Change of Status of Residence in Japan — Requirements, Documents, and Common Cases

An application for permission to change status of residence is required when a foreign national living in Japan wishes to change their current purpose of stay and engage in activities under a different status of residence (Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act (ICRRA), Article 20). The application may be filed from the time the reason for the change arises until the expiry date of the period of stay (Immigration Services Agency of Japan (ISA): Application for Change of Status of Residence).

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

What Is a Change of Status of Residence?

A change of status of residence is the process by which a foreign national currently residing in Japan obtains permission from the Minister of Justice to switch from one status of residence (commonly called a “visa”) to another.

To become a Permanent Resident, you apply not for a change of status but for permission for permanent residence (ICRRA, Article 22). See our permanent residence guide for details.

Legal Basis and Requirements

Article 20, paragraph 3 of the ICRRA provides that the Minister of Justice may grant permission “only when there are reasonable grounds to consider the change of status of residence appropriate, based on the documents submitted by the foreign national.”

Whether such reasonable grounds exist is judged by comprehensively taking into account the activities the applicant intends to engage in, the applicant’s residence record, the need for residence, and other factors. The ISA’s “Guidelines for Permission for Change of Status of Residence and Extension of Period of Stay” (last revised June 2026) set out the matters considered (see “Application Requirements” below).

Difference from Extension of Period of Stay

A change of status modifies your residence status itself, while an extension of period of stay extends the duration of your current status without changing it.

	Change of Status	Extension of Period of Stay
Purpose	Change to a different status	Extend the current period
Legal basis	ICRRA, Article 20	ICRRA, Article 21
When to apply	From the time the reason for change arises until the expiry date of the period of stay	On or before the expiry date (from three months before expiry for those with a period of stay of six months or more)

When to Apply

Unlike extension applications, there is no “from three months before expiry” window. You can apply as soon as the reason for the change arises.

The ISA notes that a status of residence may be revoked where the holder is not engaging in the activities of that status. We recommend applying promptly once the reason for the change arises.

Common Change Patterns

Below are typical situations requiring a change of status of residence. Some, such as a job change, do not always require one.

1. Student to Work Visa

Foreign students who graduate from a Japanese university, graduate school, or vocational college and accept employment in Japan must change their status from “Student” to a work-eligible status such as “Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services.”

Key points:

For those wishing to start work in April, the ISA asks applicants to file between December 1 and the end of January (ISA notice to those planning to change from “Student” to a work status).
You can apply before graduation. If you applied at the counter, you collect the new residence card after receiving your graduation certificate, bringing the required documents.
Since December 1, 2025, certain documents may be omitted for changes from “Student” to “Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services” or “Researcher” in specified cases (same page; those who have graduated or are expected to graduate from a Japanese university, including graduate schools and junior colleges, graduates of foreign universities ranked in the top 300 in at least two of three world university rankings, etc.; employment under a dispatch arrangement is excluded).

Note: If you continue job-hunting after graduation, a change to “Designated Activities” for the purpose of continued job-seeking may be permitted (see the ISA page on graduates of Japanese universities seeking employment for who is eligible and the required documents). For an overview of Designated Activities, see our Designated Activities guide.

2. Changing Jobs (When a Change Is and Is Not Required)

Whether a job change requires a change of status depends on the type of status you currently hold.

Change of status required:

Switching to a different status: For example, changing from “Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services” to “Business Manager” to start your own company.
Statuses where the organization or the activities are individually designated by the Minister of Justice: “Highly Skilled Professional (i),” “Specified Skilled Worker,” and “Designated Activities” with individually designated activities (such as graduates of Japanese universities under Public Notice No. 46). Article 20, paragraph 1 of the ICRRA treats a change of the designated organization or activities for these statuses as a “change of status of residence.” You may not start work at the new employer before the change is permitted.

Change of status NOT required (you can keep working under your current status):

For statuses such as “Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services” or “Skilled Labor” where the employer is not individually designated, a job change within the scope of the same status does not require a change of status. However, the new position must still fall within the scope of your current status.
Even so, we recommend obtaining a Certificate of Authorized Employment at the time of the job change (for work visas in general, see our Work Visa Guide).
Notification obligation: You must file a notification concerning your affiliated organization with the Commissioner of the ISA within 14 days of the end of the contract with your previous contracting organization and within 14 days of concluding a new contract (ICRRA, Article 19-16).

