Support and Exchange Activities

What is a Residence Card?

All foreign nationals, who are authorized to stay for over three months in Japan, will have their passports stamped with landing permission and be issued a residence card. When your status of residence is “Student” and if you plan to work part-time in Japan, you can apply for permission to engage in an activity other than those permitted by the status of residence previously granted at that time.
※Please refer here for permission to engage in an activity other than those permitted by the status of residence previously granted.

Immigration Services Agency of Japan: What is a residence card?

Submitting your residence card information

If any information on your residence card has changed (extending period of stay or moving in/out and so on), please make sure to submit your latest residence card information through the form below.
YNU Residence Card Submission Form
How to submit your residence card information

Obligation of carrying a residence card at any time

You are obliged to always carry your residence card. You need to present your residence card when immigration officers, immigration control officers or police officers ask you to. If you do not carry it, you will be imposed a fine up to 200,000yen. If you refuse to present it, you will be imposed in prison less than one year or a fine up to 200,000yen.

Notification of Moving Out

If you plan to move out of the municipality you currently live in, you need to submit your move out to the municipal office before you move and receive a moving-out certificate. When you move within the same municipality you need to submit the change of address after you move.
※When you move from/to another ward within Yokohama City, you do not need to submit your move out.

Notification of Moving In/Change of Address

When you move into a new municipality, you need to complete the process to notify that you moved in at the municipal office that administers the area. If you move from another municipality, you need to submit your moving in, while if you move within the same municipality you need to submit the change of address. In case you submitted your moving-out, it is necessary to submit the moving-out certificate you received as well. You must carry your residence card for the procedures.
※In Yokohama City when you move from another ward you need to submit your moving in, while when you move within the same ward you need to submit the change of address.

Report to YNU

Register your new address at YNU student center 2F, Counter No.7.
Also, please submit your residence card information from the URL below.
YNU Residence Card Submission Form

Notification of the Affiliated (activity) Organization

When you enroll in YNU or transfer to YNU from other schools in Japan, you must submit the “Notification of the Affiliated (activity) Organization” to the Regional Immigration Services Bureau in your jurisdiction within 14 days. The notification process can be completed on the internet or by post. Failure to submit this notification may result in penalties. Please refer to the website below for details.
Immigration Services Agency of Japan: Notification of the affiliated organization

Special Re-entry Permission

When you plan to leave and return to Japan within one year to continue your activity with the same status of residence, you do not need to obtain Re-Entry Permission. This system is called the Special Re-entry Permission. When you use this system, you need to check the box of “Departure with Special Re-entry Permission” in the record of re-entry (re-entry embarkation and disembarkation card), then you present it to the immigration officer and mention to him/her that you plan to use Special Re-entry Permission at the time of departure. However, if your residence card expires in one year from the date of your departure, you must re-enter Japan before that expiration date.
Note that even if you use the Special Re-entry Permission when you leave Japan, your status of residence will become invalid in the case when not enter Japan in one year or by the expiration date of your residence card.
Immigration Services Agency of Japan: Special re-entry Permission

Re-entry Permission

When you are not applicable to the Special Re-entry Permission (e.g., if your planning date of return to Japan is more than one year), you must apply for re-entry permission to the Regional Immigration Services Bureau in your jurisdiction before your departure.
Immigration Services Agency of Japan: Re-entry permission

When Leaving Japan after the Accomplishment of Your Studies

Please refer to 11. When You Finish Your Study at YNU

(1) Apply for Application for Extension of Period of Stay [For organization]

After checking your application, we will let you know the expected date of issuing the form [For organization] by email. Usually, it will be issued 3 working days after the date of application. Receive the form at the YNU student center on and after the expected date of issue. Please present your YNU student ID card when picking it up.

(2)Submit the documents to the Immigration Services Bureau

You must submit the documents listed below for extension of the period of stay to your local Regional Immigration Services Bureau before your period of stay expires.

※You can apply from 3 months prior to the expiration date.
(It might be possible to submit earlier than 3 months of the expiration date when you have reasons such as being in a hospital, please make an inquiry to the Regional Immigration Services Bureau in your jurisdiction beforehand.)

※The acquisition of extension of the period of stay will take from 2 weeks to 3 months.

※YNU will not take care of the procedures for extension of your period of stay by proxy. (You need to do it by yourself at the Regional Immigration Services Bureau.)

