Do I have to file a notification if I withdraw from school while my application to change to 「経営・管理」 is pending?
Foreigners Employment Support Organization (FESO) ／ Published ／ Last updated
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）
Answer
When you withdraw from graduate school, you have a duty to file the 「活動機関に関する届出（離脱）」 (notification concerning the organisation of activity (leaving)) within 14 days of the date of withdrawal. This is because, even while the application for change is pending, the status of residence you currently hold is 「留学」. Please note as well that from the moment you withdraw you can no longer carry out 資格外活動 (part-time work) at all.
What is this enquiry about?
An enquiry about the notifications and the risks involved in withdrawing from graduate school part-way through, while waiting for the result of an application to change to 「経営・管理」.
Subject: preparing to change to 在留資格「経営・管理」 (Business Manager)
Application type: 在留資格変更許可申請 (Application for Change of Status of Residence) (留学 ⇒ 経営・管理)
Current status of residence: 「留学」 (Student) (enrolled on a master's course at graduate school)
State of the application: the application for change was filed in October last year in order to start a business, and the result is awaited
Plan: to withdraw from graduate school part-way through at the end of March this year, in order to concentrate on the business
Question: is a notification to the 地方出入国在留管理局 (Regional Immigration Services Bureau) needed? What are the risks and the practical points of withdrawing before the result comes out?
Do I have to notify the 地方出入国在留管理局 when I withdraw?
Yes. You must file the 「活動機関に関する届出（離脱）」 within 14 days of the date of withdrawal.
If you hold 在留資格「留学」, you must make a notification under the law when you finish that activity (attending school).
The notification to file Of the 「所属機関等に関する届出」 (notification concerning the organisation to which you belong), the 「活動機関に関する届出（離脱）」 (notification concerning the organisation of activity (leaving))
Legal basis Unless there is a justifiable reason, you must notify the Commissioner of the 出入国在留管理庁 (Immigration Services Agency of Japan) of the matter within 14 days (第19条の16第1号 of the 入管法 (Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act))
DeadlineWithin 14 days of the date of withdrawal
How to file You can also file over the internet, through the 出入国在留管理庁電子届出システム (the Immigration Services Agency of Japan's online notification system)
Even while the application for change is pending, the status of residence you currently hold is 「留学」. If you fail to make this notification, it may be treated as a failure to perform a duty, and this may have a negative effect on the screening of your 「経営・管理」 application, which is still under way.
What is the risk of ceasing to be a student while screening is under way?
The risk is that, if the application were to be denied, you would also have lost your student standing and so would have no basis for staying in Japan.
Even while the application for change is pending, the status of residence you currently hold remains 「留学」. Please keep the following in mind, however.
Checking the state of screening If you applied in October last year and no result has come out by the end of March, screening is taking longer than usual (the standard processing period is 1 to 3 months). Please check once more whether a notice asking for additional documents has arrived.
If the application is denied If you have also lost your standing as a student when a denial comes, you would have no basis for staying in Japan. You need to understand this risk.
As time has passed since the application, there is also a good chance that the result will come out at around the same time as your withdrawal at the end of March.
What should I prepare when I withdraw?
3 things: keeping your certificate of withdrawal, stopping part-time work completely, and a supplementary explanation for the examiner.
Preparing your certificate of withdrawal Please keep the certificate of withdrawal issued by the school. In the course of screening you may be asked why you left and when you left.
Stopping 資格外活動 (part-time work) From the moment you withdraw from graduate school, part-time work of up to 28 hours a week (資格外活動) becomes wholly impossible. Until permission for 「経営・管理」 is granted and you receive your new 在留カード (Residence Card), it is safer to hold off from receiving director's remuneration or doing operational work as well.
A supplementary explanation for the examiner If you can, when you submit your notice of withdrawal it helps screening go smoothly to file, voluntarily, a supplementary written explanation (上申書) to the effect that you have withdrawn because your business preparations are complete and you will devote yourself to the business from April.
The enquiry on which this article is based dates from March 2026 (2026年3月). Please check the latest information on the website of the 出入国在留管理庁 and elsewhere.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to file a notification if I withdraw, even while an application for change is pending?
Yes. Even while the application for change is pending, the status of residence you currently hold is 「留学」, so please file the 「活動機関に関する届出（離脱）」 within 14 days of the date of withdrawal. You can also file it through the 出入国在留管理庁電子届出システム.
Can I carry on with part-time work of up to 28 hours a week after I withdraw?
No. From the moment you withdraw from graduate school, 資格外活動 becomes wholly impossible. Until permission for 「経営・管理」 is granted and you receive your new 在留カード, it is safer to hold off from receiving director's remuneration or doing operational work as well.
What happens if I fail to file the notification?
It may be treated as a failure to perform a duty, and this may have a negative effect on the screening of your 「経営・管理」 application, which is still under way. The deadline is within 14 days of the date of withdrawal.
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. Where the two differ, the Japanese version prevails.
