Frequently Asked Questions and Answers in Working Visa Application Practice

When hiring Japanese students, the judgment regarding educational background and work experience is left to the company, and if it is within the scope of the Labor Law and the Minimum Wage Law, you can freely work including unskilled labor. However, if you are an international student, you need to pay attention to the following occupations.

The content of the work is not intended for unskilled labor (within the provisions of the Immigration Bureau of Japan)

Must not be a job type that "does not have a applicable status of residence" according to the relevant law of the Immigration Bureau of Japan.

By using the "Specific Skills" system that came into effect in April 2019, it is now possible to work in Japan even in industrial fields that could not be worked in Japan. Since it is just after the enforcement, related organizations are updated daily. Please check the website of the Immigration Bureau of Japan for the latest information.

[Reference] Efforts to accept new foreign human resources and realize a symbiotic society (establishment of status of residence "specific skills", etc.)

In order to promote the spread of Japanese food and food culture overseas, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries has established a system called "Japanese Cuisine Overseas Promotion Human Resources Development Project". As a result, the status of residence requirements for foreigners attending a culinary Professional Training College after graduation have been relaxed. Until now, I had no choice but to return to Japan after graduating from school, but if I study while working at a Japanese restaurant in Japan, I am now allowed to extend my period of stay up to 5 years as a special case. (From February 14, 2014) In order to receive special measures, it is a condition that the culinary Professional Training College and the host office (Japanese restaurant) prepare a training plan and obtain approval from the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. .. After certification, you can switch your status of residence from study abroad to specific activities.

The status of residence is divided into two, with and without work restrictions. There are no restrictions on employment, and there are five types of status of residence that allow you to work in the same way as Japanese people, including unskilled labor, and there are restrictions on other statuses of residence.

Must not be a job type that "does not have a applicable status of residence" according to the relevant law of the Immigration Bureau of Japan.

The new status of residence "Nursing Care" has been in full operation since September 1, 2017. Under the previous system, there is no status of residence for foreigners to work at nursing care sites, the shortage of human resources is becoming more serious due to the aging of the population, and despite the fact that recruitment of workers is being actively carried out, foreigners are welcomed. The door was not open. Foreigners who have graduated from a certified care worker training facility in Japan (such as a Professional Training College designated by the prefectural governor) and obtained a certified care worker qualification are also care workers due to the new status of residence "Nursing Care" due to the revision of the law. I am now able to work in the field.

In order to change the status of residence related to employment to the status of residence related to business management, it is necessary to prepare a situation in which you can do business on your own. Specifically, it is necessary to establish a company such as a joint-stock company in Japan, complete the company establishment registration, and make various notifications to the tax office. In addition, in the case of business that requires a permit for business, it is necessary to obtain a business permit from each administrative agency in advance, which makes the conditions more complicated than obtaining a status of residence as a company employee. In addition, corporate management in Japan also requires commercial culture and customs, so it is necessary to plan more carefully.

Foreigners who have a status of residence that allows them to stay in Japan for a long period of time can call their families from their home countries and live with them if certain conditions are met. Find out more about your status of residence, "Family Stay".
However, when compared with those who have a status of residence related to employment, such as whether the family including the person who is studying abroad has sufficient resources to live in Japan is also asked. It is necessary to consider that the hurdle to obtain the status of residence of "family stay" will be raised.

Formerly a foreigner who has a status of residence to stay in Japan for a long period of time obtains a "re-entry permit" from the Immigration Bureau of Japan before the departure date when temporarily leaving Japan for a temporary return or overseas business trip. I had to. However, due to the revision of the law, in recent years, if the departure period is less than one year, it is presumed that the person will return to Japan again, so it will be treated as "deemed re-entry" and will leave the country without any special procedure. You can now do things.
However, since departures for less than one year are considered as deemed re-entry, if there is a possibility of more than one year, you must still obtain a "re-entry permit".

In order for a foreigner to work in Japan, he / she must obtain a status of residence related to employment such as "technical / human knowledge / international business" or a status of residence related to status such as "Japanese spouse". In order to obtain a status of residence related to employment, it is required to acquire specialized knowledge and skills regarding the content to be employed, and the educational background to learn these specialized knowledge and skills is important. I will come. When graduating from a school in Japan, in addition to universities and junior colleges, Professional Training College may also be recognized as educational background depending on the work content. Even if you have graduated from an overseas university, you will be treated in the same way as a university in Japan, but you will not be certified by the state and you will just call it a "university". Or, cases of graduating from a Professional Training College overseas are not treated as educational background.

