Part-Time Jobs and Work Permit

International students coming to Japan with a visa status of "Student" are in general not supposed to work. However, except for jobs such as adult entertainment services, they may engage in part-time work as long as the work does not interfere with their studies. If you would like to engage in part-time work, you need to obtain permission from the Minister of Justice in advance (Article 19 of the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act). From October 2007, it is also mandatory for business operators to report the matter to the Employment Service Center (Hello Work) when they hire foreigners. Please confirm the details with your employer.

If you engage in part-time work without permission, you may be subject to punishment including deportation. Doing prohibited types of work and working more than the legally permitted hours could also result in deportation. There have recently been cases of international students being tricked into engaging in illegal part-time work and eventually being arrested. Please contact the International Student and Study Abroad Advising Office if you are wondering whether a part-time job you are considering applying for is appropriate for a student visa holder or not.

The required documents to apply to do part-time work are as follows:

1. Passport
2. Residence Card
3. Student ID Card
4. Application for Permission to Engage in Activity Other than That Permitted under the Status of Residence Previously Granted (the form is available at the Immigration Bureau, and can also be downloaded from the Ministry of Justice website)

*"Student" visa holders cannot work more than 28 hours per week.

< Notice >

• "Student" visa holders can work up to 8 hours per day when school is not in session.
• TAs and RAs employed by the university do not need to obtain permission to work (since July 1, 2010).
• "Fukushin-sho", which used to be issued by the university, is no longer required (since July 1, 2010).
• Even within the aforementioned hours, you are not allowed to work in the adult entertainment service sector such as a hostess bar or cabaret, where an attendant serves customers at their table, or at a gambling establishment, e.g. a pachinko or game parlor. You are not allowed to engage even in washing dishes or cleaning at such places.
• If international students' family members ("Family Stay" visa holders) want to work part-time, they too need to obtain permission at the Immigration Bureau. If they change their employer, they must reapply for permission to work. Family members can work up to 28 hours per week (no limit to the number of hours per day).

• Information
• For MEXT Scholarship Students
• For Privately Financed International Students
• For Exchange Students
• Procedures after entering Hitotsubashi University
• Request for a Certificate
• Information about Visas and Life in Japan
  • Residence Status and Various Procedures
  • Part-Time Jobs and Work Permit
  • Map to Tachikawa Branch, Tokyo Regional Immigration Bureau
  • National Health Insurance
  • Renting an Off-Campus Apartment
  • Student Discounts on Public Transportation (Gakuwari)
  • Riding a Bicycle in Japan
  • Alcohol Policy
  • If a Major Earthquake Occurs...
• Support Services for International Students
• Accommodation