Job Discussion Forums

[rich45]

Hi all,

I am currently employed as an ALT with an Instructor visa, but would like to take six months off to study Japanese at a language school.

Initially, I naively thought that I could finish my job at the end of my contract, and as I would still have nine months remaining on my visa, go and do my studying before re-entering the working world afterwards.

However, it seems that such a move is not possible, which has kind of thrown my plans in the air a little.

So, my question:

How easy/difficult is it to change my instructor visa to a student visa once I leave my job?

I have been unable to find any information on people doing it this way round. Usually, students come here and decide to stay and find a job, rather than in my case where i am giving up employment to study.

Any comments about the feasibility of my plan would be most welcome.

Thanks a lot!

[taikibansei]

Assuming the school will provide you with a 「在留資格認定証明書」, it's not a particularly difficult situation. You need to talk to the school (and your local immigration office) and not to us, though. Good luck!

[Harp]

[rich45]

Thanks for the replies.

[Harp]

Thanks, what you say is absolutely correct going by the letter of the law, both for you and your current employer. And yet...

Immigration are not going to starting asking your current boss any questions about your visa, not unless they are investigating visa related issues at the company and your boss is already in some kind of hot water.

Your situation about leaving Japan for a couple of months shouldn't come up anywhere. I work in HR for an international school here in Tokyo and our staff leave for 2 months every summer, none have ever been asked why they have been out of the country for so long if they have a job here. Of course if your boss has told immigration that you are no longer employed then they may ask you at the airport what you're up to, but I guess you'd just say you've been home to see your family and now you're back to look for a job.

Immigration don't really follow up on visas unless you wave a flag at them and tell them they need to. Generally keep quiet and they'll leave you alone...

But, as I said first, by the letter of the law what you're doing is correct.

[rich45]

[taikibansei]

Legally, not only does the employer need to inform immigration about your status, but the school as well. While Harp is right that immigration used to not follow-up on the former, recent changes in both government policy and the reporting laws (e.g., the zairyuu ka-do and "my number") have made this slightly more likely. Still, you could probably get away with just being unemployed (and/or job-searching) for the remainder of your work visa. (Immigration might ask you a question at the airport on your return, but most likely not.)

On the other hand, schools here can and do get in serious trouble if their exchange students do stuff not permitted under their visa status. There have been numerous examples of this over the last twenty years. For instance, my national university got dinged for this very recently, with the exchange students deported and a tenured Japanese faculty member (their direct advisor) put on 6-month unpaid leave as penalty.

I'm guessing that the school at some point will want to see evidence that you are on a visa allowing full-time study. Regardless, I personally would just do it the right way--in most cases, changing visa status is not really a problem anymore.

My two yen, anyway.

[rich45]

Thanks again for the replies, much appreciated.

Update:

Spoke to my boss who is going to speak to Immigration tomorrow.

I have just called my chosen Language School and they assured me that it is possible to apply for a Certificate of Eligibility from within Japan whilst on an Instructor Visa, and then collect the Student Visa a few months later whilst in my home country. The only thing is that Immigration will ask me, when applying for the CoE, just why I want to change my status, but that shouldn't be an issue as I genuinely want to improve my Japanese ability.

Seems my original plan is back on again!