The Student status (留学) covers enrolment at a Japanese university, graduate school, professional training college, high school or accredited language school. The school is your sponsor, which makes the application more straightforward than most work visas and also means your residence depends on staying enrolled and attending.
The school files for you
Once you have an offer, the institution applies for a Certificate of Eligibility at the regional immigration bureau on your behalf. That is the slow part, typically one to three months, and it is heavily seasonal: applications for April and October intakes pile up and take longer.
When the CoE is issued, the school sends it to you and you convert it into a visa at a Japanese embassy or consulate, usually within five to ten working days.
Proving you can pay for it
This is the part applications actually turn on. Immigration wants evidence that tuition and living costs are covered for the duration of the course, either by you or by a named financial supporter.
What that usually means in practice:
- Bank statements showing a balance sufficient for at least the first year, often in the region of ¥2 million for a year of study plus living costs, though the figure varies by school and city
- A letter from your financial supporter explaining the relationship and their commitment
- The supporter's income certificates, tax certificates and bank records
- An explanation of where the money came from if a large sum appeared recently
That last point matters more than people expect. A balance that jumped from nothing to several million yen a month before the application invites questions, and a vague answer can sink the CoE.
Working part-time: the 28-hour rule
You cannot work on a Student status by default. You apply separately for Permission to Engage in Activity Other Than That Permitted Under the Status of Residence Previously Granted, usually shortened to the "work permit" and often handled at the airport when you first arrive, or later at an immigration office.
With that permission:
- Up to 28 hours a week during term time, counted across all jobs combined
- Up to 8 hours a day, or 40 hours a week, during official school holidays
- No work in adult entertainment venues, including bars, pachinko parlours and similar businesses, regardless of what the job itself involves
The 28 hours is enforced. Employers file payroll data, and immigration cross-references it. Exceeding the limit puts your status at risk at renewal and can affect a later permanent residency application. Working across two jobs and assuming they are counted separately is a common and expensive mistake.
Attendance is part of your status
Schools report attendance to immigration. Falling below roughly 80 percent attendance is a problem, and an extended absence can lead the school to withdraw its sponsorship, which ends the basis for your residence. Language schools in particular are monitored closely, because they have historically been used as a route to work rather than study.
What happens when you graduate
Three common paths:
- A job offer in hand. Change to Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services or another work status. See Changing Your Status of Residence. Graduates of Japanese universities get some latitude on the degree-matching rule that overseas graduates do not.
- No job offer yet. Graduates of Japanese universities and colleges can apply for a Designated Activities job-hunting status, generally giving six months and renewable once, so up to a year of continued residence while you search.
- Starting a business. Some municipalities run startup visa programmes, and the Business Manager requirements are steep since the 2025 reform, so look at the local programme first.
Student years and permanent residency
Time on a Student status counts toward the ten-year total for permanent residency but not toward the five years of work-based residence within it. Someone who studies for four years and then works for five has nine years of residence and five of work, and still waits another year.
Where to go next
For language school entry requirements and the tests that matter, see Japanese Language Requirements. For the funding evidence in more detail, see Financial and Income Requirements.
Back to Visa Types.