Status of Residence after Graduation・Transfer/ Enter to the Other University

Designated Activities (For job hunting)

If you graduate from a regular full-time program and wish to keep residing in Japan for job seeking activity, you may change your visa status to a “Designated Activities” visa.

Period

This visa allows you to stay for an additional period after which you can once again apply for another six-month extension (effectively permitting you to remain in Japan for a further one year after graduating).

Required Documents

1. Application for Change of Status of Residence
2. Passport
3. Residence Card
4. Documents certifying that you can defray all the expenses incurred during the stay in Japan such as bank statements etc.
5. Graduation Certificate
6. Recommendation from the university (You can download the form on the website of the ministry of Justice.)
7. Documents certifying that you are job-hunting.
8. When a permission is received, ¥4,000 fee in the form of a revenue stamp purchased at the Immigration Bureau and pasted on a “Certificate for Payment of Fee” form.
9. Notification of the accepting organization (You must submit this within 14days after graduation. )

Note:

• You must apply in person
• This visa is only for full degree students graduating from Hokkaido University.
  Non-Degree students (e.g. exchange students, research students, etc) are not eligible to apply. However, research students enrolled at for the purpose of the entrance into graduate school after graduating from university of Japan are eligible.
• You are required to submit “Notification of the Accepting Organization-left the organization” if you change your visa status to a “Designated Activities” visa. For details, please refer to “Notification of the Accepting Organization”(“Procedures after Graduation“).
• Students enrolled at for the purpose of the entrance into graduate school after graduating from university of Japan became eligible.

Designated activities (for waiting for higher education)

Eligibility:

Foreign nationals who have graduated from (or completed) a university (including graduate schools) under the Japanese School Education Act (excluding special course for graduates, auditing students, non-degree students and research students).
Purpose of changing the status of residence: to stay in Japan until entering a postgraduate school to which they have been assigned (limited to within one year after graduation from university).

Required Documents

1. Application For Change of Status of Residence *Only ‘For applicant pages, part 1-4’.
2. Passport (to be presented)
3. Residence card (to be presented)
4. Insurance card (to be presented)
5. Certificate of ability to pay expenses during the period of stay
6. Certificate of graduation/completion (copy) or proof document of graduation/completion from the previous university
7. Letter of admission issued by the graduate school to enroll next (need the proof of the admission and the starting date).
8. A written pledge stating compliance of regular contact with the students by the admitting graduate school (the template can be downloaded from the Ministry of Justice’s website).
   *In the case of changing from ‘Designated Activities for job hunting’ to ‘Designated Activities for waiting for higher education’, the following documents are required in addition.
9. Documents clarifying that the applicant is engaged in job hunting activities.
10. Statement of reasons for the change of status of residence from job hunting activity to for waiting for higher education.
    *If the ‘Accepting organization -left-‘has not been submitted after university graduation, the following documents are also required.
11. Notification of the Accepting Organization’ (must be submitted within 14 days after graduation/completion)
    *If permission for change is granted, a fee of 4,000 yen (in revenue stamp form, must be attached to the payment form) is required to submit.

Note:

• International student should be a university graduate who proceeds to a postgraduate course with the status of residence is “student”.
• International students who have been accepted to a postgraduate school must keep in touch with the postgraduate school regularly and to inform the relevant institution immediately in case their enrollment is canceled.
• If admission is granted, and the student is permitted to change the status of residence to ‘Designated Activities (waiting for higher education)’ the international student is permitted to change the status of residence to that of ‘Designated activities’ the student can stay in Japan until the postgraduate school starts (*only within one year after university graduation).
• After admission to graduate school, the student will need to apply again for permission to change the status of residence to that of ‘Student’ (please check the website of the Ministry of Justice for the required documents).

Transfer / Enter to the Other University

If you are planning to transfer / enter to the other university, you are also required to submit “Notification of the Accepting Organization-left・transfer.” For details, please refer to “Notification of the Accepting Organization”
(“Procedures after Graduation“).