Almost every long-term path in Japan involves at least one change of status — student to worker, dependent to worker, SSW (i) to (ii). The procedure is done inside Japan, your legal stay continues while it processes, but you may not start the new activity until it is granted.
Key facts
- Where
- Immigration office in Japan
- When to file
- As soon as grounds exist
- Processing
- Typically 2 weeks – 3 months
- Special period
- Stay extends up to 2 months past expiry while pending
- New activity
- Only after approval
The hinge of every long-term plan
Look at any settlement path on this site and you will find a change of status at its joints: student → work visa at graduation, SSW (i) → (ii) at exam pass, dependent → worker when a spouse’s career starts. Getting comfortable with this procedure once pays off repeatedly.
How the process actually runs
- Grounds appear — a job offer, an exam pass, a marriage.
- File at your regional immigration office with the application, your new sponsor’s documents and your own record (tax certificates appear here more often than people expect).
- Wait 2 weeks to 3 months — continuing your current activity under current rules.
- Collect the new residence card and only then begin the new activity.
The 14-day notification habits apply throughout: a change of employer or address during processing must be reported.
Filing strategy
File early and file clean. The two avoidable disasters are running the application into your expiry date with no buffer, and treating the examination as a rubber stamp. Your entire compliance history — attendance if you were a student, taxes if you worked, notifications always — rides along with every change.
Common mistakes & warnings
- Filing does not permit starting the new job or activity — working under the new terms before approval is unauthorized activity, even with a pending application.
- Change of status is a full examination, not a formality. Weak cases (mismatched job duties, poor attendance records, unpaid taxes) get refused exactly as fresh applications do.
- If refused near your expiry date, options narrow fast. File early enough to leave room for a second attempt or an orderly departure.
Frequently asked questions
Can I stay in Japan while my application is processing?
Yes. If your current status expires while the change is pending, a special provision extends your lawful stay up to 2 months past expiry. You remain bound by your current status's rules during that time.
Do I need to leave Japan and re-enter?
No — that is the point of the procedure. Leaving mid-application can complicate or void it; if you must travel, discuss timing with immigration or a gyoseishoshi first.
Which changes are the most scrutinized?
Student to work visa gets checked for genuine graduation and job-duty match; anything into Business Manager for real business substance; dependent to work for whether the dependency story and the new job are consistent.
Official sources
This page provides general information only and is not legal advice. Immigration rules change; always confirm details with the official sources listed above before making decisions.