“Student” VISA of Japan – Application procedure, Documents, Legal requirements

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• 日本語

Application Procedure of “Student” VISA (COE) of Japan

Foreign student has to go through 5 steps for getting “Student” VISA (COE) and starting to stay in Japan.

It must be noted that the most important and most difficult step in the above 5 steps is getting Certificate of Eligibility. This is because:

• Result of visa application is firmly related to result of COE application;
• COE application can be made only in Japan (online application is available, however, IP addresses out of Japan are prohibited by the server); and
• In many cases, Immigration Services Agency of Japan requires the documents that are not officially announced in the law.

For the above reasons, many students ask Gyousei-shoshi (Certified Administrative Scrivener / Immigration Lawyer) to support their application for COE.

Application Documents for Certificate of Eligibility (COE) of “Student”

• Sheet of application for certificate of eligibility
  
  　　➡ External Link: Format
  
  
• Photo of applicant
  
  　　➡ External Link: Photograph requirements
  
  
• Copy of permission of entrance issued by the organization where the applicant will study
  
  
• Document proving the applicant’s ability to pay all the expenses during his/her stay in Japan
  or
  Letter of financial support(in case other person pays expenses on behalf of the applicant)
  ⇒ Reference form (Japanese)
  
  
• Copy of lecture registration
  or
  Document from the organization proving the content of research, the subjects, and the number of hours (in case the applicant studies as a research student or audit student)
  
  
• Certificate of graduation and document proving the applicant’s personal history (in case the applicant studies in high school or junior high school in Japan)
  
  
• Materials demonstrating the overview of the place of accommodation where the applicant is to lead their daily life (in case the applicant studies in junior high school or elementary school in Japan)

* The above listed documents are the ones announced in Regulation for Enforcement of the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act, however, there might be additionally required documents in the practical procedure. In addition, the content of documents to be submitted differs according to the circumstances of each applicant.

* Japanese translation shall be accompanied to the documents written in non-Japanese languages.

Legal Requirements for Certificate of Eligibility (COE) of “Student”

• Applicability of status of residence

“Applicability of status of residence” is satisfied when the following activities match each other:

• the activity that the applicant will conduct while in Japan; and
• the activity that is designated in the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act for the status of residence the applicant applies for.

Student is recognized to satisfy applicability of status of residence if his/her purpose of stay in Japan is “to study in a school in Japan as a student”. More specifically, the activity designated to the status of “Student” is shown in Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act as follows;

Activities to receive an education at a university, technical college, senior high school (including the second semester course at a school for secondary education), senior high school course of a special-needs school, junior high school (including the second semester course at a compulsory education school and the first semester course of at a school for secondary education) or a junior high school course of a special-needs school, elementary school (including the first semester course at a compulsory education school) or an elementary school course of a special-needs school, advanced vocational school, miscellaneous school or an equivalent educational institution in terms of facilities and organization in Japan.

Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act

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• Satisfying landing permission criteria

“Landing permission criteria” is satisfied when the applicant satisfies the conditions that are required to enter Japan. Each status of residence has unique conditions. Landing permission criteria of each status of residence is set forth in the Ministerial Order.

Please refer to the following Word file to check the landing permission criteria.

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• Not to fall under reasons of refusal to land

Foreigner who falls under any one of reasons of refusal to land is denied to enter Japan.

Reasons of refusal to land are classified into 5 groups and each group has detailed reasons. The detail is shown in the following page.

　　➡ Reason of Refusal of Land (ENG. ver. coming soon!)

Extension of Period of Stay

The period of stay given to “Student” is 4 years and 3 months at longest.

Application for extension of period of stay shall be made if a student would like to continue to stay in Japan with status of “Student” even after the original period of stay has passed for any reasons (for example, when failing to graduate the school).

　　➡ Application for Extension of Period of Stay (ENG. ver. coming soon!)

Change of Status of Residence

Application for change of status of residence shall be made when a student would like to continue to stay in Japan even after graduation.

The major cases where a student (a person who stays in Japan with status of residence of “Student”) must change the status of residence are as follows.

　　➡ Guideline for changing VISA (status of residence) in Japan – Documents, Requirements, Timing to apply

• In case a student is employed by company after graduation

In this case, status of residence must be changed to the one suiting the job description.

　　➡ Types of “Status of Residence” in Japan (ENG. ver. coming soon!)

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• In case a student continues to stay in Japan for job hunting after graduation

In this case, status of residence must be changed to “Designated Activities”.

If a student continues to stay in Japan without changing the status of residence, it is recognized illegal stay and it would be harder to get the permission for change of status of residence thereafter.

Frequently Asked Question

Q. Can I apply for COE of “Student” from foreign country?

A. The application can be made only in Japan.

The application must be made at the office of Immigration Services Agency of Japan, in principle, by applicant, applicant’s agent set forth in Japanese law or certified administrative scrivener (called “Gyousei-shoshi” in Japanese).

Online application is available, however, it is available only in Japan. This is because IP addresses out of Japan are regulated to access the WEB page of online application.

Certificate of Eligibility (COE) of Japan – Procedure, Documents, Examination, Where to apply
External Link: Immigration Services Agency of Japan / Online Application System

Q. Must foreign student change status of residence to engage in part-time job?

A. No, however, “Permission to engage in activities other than permitted under the status of residence” is necessary.

When foreign student engages in part-time job without above permission, it is illegal working and thus penalty would be applied. You can check the detail of the permission for engaging in the activities that are not permitted to the current status of residence.

Related Post: Permission to engage in activities other than permitted under the status of residence (ENG. ver. coming soon!)

Q. Can I change my status of residence from “Student” to another one when I join a Japanese company?

A. You have to change your status of residence to the one that suits the contents of the job you will engage in.

Application for change of status of residence must be made after the reason for change is fixed. When joining a Japanese company, a notice of offer from a Japanese company is generally recognized as the reason for change of status of residence.

Additionally, application for change of status of residence is accepted, in general, only when remaining period of time until the start of employment contract is about 3 months or less. The application made earlier than this timing can be refused.

Change of VISA in Japan – Document, Requirement, When to apply

Q. I failed to get a notice of offer from Japanese company while in school. Can I continue job hunting in Japan even after graduation?

A. You have to change your status of residence to continue job hunting in Japan.

More specifically, your status of residence has to be changed to “Designated Activities” for continuous job hunting.

For this status of residence, 1 year additional stay is permitted at longest. Additionally, part-time job within 28 hours/week might be permitted by making designated application.

Related Post: Permission to engage in activities other than permitted under the status of residence (ENG. ver. coming soon!)

If you have some questions or points to be more deeply explained, please feel free to ask us through the contact form!

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