Permission for Activities Outside Your Status of Residence | Part-Time Work and the 28-Hour Limit

Foreign nationals whose status of residence (commonly called a “visa”) does not allow work, or allows only certain work, must obtain permission to engage in activity other than that permitted under the status of residence previously granted before taking a part-time job or earning other income outside their status. This permission is based on Article 19, Paragraph 2 of the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act (ICRRA). Working without it exposes both the worker and the employer to criminal penalties.

Most international students work under “blanket permission,” which limits work to 28 hours per week (or up to eight hours per day during the school’s long vacation periods).

For an overview of all statuses of residence, see our guide to the types of residence status in Japan.

What Is Permission for Activities Outside Your Status?

This permission allows a foreign national to run a business that generates income, or to engage in paid activities, beyond what their current status of residence covers. The Commissioner of the Immigration Services Agency of Japan (ISA) may grant it when appropriate, to the extent that it does not interfere with the person’s primary activities (ICRRA, Article 19, Paragraph 2).

Article 19, Paragraph 1 prohibits foreign nationals holding a status listed in Appended Table I (statuses defined by activity, such as Student, Dependent, and Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services) from engaging in income-generating or paid activities outside their status without permission. Under Item 2 of that paragraph, holders of Cultural Activities, Temporary Visitor, Student, Trainee, and Dependent status may not engage in any income-generating or paid activity at all without permission.

Statuses listed in Appended Table II (Permanent Resident, Spouse or Child of Japanese National, Spouse or Child of Permanent Resident, and Long-Term Resident) carry no restrictions on work, so this permission does not apply to them (ISA: Permission to Engage in Activity Other Than That Permitted (ICRRA Article 19)).

Payments That Do Not Require Permission

Article 19-3 of the ICRRA Enforcement Regulation (ICRRAER) excludes the following from the “remuneration” that requires permission:

• Honoraria and prizes for lectures, advice, appraisals, creative works, participation in events, or appearances in broadcasts, where these are not carried out as a business
• Honoraria for helping relatives, friends, or acquaintances with everyday housework at their request, where this is not carried out as a business
• Remuneration paid to a student enrolled at a university, or in the fourth or fifth year or the advanced course of a college of technology, for assisting with teaching or research under a contract with that school

Blanket Permission vs. Individual Permission

There are two types of permission: blanket permission, which does not specify the employer, and individual permission, which specifies the employer and the work. Under blanket permission, you can change employers without reapplying as long as you meet the conditions such as the hour limit; under individual permission, you may work only for the employer and in the role specified.

Type	What it covers	Basis
Blanket	Conditions such as 28 hours per week; employer and work not specified	ICRRAER 19(5)(i)–(ii)
Individual	Employer’s name, address, and duties specified case by case	ICRRAER 19(5)(iii)

You may hold both types at once, and holders of one type may apply for the other later (ISA: Permission for holders of Student status).

Who Can Receive Blanket Permission

Blanket permission is mainly available to:

• Holders of Student status
• Holders of Dependent status, and spouses or children granted Designated Activities status to live as dependents of a foreign national
• Graduates of Japanese universities and similar institutions staying under Designated Activities status to continue job hunting, where the recommendation letter from their school mentions permission for activities outside their status
• Holders of Instructor, Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services, or Skilled Labor (sports instruction only) status employed by a local government or similar body, for up to 28 hours per week of activities falling under those statuses under an employment contract with such a body (ICRRAER 19(5)(ii))

“Running a business” under blanket permission includes managerial work where the working hours are clearly set out in an employment contract or similar document, and work as a sole proprietor, such as taking delivery orders and being paid per job, where the working hours can be objectively verified.

When Individual Permission Is Required

For students, the following activities fall outside blanket permission and require individual permission:

• Internships: Work experience as part of job hunting that exceeds 28 hours per week, by fourth-year university students who have earned almost all the credits needed to graduate, or by second-year master’s or third-year doctoral students
• Work whose hours are hard to verify objectively: Activities as a sole proprietor, or work under outsourcing or service contracts with no clear standard working hours
• Preparing to start a business: Preparatory activities aimed at starting a business in Japan

A business run as an activity outside one’s status is expected to be relatively small and run alone. Setting up a company, hiring employees, or establishing business premises requires a change to Business Manager status.

For Dependent status holders, individual permission also requires that the period of the outside activity not exceed half of the authorized period of stay. If the nature of the activity or contract shows that the purpose of stay has effectively changed, a change of status is required (ISA: Permission for holders of Dependent status).