【Required Application Materials】

All students

• Application for Extension of Period of Stay
  There are 2 types of application forms, [For applicant] and [For organization].
  Fill out the form [For applicant]by yourself, referring to the exampleif necessary.
  The form [For organization] will be issued by YNU. Please refer to "How to apply for the Application" below to apply for it.
• Your photo (vertical length: 4cm/horizontal width:3cm)
  The photo should be clearly taken from the front within 3 months, without a hat or any background.
  Write your name on the back of the photo and paste it onto the application form.
• Passport
• Residence Card
• 4,000 yen revenue stamp
  (It will be necessary when you receive the renewed Residence Card and available at the Regional Immigration Services Bureau.)
• Document showing your financial ability to live in Japan
  

Regular Students

• Certificate of Enrollment
• Transcript of Academic Record

• ※These documents are available at the Automatic Certificate Machine on campus.

Non-Regular Students

• Certificate of Enrollment
• Statement of the Substance of Research
  (The period of research, the contents of the study, and the name of your supervisor should be specified on this document.)

• ※Contact your undergraduate/graduate school office to apply for it.

Student who will extend the residence card for the first time since enrolling in YNU

• Certifying documents that prove your enrollment since you obtain your residence card
  (Certificate of Attendance/Transcript of Academic Record of your previous school, Diploma or Graduation Certificate and so on)

Student who is going to proceed to the next level of education at YNU

• Copy of Acceptance letter “入学許可書”

Student who takes a leave of absence or repeats a year

• Statement of Reasons or Explanatory Material (e.g. Medical Certificate)
  (The reasons for your leave of absence/repeating a year should be stated in detail. The schedule for the graduation should be described in the document as well.)

Chang of Status of Residence

You must apply for a change of status of residence when you plan to change your purpose and carry out the activity which falls under a different status of residence. When you take a leave of absence, you need to leave Japan immediately or change your status of residence. If you find employment, you need to change your status of residence accordingly before you start working. For details, please refer to the website below.
Immigration Services Agency of Japan: Application for change of status of residence
Note that there are dormitories and scholarships provided to the International Students but some are for students who have “Student” status of residence only. Consult your future employer about the procedures to change your status of residence for employment.

Permission to Engage in an Activity Other than Those Permitted by the Status of Residence Previously Granted

With “Student” status of residence, you cannot engage in any paid activities (such as a part-time job)*. If you plan to work part-time to support your school fees and various other expenses, you must obtain a permit to engage in an activity other than those permitted by the status of residence previously granted in the first place. You can apply for permission at the airport when you enter Japan and obtain a landing permit with the status of “Student” on your residence card. If you do not have this permission, you must complete the designated process at the Regional Immigration Services Bureau before start engaging in paid activities. With this permission, you may work up to 28 hours a week and 8 hours a day (40 hours a week) during long holidays such as summer vacation. However, please note that some types of work and workplaces are prohibited to engage in. If you work longer than the hours permitted or if you engage in prohibited activities, you might be subject to punishment.
Please refer to the website below for more details and the required documents.
Immigration Services Agency of Japan: Application for permission to engage in an activity other than those permitted by the status of residence previously granted

*You may work without permission when the work is to help the education/research activities based on the contract with the university (such as Teaching Assistant or Research Assistant).

When you are going to have a part-time job, you need to consider the effects on your grades carefully. Some scholarship programs will be terminated due to students’ poor academic performance.

If you file an online application for “Permission to Engage in Activity Other Than That Permitted under the Status of Residence Previously Granted,” you may receive the permission in print by mail.
When you receive the permission at the immigration counter of a regional immigration services bureau, a verification sticker will be placed on your passport. However, if you receive such permission by mail, the permission will be issued in print, instead of the sticker of verification.
Please refer to the website below for more detail.
Immigration Services Agency of Japan:Regarding the issuance of permission to engage in activity other than that permitted by mail when applying online

If You Plan to live with Your Family in Japan

If you plan to live with your family in Japan (except for a short-term stay for tourism), you can apply for them for a “Dependent” status of residence. (Only your spouse and children are eligible for this application.) You need to visit your local Immigration Services Bureau and apply for the certificate of eligibility on behalf of your family. After you receive the certificate you send it to your family and then they apply for a visa in their home country.
Please refer to the website below to find out how to apply for a certificate of eligibility.
Immigration Services Agency of Japan: Application for issuance of a certificate of eligibility

If you need a certificate of Japanese government (MEXT) scholarship student for the application, please contact the office in “12. For inquiries”.

If You Plan to Invite Your Family to Japan for a Short-Term Stay

When you plan to invite your family to your graduation ceremony or a similar event, you must apply for a short-term visa for your family if they are from a country without Visa Exemption Arrangements with Japan.
In this case, you must complete the document in Japan and send it to your family, and then your family needs to apply for a short-term visa.
Please refer to the website below for details.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan: Visa

If you lose your residence card, you must apply for a new card to the Regional Immigration Services Bureau in your jurisdiction within 14 days of discovering the card missing, damaged, stolen, and so on. Please refer to the following website for details, such as the required documents.
Immigration Services Agency of Japan: Application for reissuance of a residence card due to loss

In case you plan to work in Japan after graduation and are looking for a job while at university, and when you continue job-hunting activities after graduation, you can apply for changing your visa status to “Designated Activities 9” which allows you to continue your job-hunting. With this status, you may stay in Japan for 6 months and you can extend the visa once, the maximum period of stay could be one year after graduation. It is also possible to acquire permission to engage in an activity other than those permitted by the status of residence previously granted, and work part-time up to 28 hours a week during this period.

