2025-10-29

Many international students who study at Japanese universities end up working for Japanese companies after graduation. What procedures are required in such cases? We explain in detail below.

Characteristics of the Student Visa

The Student Visa is a status of residence granted for the purpose of pursuing academic studies in Japan. It generally applies to students attending universities, vocational schools, or Japanese language schools.

Since the purpose of staying in Japan is “to study,” employment is fundamentally not permitted. However, by obtaining “Permission for Activities Outside the Scope of Status of Residence,” part-time work for up to 28 hours per week becomes possible. Many international students can be seen working part-time at convenience stores, restaurants, factories, and similar places.

However, after graduating from school or completing their studies, it is not possible to find employment in Japan while remaining on a “Student Visa.” If you wish to work in Japan after graduation, you must change to a “work-related” residence status. Particularly for jobs utilizing specialized knowledge or skills, such as in science, engineering, or IT fields, changing to a Engineer visa is the standard method.

Features of the Tech/Humanities/International Services Visa

As explained earlier, the official name of this visa is “Technical/Humanities/International Services.” This status is necessary for foreigners to engage in specialized professional work in Japan.

Its purpose is to enable individuals to work utilizing knowledge acquired at universities or vocational schools, or practical experience gained abroad. A key feature is the wide range of eligible occupations, including system engineer, mechanical design, accounting, marketing, trade operations, and interpretation.

Another characteristic of this visa is that it requires either “specialized knowledge” or “academic background or practical experience.” Typical examples include international students who studied information engineering working as programmers at IT companies, or foreigners who studied international relations working in international business at trading companies.

However, simple labor jobs like restaurant work or factory line work are not covered by this status. Therefore, it is crucial that the acquired specialized field is relevant to the job duties at the prospective employer.

How to Change from a Student Visa to a Engineer visa

Changing from a student visa to a Engineer visa requires having a job offer from a company as a fundamental prerequisite. After securing employment through job hunting, you must sign an employment contract with the company and then submit an “Application for Change of Status of Residence” to the Immigration Services Agency (ISA).

Required documents include the application form, passport, residence card, academic transcript/certificate of expected graduation, employment contract, and the company’s certificate of registered matters and financial statements. After submission, the application undergoes review, which examines the relevance between your academic background and the job duties, the company’s stability and legality, and the salary level (which must be equal to or higher than that of Japanese nationals).

Particularly, whether “the major studied at university aligns with the job duties” is a major factor determining approval or denial. Since it takes approximately 1 to 3 months after application for a result, it is necessary to start preparing the application early, timed with graduation. Also, consider seeking support from a professional, such as an administrative scrivener, if needed.

Summary

International students in Japan who wish to secure employment must change their status to a work-related residence status. Since the process from application to approval takes approximately 1 to 3 months, it is essential to begin preparing the application once a job offer is received from a company.