Procedures for Staying in Japan

留学生に関する出入国・在留手続き

Procedures for Staying in Japan

1.Residence Card

2.Notification of Place of Residence

3.Extension of Period of Stay

4.Change of Status of Residence

5.Temporary Leave from Japan and Re-entry

6.Out-of Status Activities

7.Post Graduation Status of Residence:‘Designated Activities’

1. Residence Card

A residencet card will be issued to mid-to long-term residents who are granted permission pertaining to residence, such as landing permission, permission for change of resident status, and permission for an extension of their period of stay.
If the applicants have come to Japan for the first time landing, at Narita, Haneda, Chubu, Kansai, Hiroshima, Fukuoka and New Chitose Airports, besides having a seal of landing verification stamped in their passports, mid-to long-term residents will be issued a residence card. At other ports of entry/departure, they will be given a notification in their passport that “A resident card will be issued later.” In this case, a residence card will be issued after a mid-to long-term resident follows the residency procedures at the municipal office of their city/town/village. After satisfactorily completing the required procedures, a resident card will be mailed by the Regional Immigration Office to the reported place of residence.（It takes about 1-2 weeks）
After the residence card is issued, the resident must carry it at all times. A resident card serves as an official certificate to receive government services such as education, medical care, and welfare. Since this card is a very important document, the holder should make a copy and keep it in a safe location, in case the original gets misplaced. If a resident card is lost or stolen, the holder must apply for reissuance at the immigration bureau as soon as possible.
When items recorded in Residence Card are to change, the card holder must go through procedures to update the information on the card.


・Change of place of residence → at the municipal offices
・Change of name, date of birth, gender, or nationality/region →　at the immigration bureau

Immigration Bureau：http://www.immi-moj.go.jp/english/index.html

2. Notification of Place of Residence

First time residents in Japan must report within 14 days of arrival to the municipal office where they live with their resident cards (if issued) and passports, and notify the Ministry of Justice.
When applying for notification of place of residence, it is advisable to obtain a copy of the Certificate of Residence. This document requires a separate application. It costs 300 JPY.
If a Resident card have not yet been issued, a Copy of the Certificate of Residence is necessary to open a postal or bank account. This is particularly important for Japanese Government (Monbukagakusho) Scholarship students, as they must open a postal account to receive their scholarship money.

3．Extension of Period of Stay

Before the expiration of the period of stay, foregin students must apply for an extension at the Immigration Bureau.
Applications are accepted from 3 months before expiration.
Please inform the appropriate staff person at the International Affairs Department if you need an extension of Period of Stay.

Required documents

• Application form for Extension of Period of Stay (The name of the sponsoring organization and official seal of the organization are required.)
• Certificate of Student Status
• Transcript of School Records (Regular Students only)
• Passport
• Alien Registration Certificate or the Residence Card
• Financial Supporting Documents (such as certificate of scholarship award, a copy of the applicant's bank book, wage script or certificate of payment from your employer)
• Certificate of Tuition fee Exemption
• A copy of National Health Insurance Card
• Certificate for payment of fee: 4,000 yen (revenue stamp' available at SEIKYO “co-op” or post office.)
• Photo (4cm×3cm):for the Resident Card

※Other documents may be required depending on conditions.

■Important: After Graduation / Finishing Studies

When an international student graduates, finishes their studies, or abandons their studies, and is no longer registered with the university, the person may no longer reside in Japan under the status of residence as “college student.” This is regardless of the period of time left on the international student’s official “period of stay.” If a former international student wishes to stay in Japan for a certain purpose, such as looking for employment, it is necessary for that person to change their legal status of residence. Failure to do so is “illegal residency.”

4．Change of Status of Residence

International students are granted the status of residence of “college student.” Foreign people residing in Japan with the status of residence of “dependant” or “spouse/child of a Japanese national” do not have “college student” status of residence. To apply for scholarships or the tutor system for college students, it is necessary to have “college student” residence status. If a person who will be an international students has entered Japan with the status of residence other than “college student,” the person can apply at the regional immigration office to have their visa status changed after admission to “college student.”

5． Temporary Leave from Japan and Re-entry

When international students temporarily wish to go home or travel abroad, they must report to the section for international students at the faculty or graduate school where they belong. Foreign nationals in possession of a valid passport and residence card (or Alien registration certificate) who will be re-entering Japan within 1 year※ of their departure to continue their activities in Japan will, in principle, not be required to apply for a re-entry permit. Present the completed ED card(Arrival/Departure) together with your resident card, inspector to the immigration at your departure/re-entry.
※If your period of stay expires within 1 year after your departure, please ensure that you re-enter Japan before the expiration of your period of stay.

