No job after vocational school. Can I get a student visa again?
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
Even if you did not find a job after graduating from a vocational school, enrolling at another vocational school and extending your student visa is possible, depending on your situation. However, because you have already graduated once, the need for and the sense of further study, your financial stability, and your record and conduct as a student so far are examined more carefully.
What is this enquiry about?
An enquiry from a person who studied IT at a vocational school and graduated, but whose job hunting did not go well.
Subject: status of residence (renewal or change of 在留資格「留学」, Student)
Situation: The enquirer came to Japan 2 years ago and studied IT at a vocational school. They graduated in March (3月) this year but their job hunting did not go well and they have no job offer. Their visa is close to expiring, and they want to study web design at another vocational school.
Question: After graduating from a vocational school without finding a job, can I enrol at another vocational school and extend my student visa? What should I watch out for?
Can I enrol at another vocational school after graduating?
It is possible depending on your situation, but because you have graduated once, screening is more careful.
Even if you did not find a job after graduating from a vocational school in Japan, enrolling at another vocational school and extending your student visa is possible, depending on your situation. However, because you have already graduated from a school in Japan, the 地方出入国在留管理局 (Regional Immigration Services Bureau) examines more carefully whether you really want to study, and whether you are trying to use the student visa for some other purpose. If it is seen as no more than a way of staying on in Japan, permission becomes difficult.
What does screening look at most closely?
The need for and sense of further study, financial stability, and your record and conduct as a student so far: 3 points.
The need for and sense of further study: it matters whether you can explain clearly why you need to study again at another vocational school. You need to explain in concrete terms how what you will study now relates to, or fills a gap in, what you studied before, and how it connects with your future career plan. If the change of purpose looks casual, or what you will study seems only loosely related, the need for further study may be doubted.
Financial stability: you need to prove that you have enough funds to cover tuition and living costs steadily. Past income from part-time work and money sent to you are also examined, but it may be hard to show objectively from these alone that your future tuition and living costs are covered. It is important to prove a reliable source of funds, with a certificate of bank balance, proof of remittances from relatives, and so on.
Your record and conduct as a student so far: your grades and attendance at your previous school, and your part-time work (whether it stayed within the 資格外活動許可, Permission to Engage in Activity Other Than That Permitted) are checked to see whether there were problems in your student life. If your attendance was low, your grades were poor, or you went over the time limit on part-time work, obtaining a further student visa becomes very difficult.
What should I watch out for in an application to study again?
Choosing the new school, writing the explanation, strong financial documents, and proof of good conduct.
Choosing the new vocational school: choose a school with strong 教育内容 (course content) at which the purpose of your studies can be achieved. Choosing a school that is rated as managing its international students properly may also work in your favour in screening.
Writing a 理由書 (written explanation) that makes the need for further study clear: set out, concretely and persuasively, why you need to study this now, what you studied before and what you will study now, and how it connects with your future career.
Strong financial documents: submit a certificate of bank balance proving that you have enough savings to cover tuition and living costs. If relatives are helping you financially, show clear proof of it.
Proof of good conduct: submit your academic transcript from your previous school, documents showing your attendance, and documents showing that you have no traffic offences or other breaches of the law.
Timing of the application: apply promptly once your enrolment at the new school is settled, and start the procedure with time to spare, before your current student visa expires.
Permission is said to become very difficult where your attendance during your previous studies was markedly low or your grades extremely poor, where it comes to light that you worked beyond the scope of your 資格外活動許可, where your financial situation is unstable, where the purpose of studying again is vague, or where you have a criminal record or a past breach of 入管法 (the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act). An application to study again after graduating tends to be screened more strictly than an ordinary student visa application.
Frequently Asked Questions
After graduating from a vocational school without finding a job, can I get a student visa again at another school?
It is possible depending on your situation, but because you have graduated once, screening is more careful. The need for further study, financial stability, and your conduct so far are given weight.
Is it all right to switch to a field only loosely related to what I studied before?
It is said that if the change of purpose looks casual, or what you will study seems only loosely related, the need for further study may be doubted.
If my attendance was low before, does that make studying again difficult?
It is said that where attendance was markedly low or grades extremely poor, permission for a further student visa becomes very difficult.
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.
