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What should a foreign national on a working holiday with no job, who has been in a relationship with a Japanese person for only a short time, watch out for when applying to change status to a Japanese spouse visa?

Foreigners Employment Support Organization (FESO)　／　Published 21 October 2026　／　Supervised by 佐藤拓行政書士

This article is a translation of the Japanese original. Where the two differ, the Japanese version prevails. Read the Japanese original（日本語版を読む）

Who this article is forAn enquiry from the applicant himself or herself about an application to change from a working holiday to a 日本人の配偶者等 (Spouse or Child of Japanese National) visa.

Answer

Even if the wife works part-time in the hospitality trade, because she is a Japanese spouse, that point itself is said to be unlikely to affect the examination, and what is written in the employment certificate is said to be fine as long as it is true. To prove the applicant's Japanese ability it is better to submit the language school enrolment record, and on the financial requirement it is said to be important to explain concretely, on the premise that neither has a stable job, the living plan and income-and-expenditure plan (housing, food, utilities, communications, leisure, monthly savings, etc.), including the bank balance certificate and whether there is financial support.

What is this enquiry about?

An enquiry from the applicant himself or herself about an application to change from a working holiday to a 日本人の配偶者等 (Spouse or Child of Japanese National) visa.

Enquiry type: visa
Application type: change of status
Situation: The applicant is a German national, currently in Japan on a working holiday visa and currently without a job. The wife is Japanese; they submitted the marriage notification in June (the relationship lasted about 9 months before that). The applicant (husband) can submit only a certificate of non-taxation, but expects a job offer from a Japanese company (a conditional job offer letter is to be obtained; IT engineer). The wife, who could be the supporter, has a tax payment and taxation certificate. The applicant's savings are about 7 million yen (700万円). The wife worked as a nursery teacher until now but has left that job and has been working part-time for about a year and a half at a bar in Ginza (position: general staff); the wife's part-time income is about 4〜5万円 a month.
Questions: (1) Will the wife's part-time work at a bar affect the impression in the examination? Should the employment certificate's "position: general staff" be replaced with a specific position? (2) As a way to prove the applicant's Japanese ability, there is a language school enrolment record, but I am worried about being told "if you attend a language school, isn't this really study abroad?" (3) With the wife's part-time income, the applicant's savings and a conditional job offer letter, is there a chance of approval? (4) Will an employment certificate be required from the wife as the supporter, or is the applicant's job offer letter enough?

Does the wife's part-time work at a bar affect the examination?

Because she is a Japanese spouse, the type of business where she works part-time is not thought to affect it in itself.

Because she is a Japanese spouse, the fact of working part-time at a bar is said to be thought not to affect the examination in itself. As for the position column of the employment certificate, it is said to be fine as long as what is written is true.

How should the applicant's Japanese ability be proved?

It is better to submit the language school enrolment record, and we think it is good to also confirm how the applicant acquired the Japanese.

It is premised that activities stay within the original purpose of the working holiday, but attending school during a working holiday is also permitted, so it is said to be better to submit the language school enrolment record. It is also said to be better to confirm further how the applicant acquired a level above everyday conversation. As for the point that "this is really study abroad", if the activities had gone beyond the scope of the working holiday, it is said that you would bring them back within the scope and then consider a change of status of residence, and if there is no such intention, simply returning to within the scope is said to be enough.

If neither has a stable job, how should the financial requirement be explained?

It is important to present a concrete living plan and income-and-expenditure plan on the premise that neither has a stable job.

If the applicant has only a conditional job offer letter, then, although it depends on conditions such as short-term dispatch work or a fixed-term employment contract, it is said to be fine as long as the applicant will, broadly, be able to hold a regular job over the long term as explained. An employment certificate is also said to be needed for the wife, and, on the premise that neither has a stable job, it is said to be better to show that they can live by explaining concretely the living plan and income-and-expenditure plan after marriage, tied to the bank balance certificate and whether there is financial support, down to housing, food, utilities, communications, leisure and monthly savings.

If there is no financial support from the parents, is it all right not to submit a letter of support?

If support can actually be obtained, it is better to submit a letter of support.

If support can actually be obtained, it is said to be better to submit that letter. On the other hand, submitting as though there were no financial support when in fact support might be available is said to turn the application into one requiring consultation (a consultation application) rather than an ordinary application.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will the wife's part-time work in hospitality (at a bar) count against me in the spouse visa examination?

Because she is a Japanese spouse, that point is said to be thought not to affect the examination in itself.

Is it all right to prove the applicant's Japanese ability with a language school enrolment record?

Attending school during a working holiday is also permitted, so it is said to be better to submit the enrolment record.

Is there a chance of approval even if neither of us has a stable job?

Even with a conditional job offer, it is said to be fine if there is a prospect of holding a regular job over the long term, but it is said to be important to present a concrete living plan and income-and-expenditure plan.

Is it a problem to proceed on the premise of receiving no financial support from the parents?

Submitting as though there were no support when support could in fact be obtained is said to make the application a consultation application, and if support can be obtained it is said to be better to submit it.

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This article provides general information. Immigration rules change, and outcomes depend on individual circumstances. Please check the Immigration Services Agency website or consult a qualified specialist.
This page is a translation of the Japanese original. Because it is a translation, the meaning may differ from the original in places. Where something affects a decision you are making, please check the Japanese version or ask us. The supervision by a 行政書士 is of the Japanese version.