Note that the status of “Student” will be invalid after your graduation, you must change your status of residence immediately after the graduation. You must not continue your job-hunting unless you change your status of residence.

To apply for changing visa status to “Designated Activities 9”, a letter of recommendation from YNU and evidential documents of job-hunting while attending the university, etc. are required. Please refer to the Immigration Services Agency of Japan’s website below for details.
Immigration Services Agency of Japan: Designated Activities 9

Notes on the application

□ You must have graduated from Yokohama National University as a regular student. Non-Regular students are not eligible.
□ The status of “Student” will be invalid after your graduation, so you must change your status of residence immediately after graduation.
□ You must not continue your job-hunting unless you change your status of residence.
□ You must have been continuously seeking employment while at university. If you started job hunting after graduation, you cannot apply.
□ If, as a graduate student, you were unable to engage sufficiently in job hunting activities during your enrollment due to a dedication to research and other academic pursuits, please submit a statement of reasons created by your academic advisor (form 3).
□ You will not be able to use YNU mail after graduation or termination. Please make sure to save your employment history.
□ If you have any problems with your residence status, you will not be recommended by the university.

How to Apply for a Letter of Recommendation

Application Documents

Application Period

As a rule, applications must be submitted during the following periods.
* Even before graduation, it is possible to apply for a change of residence status if you submit a letter of recommendation from the educational institution, a graduation prospective certificate, and other necessary documents.
* In this case, a copy of the certificate of graduation will be required at the time of approval for the change of residence status.

March graduates’ students: 1 March to 31 March
September graduates’ students: 1 September to 30 September

Where to submit

• Submit in person: YNU student center 2F, counter No.4
• Submit by mail: (Post code) 240-8501
  79-8, Tokiwadai, Hodogaya, Yokohama, Kanagawa
  Yokohama National University, Student Center, International Student Section.

• Note: If you would like to receive a letter of recommendation by mail, please send us a self-addressed and stamped envelope to the above address.

When your application is found to be qualified, we will issue a letter of recommendation.
After receiving it, submit it together with other required materials to the Immigration Bureau.

Extension of Period of Stay

When you wish to extend the period of stay with the status “Designated Activities 9”, you need to submit the same materials again to the Immigration Bureau except “Application for Change of Status of Residence”. Submit “Application for Extension of Period of Stay” instead.
Immigration Services Agency of Japan “Application form for extension of the period of stay”

Also, a letter of recommendation must be issued again, so please submit the above materials 1 to 6 to the YNU International Student Section.

Notification of the Affiliated (activity) Organization

When you finish your study at YNU (graduation, expelled, or so), you must submit the “Notification of the Affiliated (activity) Organization” to your local Immigration Services Bureau within 14 days. The notification process can be completed on the internet or by post. Failure to submit this notification may result in penalties. Please refer to the website below for details.

Immigration Services Agency of Japan: Notification of the affiliated organization

When Leaving Japan after the Accomplishment of Your Study

When you return to your home country after the accomplishment of your studies, you must complete the following process at your local municipal office.

1. Submitting a departure report (or a notification of moving out of the country)
2. Balancing the National Health Insurance (You must return your National Health Insurance Card, you need to settle with the amount several days prior to your departure.)
3. Completing the process for withdrawal from the National Pension (You might be able to demand the lump-sum withdrawal payment if you have paid the National Pension fees over 6 months.)
4. Returning your Individual Number (my number) Card

When you plan to live in Japan hereafter, you need to have your Individual Number Card (my number card) stamped “returned”, you must present the card at the municipal office when you submit your moving in after re-entering Japan.
The Individual Number (my number) once given lasts permanently.

You must return your residence card to the immigration officer when completing the process for departure at the airport.
If your period of stay is going to expire before your scheduled date of departure, you can apply for a short-term visa. Consult with your local Immigration Services Bureau.

Inquiries regarding this page or procedures at YNU

YNU International Student Section
Office: YNU student Center 2F, Counter No.4
E-mail： kokusai.shien（input @ here）ynu.ac.jp

Inquire to the Immigration Services Agency of Japan

Immigration Information Center
Tel: 0570-013904
03-5796-7112 (for IP phones and calls from overseas)
Weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 5:15 p.m.
Supported languages: Japanese, English, Chinese, Korean, Spanish, Portuguese, Vietnamese, and Filipino

（YNU International Student Section）