3. When Your Family Status Changes (Marriage, Divorce, etc.)

If you marry a Japanese national or a permanent resident, you may change your status to “Spouse or Child of Japanese National” or “Spouse or Child of Permanent Resident.”

These statuses carry no restriction on the type of work activities.

Note: Documents showing the substance of the marriage are important. We recommend preparing thorough documentation of your relationship history and cohabitation.

If you divorce or your spouse dies, a change from “Spouse or Child of Japanese National” to “Long-Term Resident” may be permitted. The decision is made by comprehensively considering the individual circumstances, so each case needs to be checked individually.

4. Other Change Patterns

Change from “Temporary Visitor”: Permission “shall not be granted unless the application is based on unavoidable special circumstances” (ICRRA, Article 20, paragraph 3, proviso).
From “Dependent” to a work status: Under “Dependent,” you may work only within the scope of permission to engage in activity outside your status (up to 28 hours per week under blanket permission) (ICRRA, Article 19). To work full-time as an employee, for example, you need to change to a status that matches the job, such as “Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services.”
- The ISA states that where the purpose of stay is found to have substantially changed in light of the activities and the contract, an application for change of status is required (ISA: Permission to engage in activity outside status for the Dependent status). Until the change is permitted, you may not work beyond the scope of your permission. For details on this status, see our Dependent Visa Guide.
From “Technical Intern Training” to “Specified Skilled Worker (i)”: If you have satisfactorily completed Technical Intern Training (ii) and the job category and work you trained in are related to the work you will do, you are exempt from the skills test (Ministerial Ordinance on Criteria for Landing Permission, “Specified Skilled Worker (i)” section).
- The Japanese-language test is in principle also waived, regardless of the job category you trained in. However, some tests are not waived, such as the Care Japanese Language Evaluation Test for the nursing care field (ISA: Operational Guidelines on Accepting Specified Skilled Workers).

Application Requirements

The Guidelines mentioned above list the following eight matters.

The intended activities fall under the status of residence applied for (compatibility with the status of residence): this is a necessary requirement for permission
Conformity with the landing permission criteria set by Ministry of Justice ordinance: for the statuses in Appended Table I(2) and I(4) of the ICRRA, conformity is required in principle
Having engaged in the activities of the current status of residence
Conduct that is not poor
Assets or skills sufficient to make an independent living (it is sufficient if this is met on a household basis)
Proper employment and working conditions
Fulfillment of tax and similar obligations (including payments required by law, such as national health insurance premiums)
Fulfillment of notification and other obligations under the ICRRA

According to the Guidelines, items 3 to 8 are representative factors for consideration; even where all of them are met, a change may be refused as a result of comprehensively considering all the circumstances.

Procedural Preconditions

The applicant currently holds a status of residence (ICRRA, Article 20, paragraph 1).
The application is filed on or before the expiry date of the period of stay.

Required Documents

The specific documents required depend on the new status of residence you are applying for. Below are the basic documents common to all applications.

Common Documents

Document	Notes
Application for Change of Status of Residence	Available for download from the ISA website
Photograph (4 cm × 3 cm)	Must meet the specifications designated by the ISA
Passport	For presentation
Residence card	For presentation
Application fee	Paid upon approval (see next section)

Certificates issued in Japan must be submitted within three months of the date of issue. Documents in a foreign language must be accompanied by a Japanese translation (“Points to note when applying” on each status page).

Additional Documents by Status (Key Examples)

Change to “Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services”:

Document proving the category of the sponsoring organization (Categories 1 to 4, based on factors such as whether the organization is listed and the amount of income tax withheld), such as a copy of the legal records summary. For Categories 1 and 2, other documents are in principle not required
For Categories 3 and 4: a document stating the working conditions, documents proving education and work history (graduation certificate, etc.), certificate of registered matters, a document describing the business, a copy of the financial statements, etc. For applications filed on or after April 15, 2026, a declaration concerning the representative of the organization is also required, and, where the work mainly involves using language skills to deal with people, a document proving ability equivalent to B2 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) in the language used for the work

Change to “Spouse or Child of Japanese National”:

Family register (koseki tohon) of the Japanese spouse showing the marriage (if the marriage is not yet recorded, also a certificate of acceptance of the marriage notification)
Municipal tax certificates (taxation or non-taxation, and payment) of the person who will cover the applicant’s living expenses
Questionnaire (describing the relationship history)
Two or three snapshots showing the couple together

Change to “Business Manager”:

Business plan, certificate of registered matters, financial statements, etc. (for the requirements after the October 2025 revision, see our Business Manager visa reform guide)

These are key examples. For the list of documents for each status, select the status you are changing to on the ISA page on change of status applications linked at the top of this article.

