For international students who want to continue job hunting after graduation! Explanation of "Designated Activities Visa"!
Foreign students who have graduated from school in Japan and have not found a job must obtain a "Designated Activities Visa" in order to continue their job search in Japan.
In this article, we will carefully explain the important points about the specified activity visa, such as the conditions for obtaining it, how to apply for it, and the timing. It is full of useful information for international students who wish to continue job hunting in Japan after graduation, so please read to the end.
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How can international students continue their job search after graduation?
Many international students attending Japanese universities and other institutions are probably diligently seeking employment in Japan before graduation. However, due to various reasons, some may reach the day of graduation without finding their ideal job.
Japanese students can continue their job search after graduation, but this is not so easy for international students due to visa issues. When a foreign student graduates from a Japanese school, the "college student visa" that he/she has held until then is no longer valid. In other words, they cannot continue to stay in Japan after graduation with a college student visa.
Therefore, in order for international students to continue their job search after graduation,"Designated Activities Visa"If you obtain a visa for specified activities, you can legally live in Japan for up to one year after graduating from school and focus on job hunting activities. If you obtain a special activity visa, you can legally live in Japan for up to one year after graduating from school and focus on job hunting activities.
There are several conditions that must be met in order to switch to a specific activity visa, but if you prepare well in advance of graduation, you should be able to proceed smoothly with the switching process.
What is a Designated Activities Visa?
What is a specific activity visa?Visa for the purpose of staying in Japan to engage in activities that do not fall under any other status of residenceThis refers to the following. Japanese visas include various types of work visas and visas for the purpose of sightseeing or studying abroad, but no visa category has been established specifically for "job hunting" activities. Also, there is no clear visa classification for activities such as "working holiday" and "internship.
The "Designated Activities" status of residence is available for foreigners who engage in activities that are not covered by Japan's existing visa framework. The Immigration Bureau handles all such cases under the category of "Designated Activities".
For a specific activity visa to engage in employment activities,Up to 1 yearThe visa is for those who are looking for a job that allows them to make the most of their expertise. This visa is for those who are looking for a job where they can make use of their expertise.
Requirements for applying for a specific activity visa
In order to obtain a Designated Activities Visa for the purpose of employment activities, you must fulfill the five basic conditions explained below.
However, in addition to the basic requirements described here, various other documents may be required on a case-by-case basis for actual application. When applying, please contact the Immigration and Immigration Management Agency atOfficial Web SiteWe recommend that you check the latest information on the following website, or consult with professionals such as your school's employment office or an administrative assistant.
Requirements 1-1: Graduated from a Japanese university or other institution.
To obtain a Designated Activities Visa, you must have graduated from a university, graduate school, junior college, or vocational school in Japan at the time of application. Since the applicant must be a full-time student, non-regular students such as credited auditors and auditing students are not eligible for the Designated Activities Visa.
Condition 1-2: Graduated from a Japanese language school in Japan after graduating from an overseas university.
While graduation from an educational institution in Japan is a requirement, there are exceptional cases where graduates of Japanese language schools in Japan are eligible for a Designated Activities Visa. This is the case where the graduate had graduated from an overseas university or graduate school prior to entering a Japanese language school.
This means that conditions 1-1 and 1-2 need only satisfy one of them.
Condition 2: Must have been looking for a job since before graduation.
Job hunting activities under the "Designated Activities Visa" are based on the premise that the job hunting activities "continued from before graduation" are to be continued. If you were not engaged in any job hunting activities before graduation, but started job hunting activities for the first time after graduation, you will not be eligible for a Designated Activities Visa. It is important to seriously engage in job-hunting activities while still in school and continue to do so after graduation.
Condition 3: The employment must be related to what you have studied in school.
Job hunting activities conducted with a Specially Designated Activities Visa must be related to the major field of study at a university or other institution.
For example, if you graduated from an IT technical college, but after graduation you only look for jobs in the hospitality industry, this is a case where it will be difficult to obtain a visa. It is necessary to find a job in order to make use of your expertise in society.
Condition 4: Have a "letter of recommendation" from the school.
A "letter of recommendation" from the school from which you graduated is required to apply for a Specially Designated Activities Visa. Generally, the graduate himself/herself requests the school to issue this letter of recommendation.
