Simplified Procedures for Changing Status from Student to Work Visa

From 1 December 2025, the Immigration Services Agency (ISA) has simplified the documents required for certain applicants when international students change their status of residence from "Student" to Engineer / Specialist in Humanities / International Services or Researcher. Eligibility is limited to a small number of categories, such as graduates or expected graduates.

• Three eligible categories — Applicants must fall into one of the following: (i) graduates or expected graduates of a Japanese university (including graduate schools and junior colleges); (ii) graduates of an overseas university ranked within the top 300 in at least two of the QS, THE and ARWU world university rankings; or (iii) those newly joining an organisation that has already accepted a foreign national granted a change of status from "Student" to a work-related status.
• Documents that may be omitted correspond to "Category 2" — The document omissions available under Category 2 for well-established companies — such as a copy of the employment contract or a certificate of registered matters — now also apply to eligible international students themselves.
• Dispatch (temporary staffing) arrangements are excluded — Employment via a staffing agency does not qualify for this simplification measure.
• Same treatment applies to extensions of period of stay — Where an applicant is already employed by a Category 2–equivalent company, for example, the same document omissions are also available for applications to extend the period of stay.

As the eligibility conditions and the documents that may be omitted vary by case, it is important to check the latest published information before applying.

Companies considering hiring international students should see JAPAN POLARIS's Recruitment Support Service.

Source: For Those Planning to Apply for a Change of Status from "Student" to a Work-Related Status | Immigration Services Agency / Status of Residence "Engineer / Specialist in Humanities / International Services" | Immigration Services Agency