Status of Residence after Graduation

The Status of Residence of “Student” is valid only during the period of your enrollment. If you graduate from the university, you will be required to leave the country even if there is time remaining on your status as a “Student.”

Extension of Period of Stay/ Changing Status of Residence to prepare for departure

If the period of stay of your Status of Residence expires just before your planned departure from Japan, you may apply for an extension of period of stay to prepare for your departure. The same documents indicated on page 16, “5 Extension of Period of Stay,” are required to apply for an extension.

If you wish to extend your stay to prepare for departure, you must promptly change your status to an appropriate Status of Residence (eg. Short-term Stay, etc.). Staying on as a “Student” will be illegal.

Note:
If you change your Status of Residence from “Student” to “Temporary Visa” to prepare for departure, you will no longer be considered a mid- to long-term resident. Ask the City (Ward) Office beforehand whether you will lose your right to receive benefits from the City (Ward) Office.
If your period of stay already extends beyond the planned graduation/completion date to allow for a period of time to prepare to leave Japan, changing the Status of Residence to a “Temporary Visa” to prepare for departure will in principle not be permitted.
Once your Status of Residence has been changed to a Temporary Visa, you are not permitted to change your Status of Residence again to any other type.

Working in Japan (Obtaining a Working Visa)

You are not permitted to work under the Status of Residence of “Student” and will thus be obliged to apply for the Status of Residence appropriate to your profession in the period between finding employment and starting work. Two such statuses are “Specialist in Humanities/International Services” or “Engineer.” If you are due to start work in April, the Tokyo Regional Immigration Services Bureau accepts applications for change of visa status from December of the previous year. It usually takes 1 to 2 months for applications to be processed. Make sure to apply in advance so that you have the appropriate Status of Residence by the time you start work.

You may be able to apply for the change of your Status of Residence to a “Designated Activities (for those who have a gap period before they actually start working).” In case you are granted this Status of Residence by the Immigration Services Bureau, you may remain in Japan until the day you will start working. To apply for the change, enquire at the company (to which you have been accepted) about the necessary procedure. Official documents from the company, such as a schedule for the period, etc. will be required to apply.

Seeking Employment in Japan after Graduation

You are not permitted to seek employment with the Status of Residence of “Student” following graduation. Note that your Status of Residence will be rendered invalid at graduation even if your Residence Card states there is a period of time remaining until the expiry. If you wish to remain in Japan to seek employment after graduation, you must apply to change your Status of Residence to “Designated Activities,” which grants a 6-month period of stay. This Status of Residence may be extended one time, meaning that you will be permitted to stay for a period of up to 1 year after graduation to seek employment. (Degree-seeking students are eligible. Please note that non-degree-seeking students, such as JLP Students, Non-Degree Students, Research Students, and Short-term International Students are NOT eligible.) You will need a letter of recommendation from Keio University to obtain this Status of Residence. An interview will be carried out before a letter of recommendation is issued. For more information, contact the International Office at your main affiliated campus.