Student to Work Visa Japan: 2026 Guide

If you are already in Japan and will undertake activities under a different status of residence, you may apply for 在留資格変更許可申請 (zairyū shikaku henkō kyoka shinsei, application for permission to change status of residence). This procedure is for a foreign national who is in Japan under a current status of residence and seeks to change to another status because their intended activities have changed.

One work-status category to consider is 技術・人文知識・国際業務 (gijutsu/jinbun chishiki/kokusai gyōmu, Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services). Whether it applies depends on the actual activities you will perform.

What changing status means

The Immigration Services Agency describes a change-of-status application as the procedure for a foreign national who is already in Japan and will change their purpose of residence to undertake activities under another status of residence. Immigration Services Agency change-of-status procedure

For Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services, covered activities include work under a contract with a public or private organization in Japan that requires skills or knowledge in natural sciences or humanities, or work requiring thought or sensitivity based on a foreign culture. Examples given by the Agency include engineers, interpreters, designers, language teachers at private companies, and marketing workers. Immigration Services Agency: Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services

A change-of-status application requires that the proposed activity is genuine, falls within an activity covered by the requested status, and that there is sufficient reason to find the change appropriate. Immigration Services Agency change-of-status procedure

Start with the actual duties, then choose the status

Read the activity description for the status you plan to request and compare it with the work you will actually perform.

For Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services applications involving category 3 or category 4 receiving organizations, the official materials list documents concerning the applicant’s activities as well as education, career history, and other background. For category 1 and category 2 organizations, other materials are in principle unnecessary. Immigration Services Agency document list

A university graduation certificate or equivalent evidence of education is listed among the applicable materials. Relevant work experience may be evidenced through employment certificates and other records showing the period of relevant work. Immigration Services Agency document list

For a graduate of a Japanese vocational school, documents showing that you received the title of 専門士 (senmonshi, Diploma) or 高度専門士 (kōdo senmonshi, Advanced Diploma) are specifically listed where applicable. Immigration Services Agency document list

Confirm the work covered by the requested category

Job titles such as “staff,” “assistant,” or “coordinator” do not themselves determine the appropriate status. The relevant question is whether the proposed activities fall within those covered by the requested status.

For Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services, this can include activities requiring technical or humanities knowledge, or activities requiring thought or sensitivity based on a foreign culture. Check the official activity description before filing. Immigration Services Agency status overview

When to apply

You may apply for a change of status after the reason for the change arises and before the expiry date of your current period of stay. Immigration Services Agency change-of-status procedure

The Agency’s stated standard processing period for a change-of-status application is one to two months. Build time for employer documents, school records where required, and any Japanese translations into your plan.

The Agency notes that a person who is not engaging in the activities of their original status may be subject to revocation of status. Immigration Services Agency change-of-status procedure

Student to work visa Japan: step-by-step

1. Confirm the proposed work status

Read the activity description for the status you plan to request. For Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services, confirm that the actual role involves activities covered by that status. Immigration Services Agency status overview

If the work does not fit this category, identify the status that matches the actual activity before completing the application.

2. Obtain the employment-conditions document

Where an employment contract is concluded, the official list requires the document given to the worker that states working conditions under Article 15(1) of the Labour Standards Act and the related regulations. Immigration Services Agency document list

If the applicant will work under a dispatch arrangement, additional documents are listed. These include documents showing the applicant’s activities at the dispatch destination and the dispatch-contract period. Immigration Services Agency document list

3. Collect applicable education and career evidence

For applicable category 3 and category 4 Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services applications, prepare a résumé that states the institutions, duties, and periods of work involving the technical knowledge or skills relevant to the application.

The official list includes a university graduation certificate or equivalent educational evidence. It also includes employment certificates and other documents showing relevant work periods. A school certificate recording the period during which relevant subjects were studied may be used as applicable. Immigration Services Agency document list

Documents prepared in a foreign language must be accompanied by a Japanese translation. Immigration Services Agency guidance

4. Ask the employer for applicable company documents

The employer’s document requirements vary by category. Category 1 and category 2 organizations in principle do not need to submit other materials. For applicable category 3 and category 4 applications, the listed materials include a certificate of registered matters, documents explaining the organization’s business, and a copy of the most recent financial statements. A new business may submit a business plan instead. Immigration Services Agency document list

Ask the company’s human-resources contact to identify its category and use the current official checklist.

5. File the change-of-status application

Submit the application form and supporting documents for the requested status. A photograph is generally required for an Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services change-of-status application, but it is not required where the applicant will be under one year old on the date the residence card is issued, or where the requested status will not make the person a mid-to-long-term resident. You must present your passport and residence card. Immigration Services Agency document list

Apply to the regional immigration office with jurisdiction over your residence. The application may also be filed online. Immigration Services Agency change-of-status procedure

If permission is granted, the fee is ¥6,000 for an in-person application, or ¥5,500 for an online application.

Document checklist for a 留学 就労ビザ 変更

Use this as a planning checklist, then verify the exact category-specific list on the official page before filing:

• Change of Status of Residence application form.
• Required photograph, subject to the listed exceptions.
• Passport and residence card for presentation.
• For an employment contract, the document stating working conditions under the Labour Standards Act.
• Résumé showing applicable education and career history.
• Graduation certificate or equivalent educational evidence, where required.
• Evidence of relevant work experience, where applicable.
• Evidence of the employer’s category.
• For applicable employer categories, company registration documents, business information, and recent financial statements or a business plan.
• For dispatched workers, the listed dispatch-related documents.
• Japanese translations for documents prepared in another language.

Japanese-issued certificates must generally be issued within three months before submission. Immigration may also request documents beyond the published list during examination. Immigration Services Agency guidance

From 15 April 2026, applicants associated with category 3 or 4 organizations must submit a declaration concerning the organization’s representative. Where the role mainly involves interpersonal work using language ability—such as translation, interpretation, hotel-front work, or customer service—evidence of language ability equivalent to CEFR B2 must be submitted in the circumstances specified by the Agency. Immigration Services Agency guidance

Points to check before filing

The official sources do not provide a universal list of refusal reasons. They do, however, set out the criteria and required materials that applicants should check carefully.

The proposed work must fit the requested status. Immigration requires that the planned activity is genuine and falls within an activity covered by the requested status. Immigration Services Agency change-of-status procedure

Submit the documents required for the employer’s category. Category-specific materials differ. For applicable categories, registration, business-information, and financial documents are listed. Incomplete submissions may substantially delay examination or result in an adverse disposition. Immigration Services Agency guidance

Check language-based duties early. For positions mainly involving interpersonal work using language ability, review the current category 3 and category 4 requirements and submit evidence of CEFR B2-equivalent language ability where required. Immigration Services Agency guidance

File before your current period of stay expires. Submit after the reason for the change arises and before the expiry date of your current period of stay. Immigration Services Agency change-of-status procedure

Final preparation check

Before you submit, compare every document against the current official checklist for your intended status and employer category.

The core requirements are that the proposed activity is genuine, that it falls within the requested status, and that the change is supported by sufficient reason to be considered appropriate.

Common questions