Application for Change of Status of Residence
What is Change of Status of Residence?
If foreigners who reside in Japan with holding status of residence plan to change their activities, they have to change their status of residence to the appropriate status beforehand.For example, you are a college student in Tokyo and you’ve found a job of some famous company. After you graduate from university or college, and you intend to work the company, in this case you’ll have to change status of residence from student to what is called ‘working visa’ such as engineer, specialist in humanities / international services, etc. If you are a spouse of Japanese National having status of residence of ‘spouse or child of Japanese National’, and wish to divorce with Japanese spouse, you’ll also have to change your status of residence to ‘long-term resident’ accordingly.
Another example
In case of a chef of Indian food intends to set up his restaurant in Japan.
In case of a foreigner holding dependent residence works a translator in Japan comany.
In case of an English teacher who teaches private language school moves to a public junior high school as an English teacher.In the cases of change of status of residence and extension of period of stay, guideline of the permission is issued from the Immigration Bureau in Ministry of Justice as the following conditions with which you should be complied.
1. Compatibility with the status of residence
2. Compatibility with the criteria for certain statuses of residence prescribed by
the Ministrial Ordinance
3. The Minister of Justice may grant permission only when applicants find that
there are reasonable grounds to grant the change of status of residence or extension
of period of stay.Application for change of status of residence regarding commence employment for students
Students who study at college or university intend to start a job in some company in Japan, most of them change status of residence from student to ‘engineer, specialist in humanities / international services’, also most of them enter companies in April. For this reason, immigration bureau begin to receive application for change of status of residence from December of the previous year of their graduation.After receiving a postcard which describes the permission regarding change of status of residence, students appear to the immigration bureau to receive the permission in exchange for showing certificate of graduation or diploma. So, students are force to wait for the receipt of the permission until around mid-March even though the application is received the beginning of December of the previous year. Please be noted that you are not able to begin for working in a new company from Aril 1st in which most of companies in Japan start new business year unless you receive the permission of change of status of residence.
