A new academic year is starting! To 2nd year and 3rd year students studying in Japan, what are your plans after graduating? There are a lot of options such as pursuing higher education, going back to the home country and working in Japan. This article is a must-read for anyone who is thinking about working in Japan! We will introduce a VISA called 特定活動9号 (Tokutei katsudou 9) or Designated Activities No. 9 which will allow you to job hunt even after graduating.
Student VISA and Period of stay
Do you know when your Student VISA expires? In many cases, the expiry date includes the expected graduation date plus a few months. However, this does not necessarily mean you can stay until the expiry date. This is because Student VISA permits designated activities as a student, therefore when you graduate the purpose of the activity and/or the VISA ends.
The rules and conditions might vary depending on the type of school (4 year college, Japanese school, etc) but within around one month, students are expected to return back to their country or change their VISA to extend their stay. Many students misunderstand that they can job hunt after they graduate. In some cases, if you stay more than 3 months on a Student VISA after graduating, you can be charged. Therefore, if you want to stay and work in Japan, it is highly recommended to have a proper plan and timeline to job hunt and join a company.
Designated Activities：Job Hunting (Tokutei katsudou：Keizoku shu-shoku katsudou)
Previously, we have mentioned about the Student visa and the period of stay. Even if you plan your job hunting timeline properly, there are times where you can not
find a good job. In such cases, Designated Activities：Job Hunting (Tokutei katsudou：Keizoku shu-shoku katsudou) can help you!
・What is Designated Activities：Job Hunting visa?
The main objective of this visa is to continue job hunting even after graduating. With this visa you can get another chance to look for jobs in Japan and are permitted to stay for 6 months and can be renewed once; maximum stay would be for a year.
・Conditions/documents required
ーLetter of recommendation from the school. Some schools might not give out a letter of recommendation, therefore it is important to check with the career centre beforehand. Schools which give out the letter might give with terms and conditions (such as attending a job hunting seminar).
ーA document which proves that you have been job hunting while being student
ーFinancial ability to stay in Japan for 6 months without part time jobs (might need to submit the bank statement)
*These are the main criteria needed to apply, so be sure to check out the official website for more information!
・When to apply
You can apply for this visa after your graduation day, so it is recommended to apply as soon as you graduate from your school. It takes around 2 months to process the application, so it is highly recommended to start beforehand or atleast gather the required information beforehand.
・Are part time jobs allowed?
Similar to the other visas, if you can obtain the permission to engage in activities other than permitted under the status of residence(Shikakugaikatsudou 資格外活動), you will be permitted to work for up to 28 hours a week.
As part of job hunting, opportunities for internships may be available. In this case, the working hours might exceed, so you will need to obtain a “Permission to engage in activities other than that permitted for more than 28 hours per week” as well.
Summary
The period of status in your Student visa does not equal the period of stay in Japan. Sometimes, even if you are job hunting during your school year, you might not be able to find a suitable job and run out of time. In such cases, if you use the Designated Activities：Job Hunting visa you can keep job hunting in Japan. Similar to other VISAs, it is important to know the requirements to apply. Additionally, make sure to know what you want to do in the first place and act accordingly!
How can we help you!
Too much information to take in? If there is anything you need help with, do not hesitate to contact our jimomin staff!
In jimomin.work, we offer career counselling where you can discuss your problems and understand what sort of jobs you want to do.
We aim to spread awareness and give tips and information which are not taught in school or universities. Changing residence card, what is an Entry sheet, how to reserve a moving company; we cover all sorts of topics.
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