Hour Limits and Exceptions

Blanket permission allows up to 28 hours of work per week. For students only, up to eight hours per day are allowed during the long vacation periods set in the school’s regulations, such as summer and winter breaks (ICRRAER 19(5)(i)).

Status	Normal periods	Long vacations
Student	28 hours per week	Eight hours per day
Dependent, etc.	28 hours per week	No exception

The long-vacation exception applies only to students, not to Dependent status holders. Holders of individual permission must follow the hours and other conditions stated on the permission stamp or permit (ISA: Immigration and Residence Examination Q&A, Q65 and Q66).

On working for more than one employer, the ISA states, for the individual permission that allows Dependent status holders to work at amusement arcades (see below), that “the total working hours for all activities outside the status must be within 28 hours per week.” In our view, the 28-hour limit is a condition attached to the person’s activities as a whole, not to each employer, and we recommend managing the total hours across all jobs.

Prohibited Workplaces

Blanket permission does not cover any work, whatever the role, at business premises where an adult entertainment business, a store-type sex-related business, or a specified late-night entertainment and dining business is operated. Work in non-store sex-related businesses and similar businesses is also excluded (ICRRAER 19(5)(i)).

“Adult entertainment business” here means the businesses defined in Article 2, Paragraph 1 of the Act on Control and Improvement of Amusement Business, etc. (the “Amusement Business Act”). These include hostess-style businesses that entertain customers while serving food and drink, dimly lit bars and cafés, and mahjong parlors and pachinko parlors. Because the ICRRAER excludes activities “carried out at the business premises,” working there as a cleaner or kitchen assistant rather than serving customers is also outside blanket permission.

As general principles for this permission, activities found to violate laws are not permitted, and for holders of a status based on a contract with an organization in Japan, such as a work status, that organization must consent to the outside activity (ISA: Application for Permission to Engage in Activity Other Than That Permitted).

Work at Amusement Arcades for Dependents (from October 1, 2026)

Since October 1, 2026, only holders of Dependent status may work at amusement arcades such as pachinko parlors if they obtain individual permission. Students, and spouses or children staying under Designated Activities status as dependents, are not eligible (ISA: Permission for work at amusement arcades).

This individual permission requires, among other things, that the workplace hold a business license for the businesses in Article 2, Paragraph 1, Items 4 and 5 of the Amusement Business Act, and that the employer submit a written pledge, including commitments to comply with laws on employing foreign nationals and to check regularly that a worker with several outside activities stays within 28 hours per week in total.

How to Apply and What Documents to Prepare

In principle, you apply at the regional immigration services bureau with jurisdiction over your place of residence by submitting an application form and documents showing the nature of the activity, and by presenting your residence card and passport (ICRRAER, Article 19, Paragraphs 1 and 2). The documents required depend on your status and on whether you are applying for blanket or individual permission.

Application	Main documents
Blanket (Student, Dependent)	Application form only
Individual (internship)	Application form; certificate or contract from the host; enrollment certificate; record of credits earned
Individual (other)	Application form; document explaining the activity, hours, and pay

The ISA provides details for each status. Those staying under Designated Activities status for job hunting or while waiting to start a job after receiving an offer can check the ISA page on permission for Designated Activities (job hunting and post-offer). The ISA may request additional documents during the examination.

Who Can File and When

• Who files: In addition to the applicant, a legal representative, staff of a host organization approved as an application agent, or a lawyer or gyoseishoshi (a nationally licensed legal professional qualified to prepare and submit official documents to government agencies) who has notified the regional immigration services bureau may submit the application on the applicant’s behalf, where the Director General of the regional immigration services bureau considers it appropriate and the applicant is in Japan (ICRRAER, Article 19, Paragraph 3)
• When: Apply before starting the activity outside your status, and start work only after receiving permission
• Fees and processing time: As of October 2026, the ISA states that there is no fee and that the standard processing period is two weeks to two months

On Arrival and Online Applications

Foreign nationals newly granted landing permission with Student status (except those granted a three-month period of stay) can receive blanket permission at the port of entry, such as the airport, immediately after landing permission.

Online applications for this permission are accepted only when filed together with an application for change of status, extension of period of stay, or acquisition of status (ISA application page above).