If You Have Previously Been Denied

If you have previously been denied a change of status or extension of period of stay, we recommend preparing documents that explain how the circumstances behind the denial have changed. It is important to confirm the reasons for the denial in as much detail as possible at the time of the decision.

Application Fee

The fee for permission to change status of residence is set by the Enforcement Order of the ICRRA under Article 67 of the ICRRA, and the amount depends on the period of stay granted. A revision took effect on October 1, 2026. The fee is paid when permission is received; no fee is charged if the application is denied. If you receive a specified residence card when permission is granted, a fee for issuing the card may be added (ISA page “Application for Change of Status of Residence”). Online applications do not support fee reductions, so apply at the counter if you are eligible for a reduction (ISA: Fee Amounts and Payment Methods for Online Applications).

For the current amounts and for reductions and exemptions, see the ISA’s page on the October 1, 2026 fee revision. We explain the revision in “Japan Residence Fee Revision (October 1, 2026).”

Online Applications

Change of status applications can also be filed online. With an online application you can apply without visiting the immigration office, and the fee amount and payment method differ from those for counter applications (counter applications are paid by revenue stamp). To apply online yourself as the foreign national, you need a My Number Card. Online applications cannot be filed on the expiry date of the period of stay itself; apply at the counter in that case. Changes from “Temporary Visitor” and applications by those holding “Designated Activities (preparation for departure)”, among others, are not available online. See the ISA’s online residence application page for details.

Processing Time and Important Notes

The standard processing period for a change of status of residence application is stated as one to two months (ISA, Application for Change of Status of Residence, as of October 2026). It may take longer depending on missing documents or the time of year.

Special Period (Tokurei Kikan)

If you file a change of status application on or before the expiry date of your period of stay and no decision is made by that date, you may continue to reside in Japan under your previous status until the decision is made or until the end of the day on which two months have passed since the expiry of your previous period of stay, whichever comes first (ICRRA, Article 20, paragraph 6; ISA: What is the special period?). This does not apply to those granted a period of stay of 30 days or less.

Residence during the special period is under your previous status; you may not begin activities under the new status until the change is permitted.

Circumstances That May Lead to Denial

In light of the matters in the Guidelines above, circumstances such as the following may be assessed negatively:

The intended activities do not fall under the status applied for
The applicant has not been engaging in the activities of the current status (for example, a student who remained in Japan after expulsion or withdrawal from school)
Poor conduct (for example, acts resulting in criminal punishment comparable to grounds for deportation)
Failure to fulfill tax and similar obligations
Failure to fulfill notification and other obligations under the ICRRA

The ISA also notes that applications with missing documents may be significantly delayed or may result in an unfavorable decision (“Points to note when applying” on each status page).

What to Do If Your Application Is Denied

Even after a denial, you may apply again after resolving the circumstances that led to the denial. It is important to confirm the reasons for the denial in as much detail as possible and identify the issues to address. There is no procedure for appealing a denial of a change of status of residence (ISA page “Application for Change of Status of Residence”).

Whether a new application can be made after your status has been changed to “Designated Activities” for departure preparation depends on the individual circumstances.

How We Can Help

AEGIS International Administrative Firm, as a registered immigration specialist (certified by the Immigration Services Agency to file visa applications on behalf of clients), supports applications for change of status of residence.

Checking whether a change is needed: For a job change, marriage, graduation, or similar event, we sort out whether a change of status is required or whether an extension or a notification is sufficient
Reviewing the requirements: We review your current situation against the status you are changing to and each matter in the Guidelines
Preparing and filing the application: We prepare the full set of application documents and file them with the regional immigration bureau on your behalf
Reapplication after a denial: We organize the reasons for the denial and consider whether and how to reapply

Whether you are changing jobs, getting married, or moving from student life to employment, please feel free to contact us.

This article is based on laws and official information as of October 11, 2026. Rules and practice may change, so please check the latest information before applying.