However, since the criteria and procedures for issuing letters of recommendation differ from school to school, it is advisable to first inquire at the employment office of the school from which you graduated. Starting the application process well in advance will lead to a smooth application process.
Condition 5: Ability to secure living expenses during job search.
The specified activity visa is a temporary visa until employment is found, during which time it is not uncommon for the visa holder to have no income. Therefore, when applying for a visa, it is necessary to show in detail how you will make living expenses during the period of job hunting.
If living expenses are to be covered by money sent from relatives or other sources, the applicant is required to submit documents proving the financial ability of the source of the money. On the other hand, if you are living on your own funds, you will need to show that you have a certain amount of money in your bank account, such as a certificate of bank balance.
How to apply for a Designated Activities Visa
Switching to a Designated Activities Visa to engage in employment activities is done through a procedure called "Application for Permission to Change Status of Residence". Specifically, it is necessary to submit an "Application for Permission to Change Status of Residence" and various other documents to the Immigration Bureau.
Whether or not the change from your current "college student visa" to a "special activity visa" will be approved is determined by an examination at the Immigration and Residence Management Agency. According to the official website of the Immigration and Residence Management Agency, this examination usually takes from two weeks to one month. Therefore, it is important to prepare your application well in advance.
In addition, as mentioned earlier, it is essential to obtain a letter of recommendation from the school from which you graduated in order to switch visas. Since it takes a certain amount of time to coordinate with the school, you are required to work systematically while being aware of the overall schedule.
If the application to switch visas is approved, the status of residence listed on the residence card will be changed from "College Student" to "Specially Designated Activities," which will enable the student to find a job after graduation.
It is important to prepare the documents as accurately as possible, as incomplete applications will make it difficult to pass the screening process.
Documents required to apply for a Designated Activities Visa
When applying for a visa to convert to a specific activity visa, the following documents are to be submitted, but this is only a basic list of documents.
We recommend that you check the final required documents in advance at the official website or consult with the Immigration Bureau, the school's employment office, or an administrative scrivener.
Also note that documents written in a foreign language must be accompanied by a Japanese translation. If you are ordering documents from your home country, take into account the time required for translation work.
| Required Documents | Description. |
|---|---|
| Application for Change of Status of Residence | A form to fill in the basic information for the application. It can be obtained from the regional immigration office or downloaded from the Immigration Office's website. |
| Photo | Size: 4 cm (H) x 3 cm (W), taken within 3 months prior to application. Applicant's name must be written on the back of the photo. |
| Passport and resident card | It is presented at the time of application, and a stamp or other stamp is applied when the change of status of residence is approved. |
| Documentation showing ability to cover expenses | Documents indicating how you will finance your living expenses during your job search. In the case of remittance, proof of balance of the remittance source; in the case of personal funds, proof of balance in the applicant's name, etc. |
| Graduation (completion) certificate | Issued by the educational institution where you were enrolled. For Japanese language schools, a certificate of graduation from an overseas university prior to enrollment in a Japanese language school is also required. |
| Letter of recommendation from graduating school | A statement by the graduating school of the person's grades and conduct while in school, as well as the nature of his/her job search after graduation. |
| Documents showing details of employment activities | An itinerary of company visits, copies of emails with interview schedules, brochures of information sessions, etc. |
These are the main documents required to apply for a Designated Activities Visa for employment activities.
All of these documents are important for your status during your stay in Japan, so please make sure to thoroughly check the contents and that they are complete before submitting them.
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summary
So far, we have explained in detail about the specified activity visa for foreign students seeking employment in Japan, from its outline to application procedures and required documents.
You may have felt that switching to a specific activity visa is a bit complicated, requiring various documents to be submitted and conditions to be met.
However, it is not a very difficult procedure if you check the necessary conditions and make preparations in a well-planned manner. It is important to consult with your school's employment office before graduation to gather the necessary documents, request letters of recommendation, and proceed in a timely manner.
In addition to general documents, you are strongly encouraged to include materials that demonstrate the nature of your employment activities in Japan.
The Specified Activities Visa is a reassuring ally that supports foreign students in their job search for up to one year. Please use this article as a reference and continue your activities to the best of your ability until you find a job that you are satisfied with.
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