How to Confirm the Permission

The permission is granted by a seal affixed to the passport or by issuing a permit. For mid- to long-term residents, a summary of the permission is also recorded on the back of the residence card (ICRRAER, Article 19, Paragraph 4). For blanket permission, the “newly permitted activity” on the seal or permit reads, for example, “activities provided for in Article 19, Paragraph 5, Item 1 of the Ordinance for Enforcement of the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act.”

Consequences of Working Without Permission

Working outside your status without permission can lead to criminal penalties and, in some cases, deportation, and the employer can be charged with the crime of facilitating illegal employment. If you breach the conditions of your permission, such as the hour limit, the permission may be revoked (ICRRA, Article 19, Paragraph 3).

For the Worker

Situation	Legal consequence
Worked outside status without permission	Imprisonment of up to one year and/or a fine of up to 2 million yen (ICRRA, Article 73)
Clearly found to be engaged exclusively in such work	Imprisonment of up to three years and/or a fine of up to 3 million yen (Article 70(1)(iv)); subject to deportation (Article 24, Item 4(a))

A person sentenced to imprisonment for the offense under Article 73 is also subject to deportation (ICRRA, Article 24, Item 4(f)). Because the requirements for this permission include “not having poor conduct,” we believe a violation can also affect later applications.

For Employers

Anyone who has a foreign national engage in illegal employment activity in connection with business activities faces imprisonment of up to three years and/or a fine of up to 3 million yen (ICRRA, Article 73-2, Paragraph 1). From April 1, 2027, an amendment under Act No. 60 of 2024 is scheduled to raise this to imprisonment of up to five years and/or a fine of up to 5 million yen.

• Ignorance is not a defense: An employer cannot escape punishment on the ground that it did not know the work was outside the worker’s status or that the worker lacked permission, unless the employer was not negligent (ICRRA, Article 73-2, Paragraph 2)
• Companies are also liable: If an employee causes illegal employment in the course of business, the company is fined in addition to the individual who acted (ICRRA, Article 76-2)
• Foreign national employers: A foreign national who has others engage in illegal employment activity is also subject to deportation (ICRRA, Article 24, Item 3-4)

Before hiring, check the status of residence and the expiry date on the residence card. For Student or Dependent status holders, check the permission section on the back of the residence card together with the seal or permit. Even with permission, working hours and activities are restricted (ISA Q&A, Q67).

After Graduation or a Change of Status

Blanket permission for students is valid only while the student is enrolled at an educational institution. After graduation, students may not work part-time even if their period of stay has not yet expired (ICRRAER 19(5)(i); ISA Q&A, Q45).

Continuing to Job Hunt After Graduation

Graduates who change to Designated Activities status to continue job hunting can receive blanket permission if the recommendation letter from their school mentions permission for activities outside their status and there are no problems with their residence record. If the letter does not mention it, the ISA decides case by case (ISA Q&A, Q46).

After Changing to a Work Status

After changing to a work status such as Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services, you work within the duties that status covers. To earn money from side work that falls outside that status, you need either permission for activities outside your status or a change to the appropriate status (ISA Q&A, Q67). The requirements for work statuses are covered in our basic guide to work visas and our Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services visa guide.

When Extending Your Stay or Changing Status

On the ISA’s sample permit, the permission’s validity ends on the same date as the period of stay. If you have applied for an extension or change before your period of stay expires and the application is pending (the special period under ICRRA, Article 20, Paragraph 6, applied to extensions by Article 21, Paragraph 4), the validity runs until the time specified in that paragraph. You therefore need new permission to keep working after your period of stay is extended.

The permit also states the status of residence held when permission was granted. When changing status and planning to keep working, we recommend applying for this permission at the same time as the change of status, so that there is no gap in permission.

How We Can Help

AEGIS International Administrative Firm supports students and Dependent status holders applying for this permission, as well as employers checking whether they can hire them.

• Choosing the right permission: We assess whether the planned work is covered by blanket permission, requires individual permission, or requires a change of status
• Preparing and filing applications: As a registered immigration specialist (certified by the Immigration Services Agency to file visa applications on behalf of clients), we prepare the application and supporting explanations and file them with the regional immigration services bureau
• Filing alongside extensions and changes: We prepare this permission together with applications to extend your period of stay or change your status
• Pre-hiring checks for employers: We help employers confirm from the residence card and permission whether they can hire someone for the planned duties and hours

Please feel free to contact us before starting a part-time job or side work, or when considering hiring a foreign national.