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）
Your child's schooling is not in itself a separate requirement for permission, but it can work in your favour during the screening for an extension. Being enrolled at school is concrete evidence that your family has settled into Japanese society and that your living situation is stable, and being able to keep paying for education shows that the person supporting the family is financially steady.
For families living in Japan on 家族滞在, we explain how a child's schooling relates to extending the period of stay.
To check the ability of the person supporting the family to provide a living, and the stability of the household.
家族滞在 is a status of residence that assumes the parent supporting the family carries out a stable activity in Japan (work, study and so on) and supports the family on that income. Where there are children, the 地方出入国在留管理局 (Regional Immigration Services Bureau) looks not only at the parent's income but at the whole picture: whether the family as a whole has settled steadily into Japanese society and can live without strain.
The reason a child's schooling is checked in the screening for an extension of the period of stay is to confirm that the person supporting the family has the means to support them, and that the household's life is stable. A child's schooling is not being looked at as a question of public safety, so please do not worry on that point.
A child's school life is an indicator of the family's intention to settle in Japan and of the stability of their life here.
That the family lives in Japan on a stable footing, and that the person supporting the family is financially steady.
A child of compulsory school age being enrolled at a Japanese school is one clear piece of evidence that the family lives in Japan on a stable footing. Attending regularly and taking part in school events shows a stable base for daily life.
If your child moves on to a Japanese high school, and then to a university or vocational school, being able to bear those fees shows the financial stability of the person supporting the family. It also makes the family's intention to settle in Japan clearer, because the child's future path lies in Japan.
A child who does not miss school and works seriously at their studies shows that the family respects the rules of Japanese society and lives here in good faith. Good attendance and good results can work in your favour when you extend, if only indirectly.
It shows that the person supporting the family manages the household budget with a plan and can support the family on a stable financial footing.
Education in Japan is not cheap. Keeping up payments for school fees, lessons and club activities shows that the person supporting the family does not merely have an income, but manages the household budget with a plan and with the future in mind, and has the means to support the family on a stable financial footing.
Having dependants may also entitle you to an income deduction. Paying your taxes properly is very important at the time of an extension, as fulfilment of your public obligations.
They are one element showing that the family has fitted into the local community and does not live in isolation.
When your child takes part in local events through school (festivals, sports days and so on), or does sports or other lessons, this shows that your family has fitted into the local community.
Contact with Japanese families sometimes grows out of school or the local area. This is evidence that your family is not isolated in Japan and has built good relationships.
There are 4 points: keeping track of school progress, showing you can pay 教育費, gathering material showing adaptation, and looking ahead to the next stage.
A child learning and growing up with peace of mind in Japan contributes to the stability of the family's 家族滞在, and forms the basis for the family to live in Japan for longer.
It is not in itself a separate requirement for permission, but it can work in your favour. Schooling is checked in order to confirm the ability of the person supporting the family to provide a living and the stability of the household, and being enrolled and being able to bear school fees back that up.
A certificate of enrolment, and also receipts for school fees and documents showing the annual cost, school reports, photographs of school activities and local events, and certificates from lessons and clubs.
They can work in your favour, if only indirectly. A child who does not miss school and works seriously at their studies is seen as a sign that the family lives with respect for the rules of Japanese society.
A change to 「留学」, or a change to a work-related status of residence after graduation, can be considered. We recommend gathering information and making a plan early, once the plan for further study takes shape.
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Get a free consultationThis 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.