Working in Japan After Graduation: Job-Hunting Status (Designated Activities) and Changing to a Work Status of Residence

Some students who come to Japan want to work in Japan after they graduate. However, studying at a Japanese language school alone does not always let you start working in Japan. To work, you need to change your status of residence, and the systems you can use differ by the type of school. This guide explains the basic framework for working in Japan after graduation and what is good to know early, using official information.

We checked the official pages listed at the bottom on 7 November 2026. Requirements and procedures for statuses of residence can change, and individual decisions are made by the Immigration Services Agency. Use this guide as a map, and before you apply, confirm the details with your school and the Immigration Services Agency's latest guidance. We cannot guarantee a job or approval for a status of residence.

First, what to know

• The "Student" status of residence is for studying. By itself it does not let you work at a company after you graduate. Part-time work, too, requires permission to engage in activities other than that permitted, and is limited to 28 hours a week. For details, see the part-time work guide.
• To stay in Japan and work for a Japanese company, you need to change to a work-related status of residence (for example "Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services").
• For cases where you have not found a job by graduation, there is a system that lets you keep job hunting under the "Designated Activities" status. However, only certain people are eligible.

An example of a work status: Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services

According to the Immigration Services Agency, the status "Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services" is for people who, under a contract with a public or private organization in Japan, do the following kinds of work.

• Work requiring technology or knowledge in the natural sciences, such as science and engineering, or in the humanities, such as law, economics and sociology
• Work requiring ways of thinking or sensitivity based on a foreign culture

Examples given are engineers such as mechanical engineers, interpreters, designers, language teachers at private companies, and marketing staff. The period of stay is 5 years, 3 years, 1 year or 3 months.

Whether you can change to this status is examined by the Immigration Services Agency based on the content of the job, your education and what you studied, the company's situation and so on. The documents you need also change with the job. Check the detailed conditions with the Immigration Services Agency's guidance, the company you plan to work for, and your school.

Continuing job hunting after graduation: Designated Activities

If you have not found a job by graduation, there is a system that lets you change your status of residence from "Student" to "Designated Activities" and keep job hunting in Japan after you graduate. According to Study in Japan (JASSO), the period of stay for "Designated Activities" is six months, and in principle it can be extended once more for six months (about one year in total at most). There is also a system in which, if certain requirements are met, you can keep job hunting into the second year after graduation, but it is limited. Check with your school and the Immigration Services Agency.

Who is eligible

According to the Immigration Services Agency's guidance, the main eligible people are:

If you graduated from a Japanese language school

For job hunting after graduating from a Japanese language school, the Designated Activities status is for people who meet requirements such as the following (Immigration Services Agency).

• You graduated from a university or similar institution abroad and hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
• Your attendance at the Japanese language school has been good, at roughly 90% or more.
• You have adequate ability to pay for the cost of continuing your job hunt.
• You have been job hunting in Japan since you were enrolled at the Japanese language school.
• After graduating, you meet regularly with the school, report your progress, and receive information from the school.
• You have received a letter of recommendation from the school for continuing your job hunt after graduation.

The school also has to meet certain requirements (such as being licensed for or having registered job placement services, or having a course aimed at employment, and recent results in placing students in jobs in Japan).

In other words, a person who did not graduate from a university or graduate school abroad and does not hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and who only graduated from a Japanese language school in Japan, is in principle not eligible for this job-hunting Designated Activities status. If you are thinking of working in Japan, consider first going on to a university or vocational school after language school. The requirements are explained in the guide to going on to further study after language school.

Main requirements and when to apply

• The purpose must be to continue job hunting that you were doing before graduation.
• You need a letter of recommendation, from the school you attended until just before, about continuing your job hunt.
• You need materials showing that you are continuing to job hunt.
• You can apply even before graduation if you have the necessary documents, such as the school's recommendation letter and a certificate of expected graduation. However, in this case too, a copy of your diploma or a certificate of graduation is needed when the change of status is granted. If you apply after graduation, a copy of your diploma or a certificate of graduation is also needed.
• If you graduated from a Japanese language school, you also need a confirmation document about regular meetings with the school and job-hunting information, and materials showing that the school meets the requirements.

For details such as extending your period of stay and how part-time work is handled during that time, check in advance with the Immigration Services Agency's Foreign Resident General Information Center (0570-013904) or a Regional Immigration Services Bureau.

After you receive a job offer: staying until you start

There is a system for people who receive a job offer before or after graduating from a university or vocational school and want to stay in Japan until they start work (Immigration Services Agency).

• Who: People with the "Student" status, or people with the Designated Activities status for continuing job hunting.
• Conditions: You graduated from or completed a course at a school in Japan. You will be employed within one year of the offer and within one and a half years of graduation. Your activities at the company are expected to lead to a change to a work-related status such as Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services. There is no problem with your status of residence as an offer recipient.
• The company must pledge to keep in touch with the person at regular intervals and to inform the Regional Immigration Services Bureau without delay if the offer is withdrawn.
• If the requirements are met, you can get permission to work up to 28 hours a week in part-time work. For some activities at the company, such as an internship, you may be able to get permission for more than 28 hours a week.

Job-hunting support

According to Study in Japan (JASSO), the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare has Employment Service Centers for Foreigners in Tokyo, Nagoya and Osaka. They offer a variety of job information, career guidance from an early stage after admission, internships and job interview events. First ask your school's career office or international student staff what support is available.

What to do early

1. 1Get a view of your path: Do you want to work in Japan or return to Nepal? If you want to work in Japan, think about which school it is realistic to graduate from.
2. 2Check the school's support: Before you enroll, ask the school about career advice, job-hunting support and where graduates go.
3. 3Build your Japanese: Job hunting often requires interviews and documents in Japanese. See also the JLPT guide.
4. 4Protect your attendance: You need the school to write a recommendation for continuing your job hunt. Under the system for Japanese language school graduates, attendance of roughly 90% or more is a requirement.
5. 5Keep to your period-of-stay deadlines: Around graduation and job start, plan your procedures early so that your period of stay does not run out.

Frequently asked questions

Can I get a job in Japan right after a Japanese language school?

Whether you can change your status to a work status is examined by the Immigration Services Agency based on the job, your education and what you studied, and the company's situation. The Designated Activities status for job hunting after a Japanese language school is for people who meet additional requirements, such as holding a bachelor's degree or higher from a university abroad. If you want to work in Japan, check with your school and the Immigration Services Agency, including about going on to further study.

Can I stay and keep job hunting after I graduate?

People who graduate from a Japanese university (including junior colleges and graduate schools) have a system that lets them keep job hunting under "Designated Activities." For vocational schools (professional course), it applies, for example, to people who obtain the Senmonshi title (Diploma) and whose studies are found to relate to an activity under a work-related status. Non-degree students and auditors at universities are not included.

How long is the "Designated Activities" period?

According to Study in Japan, it is six months, and in principle it can be extended once for six months.

Can I start work as soon as I get an offer?

There is a system for staying until you start. To work (to be employed), you need to change to a work-related status of residence. There are conditions, such as when you will be employed, so check with the company and the Immigration Services Agency.

Is a job guaranteed?

No. Neither a job nor approval for a status of residence is guaranteed.

What to do next

If you are thinking of working in Japan, think about further study and your path after graduation from the time you choose a school. Use How to Choose a Japanese Language School and the school list to compare results and support for going on to further study. For the full process, see How to Study in Japan from Nepal. If you need help, contact us. This site is free to use. We do not guarantee admission or a visa.