

As international students, your current status of residence is “College Student”, which allows you to study at university. You are not permitted to work under the status "College Student" and therefore after finding employment and before you start work you need to apply to have you status changed to a status which permits employment, such as "Specialist in Humanities/International Services" or "Engineer". If you are due to start work in April, the Tokyo Regional Immigration Bureau accepts applications for change of status from December of the previous year. It usually takes 1 to 2 months for your application to be processed. You should apply in advance so that you have the correct status of residence by the time you start work.

You can also refer to A GUIDE TO EMPLOYMENT FOR FOREIGN STUDENTS by JASSO.

The “College Student” status of residence allows you to study at university, and under this status you are not allowed to continue to seek employment after you have graduated, even if your period of stay is still valid. If you wish to continue to seek employment in Japan after graduation, you can change your status of residence to “Designated Activities.” This status of residence may be extended once, meaning that you will be allowed to stay for a period of up to 1 year after graduation.
If you want to change your status of residence, first ask at the International Center or corresponding office at your campus. You will need a letter of recommendation from the University to obtain this status of residence. An interview will be carried out before issuing the letter of recommendation. Make sure to bring the following documents with you to the interview (you will also need these to apply to the Immigration Bureau):

1. Documentation certifying your ability to cover all necessary financial expenses while staying in Japan

2. Certificate of Graduation OR Certificate of Expected Graduation

3. Documentation from the University confirming that you are actively seeking employment. (This may be a written document indicating a list of companies visited so far, or your future schedule of job hunting.) *

*You are allowed to work part-time while actively seeking full-time employment, under the status of residence of “Designated Activities”. If you wish to continue doing the part-time work you did as a student, also bring documentation showing proof of employment (your employment contract) when you come to the interview. 

Note About Internships

Contact Us