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最終更新日：2020年2月13日

Temporary visitors

Q. I came to Japan on a Temporary Visitor Visa. I want to continue living here. Can I extend the period of my stay?

In normal circumstances, a Temporary Visitor Visa cannot be extended. Allowances may be made in exceptional circumstances.

For more details, please visit the Ministry of Justice’s homepage.

Designated Activities Visa

Q. Can an international student continue to look for work after graduation?

If an international student has not found employment in Japan by the time they graduate, it is possible to change his/her Visa status to “Designated Activities” and continue searching for work. With a “Designated Activities” visa, it is possible to continue looking for employment for up to one year after graduation.

This is based on the assumption that the student’s educational institution will provide support with the search for employment.

For more details, please visit the Immigration Services Agency’s homepage.

Technical Interns

Q. What is the Technical Internship Program?

The Technical Internship Program is a system in which people from developing countries come to Japan to learn various skills and improve their knowledge. This is done in the hopes that they will be able to put this knowledge to good use to benefit their home countries when they return. Through this Program, Japan hopes to make global contributions by fostering human resources.

For more details, please visit the Immigration Services Agency or Japan International Trading Cooperation Organization’s homepage.

Family Visas

Q. I am staying in Japan as an international student. I want to have my wife and child come and join me here. What is the procedure for doing so? Can my wife get a job?

If you want to have family members join you in Japan, you must submit an application for Certificate of Eligibility for Resident Status for a “Dependent (family stays)” visa to the nearest Immigration Services Agency office.

For more details regarding the application for Certificate of Eligibility for Resident Status for “Dependent (family stays)”, please contact the Immigration Services Agency.

Working is not normally allowed for family members on a Dependent Visa, but if the Immigration Services Agency grants “Permission to Engage in Activity Other Than That Permitted by the Status of Residence Previously Granted”, they will be allowed to work part-time. (There are limitations to the number of working hours and the kinds of work which can be done.)

Q. My son’s wife is expecting a baby. My son’s wife wants her own mother, who is a foreign national, to help care for the baby. Is there a way for the mother join us from abroad? How long can she stay in Japan?

It is possible to invite the wife's mother to assist with child-rearing. She can enter Japan on a “Temporary Visitor” visa, which allows her to stay in Japan for a maximum of 90 days.

There are rare cases where a “Temporary Visitor” visa may be extended. However this is only in exceptional case such as where the child is born late, or the mother becomes ill after childbirth. In most cases, the visa can only be renewed once.

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