Foreigners can be hired as corporate workers in the same way as Japanese, but not all foreigners staying in Japan are allowed to work in the same way as Japanese. In particular, it should be noted that foreigners who want to learn Japanese technology as trainees need to obtain a status of residence as "training" rather than working. In principle, foreign workers are not allowed to do unskilled labor. It is necessary to confirm the working qualification and period of stay of the foreigner you are hiring, or if you are hiring a new graduate, your educational background and learning content.
Except for permanent residents, spouses of Japanese nationals, spouses of permanent residents, etc. If you do, you will need to make sure that you meet the requirements for a change request.

Even if it is held as part of a class at a university, junior college, or Professional Training College, or if you are staying on a job visa (status of residence: specific activity) after graduation, you can work at a company as a training activity and pay for it. If you want to get medical treatment or rewards, you need to get "permit to work outside the status of qualification". If a foreigner's status of residence is not workable, he / she will be able to receive compensation within 28 hours per week by obtaining permission for activities outside the status of residence at the Immigration Bureau of Japan. However, in the case of internship activities that exceed 28 hours / week as in this case, in addition to the application documents normally required when applying for permission for activities outside the status of qualification, the content of training conducted as part of education It is necessary to submit documents certifying that the activity does not interfere with the performance of the activity as an international student, and to undergo careful examination. In addition, even after receiving permission for activities outside the qualifications, it is required that foreign students not leave it to the company, such as confirming attendance at regular internships and conducting interviews regarding business contents even during the internship activities. increase.

When hiring foreign students who are expected to graduate from universities, junior colleges, and Professional Training College in Japan, it is necessary to confirm whether or not they meet the above-mentioned requirements for obtaining a status of residence regarding employment. If the requirements are met, the procedure for changing the status of residence of international students from "studying abroad" to "technical / humanistic knowledge / international business" related to employment will be promoted. When applying for a change in status of residence, the examination will be conducted by comprehensively considering the relationship between the job content at the place of employment and the major content learned at school, the business situation of the company, the job category and compensation. For international students who are expected to graduate in March, the acceptance of changes in status of residence will start from around December of the previous year, and consideration will be given to knowing whether or not the status of residence can be changed by the time they graduate from school.

Many international students who want to pay a large amount of tuition and study at a Japanese university or Professional Training College have the goal or desire to get a job in Japan after graduation. Many international students who have studied in the same environment as Japanese students and have experienced rigorous job hunting activities are not aiming for financial gain to work in Japan, but are willing to learn more about Japanese culture and communication with Japanese people. Have. In addition, many foreigners are well aware of the fact that it is difficult to find a new job if they repeatedly leave their jobs, and there are even companies with a high retention rate of foreign employees rather than Japanese employees. It is the fact. However, depending on the country, region, and personal qualities, there are various contents that affect the motivation of work depending on the international student, such as job title, work content, and salary. It is important to hold company information sessions and interview tests during the employment examination, and to fully understand each other's awareness and purpose before hiring.

Even if the examination result of the application is "not permitted" for any status of residence, not limited to the status of residence related to employment, it is possible to correct the application contents and re-apply depending on the reason for the disapproval. .. In this case, please be sure to follow the judgment of an expert, not by the person in charge of personnel or the international student himself / herself, to understand the reason for the disapproval notice correctly and to decide whether or not to reapply. If you do not have an expert nearby, you may be able to receive a free consultation service at the consultation desk within the Immigration Bureau of Japan. Please contact the Regional Immigration Bureau of Japan where you applied.

As a general rule, international students cannot work part-time. However, it is permitted to work part-time under certain conditions by receiving a "permit for activities outside the status of qualification" from the Immigration Bureau of Japan. For details on conditions such as working hours, please refer to the documents attached to your passport when you receive permission for activities outside the status of qualification. In addition, if the holder of the status of residence of "College Student" works part-time with permission for activities outside the status of residence, it is possible to carry out activities outside the status of status within 8 hours per day during the long holiday period of educational institutions such as summer vacation. .. In addition to the Immigration Control Law, please consider observing various conditions stipulated in the Labor Standards Law.

Students who have graduated from universities, junior colleges, Professional Training College, etc. in Japan and who have graduated from faculties or departments related to work can obtain the status of residence of "Technology, Humanities Knowledge, International Business". In this case, you can obtain a status of residence without any conditions of work experience. The content of the major at each school must be related to the business content to be engaged in, but the relevance to the business content can be described and explained in writing in the application documents (employment reason, etc.) for obtaining the status of residence. This is an important point.