Be sure to present your residence card at departure and indicate your intention of re-entering Japan.

6． Out-of-Status Activities

Students with status of residence as "College Student" are prohibited from working in Japan. Students may work limited hours with permission, however, to help defray academic or living expenses as long as the job does not interfere with their studies.
Students who need to work, should go to the nearest immigration bureau to submit the required application documents. Students who will work as Teaching Assistants (TA) or Research Assistants (RA) at Okayama University are under the agreement between the student and Okayama University so do not have to receive "the permission of Out-of Status Activities."

Students who work must strictly observe the following rules:

• Students cannot work longer than 28 hours a week. During the officially designated spring, summer and winter vacations, working hours are limited to 8 hours a day (the working hours of TAs, RAs, and educational trainees have no limit).
• Students cannot work in the entertainment and amusement businesses such as bars, cabarets, and pachinko parlors.

*Note:
There are serious consequences for international students who are found working in banned types of employment or beyond permitted working hours. They will be considered illegal workers, may be exposed to criminal liability, and may be expelled from Japan.

Things necessary for the permission procedure：

• Application form for Special Permission to Engage in Out-of-Status Activities
• Passport
• Alien Registration Certificate or Residence Card

■Important: Leave of Absence from studies

*Rule: Return to country!
If an international student is absent from their studies for more than three months, their status as an international student and residency status as a college student will be revoked.

*Rule: Ban on work!
While on a leave of absence international students are not permitted to work.

7．Post Graduation Status of Residence:‘Designated Activities’

When international students who are enrolled in Okayama University as regular students want to continue looking for employment in Japan after graduation, the status of residence must be changed from ‘College Student’ to ‘Designated Activities’ . If the application is accepted the applicant is allowed to stay in Japan after graduation for 6 months. The period stay may be renewed only one time for a maximum total extension period of one year. In addition, if the application for a change in status of residence from “College Student” to “Designated Activities” is accepted, the applicant may also apply for permission to work part-time by individual application. Successful applicants may work a maximum of 28 hours or less per week.
International students MUST understand that they cannot continue seeking employment in Japan with a ‘College Student’ visa after they have graduated. By definition they are no longer ‘College Students’. In addition, when applying for a change in status of residence, International students require a recommendation from Okayama University.


*The Recommendation from the university is issued at the International Affairs Department. A further set of procedures and documents are required to obtain a Recommendation from the university. The application MUST be submitted to the International Affairs Department before graduation. No applications for a Recommendation from the university will be accepted from former students who have already graduated.
The application for the Recommendation from the university is available at the International Affairs Department.
・The signature and seal of the applicant’s supervisor are required on the application.
・Documents certifying that the applicant can defray all the expenses incurred during the extended stay in Japan such as a bankbook copy or a Certificate of the deposit balance of the applicant’s bank account.
・Certificate of expected graduation
・Documents certifying that the applicant is continuing their employment search

The following documents are required to apply for a change of Status of Residence:
・Application form for Change of Status of Residence
・Photo (4cm×3cm)
・Passport
・Residence card
・Documents certifying that the applicant can defray expenses incurred during the extended stay in Japan
・Certificate of Graduation
・Recommendation from the university
・Documents certifying that the applicant will continue job-hunting
・Certificate for payment of fee: 4,000yen (revenue stamp’ available at SEIKYO ‘co-op’ or post office)

*Attention
・Documents certifying that an applicant is looking for employment include the visit records for at least 6 months to the Career Development Center, Hello Work (Public employment security office), companies, or attendance records to briefings for job applicants.
・Applications may be rejected if the applicants are looking for employment outside of the major field in their course of study. Therefore, looking for employment outside of an applicant’s field of study is NOT considered looking for employment.
・Successful applicants for a change of status of residence must submit monthly reports on their employment search to the International Affairs Department. Individuals who fail to submit monthly employment search reports will not receive a Recommendation from the university for the second extension to their visa.
Applicants who have changes in their contact information, who will leave Japan, or who have found employment, please inform the International Affairs Department immediately.

8. Inviting Family to Japan/ Having Family Stay in Japan