Hello, my name is Koji Oda, a Certified Administrative Procedures Legal Specialist (Gyoseishoshi) based in the Hanshin area of Hyogo Prefecture, including Kobe, Nishinomiya, Amagasaki, Itami, Takarazuka, and Kawanishi.
My practice focuses mainly on residence status (visa applications) and also provides support for inheritance matters and wills involving foreign residents, offering practical legal assistance rooted in the local community.
In this article, I would like to introduce a real case involving a procedure that frequently occurs when international students start working in Japan:
Changing a Student visa to a Work visa (“Engineer / Specialist in Humanities / International Services”).
This information may be helpful both for companies planning to hire foreign employees and international students who wish to work in Japan.
International Students Must Change Their Residence Status to Work in Japan
When an international student finds a job in Japan, they generally need to change their residence status from:
Student → Engineer / Specialist in Humanities / International Services
or another residence status that allows employment.
During this process, the Immigration Services Agency of Japan typically examines factors such as:
- The relationship between the applicant’s academic major and job duties
- The business activities of the employing company
- The employment conditions, including salary
For this reason, the accuracy, consistency, and clarity of the submitted documents are extremely important.
This Case (A Real Example)
In this case, the applicant was an international student attending a vocational school in Japan.
Although the student had not yet graduated, the applicant had already secured employment. Therefore, we submitted the application for change of residence status together with a Certificate of Expected Graduation.
This approach is commonly used for students who are expected to graduate from vocational schools or universities in Japan.
The Review Was Completed Faster Than Expected
In this case, the review was completed in about one week after submission.
This was actually the fastest case I have experienced so far.
The review period for residence status applications can vary greatly depending on the case and the timing of the application. In some situations, it may take several months before a decision is issued.
Since this application was submitted near the end of the fiscal year, when immigration offices are often particularly busy, I had expected the process might take longer. Therefore, I was truly grateful for the prompt review.
The Immigration Services Agency handles an enormous number of applications every day, and I believe the officers responsible for reviewing these applications must have a very demanding workload.
As a professional assisting with immigration procedures, I also try to minimize the burden on the reviewing officers by organizing the necessary documents carefully and presenting them in a clear and concise manner. When application documents are well-organized, the review process can sometimes proceed more smoothly.
For this application, we prepared and submitted the following key documents:
- Certificate of Expected Graduation
- Employment Contract
- Materials explaining the company’s business activities
- A document describing the applicant’s job duties
By organizing these materials clearly, the reviewing officer can understand the situation more easily, which may help the procedure proceed smoothly.
Documents Required After Graduation
In this case, the review was completed before the applicant graduated. Therefore, in order to receive the residence card, the following documents must be submitted after graduation:
- Certificate of Graduation
or - A copy of the Diploma
- A document certifying the title of “Specialist” (Senmonshi)
When a student graduates from a Japanese vocational school, they may be awarded the title “Specialist (Senmonshi)”, which is used to confirm that the educational requirement for the work visa has been met.
(In this particular case, the applicant also had both a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree from their home country.)
Early Preparation Is Important
When hiring foreign employees, several important factors must be considered, such as:
- The type of residence status
- The relationship between academic background and job duties
- The details of the job description
If either the company or the international student proceeds without fully understanding the system, the procedure may take longer than expected or lead to unexpected complications.
For this reason, it is very important to check the immigration requirements early when planning to hire foreign employees.
Consultation on Foreign Employment and Visa Applications
At my office, we provide consultation and support for matters such as:
- Residence status (visa applications)
- Support for hiring foreign employees
- Change and renewal of residence status
While our services mainly cover the Hanshin area (Kobe, Nishinomiya, Amagasaki, Itami, Takarazuka, Kawanishi, etc.), we are also able to provide online consultations.
If you are facing difficulties with hiring foreign employees or visa procedures, please feel free to contact us.
