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Japan · residence general

Graduate waiting for accepted employment: Designated Activities

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Guidance updated 15 November 2026. Full-review date shown above.

An in-country residence change for an eligible former student with an accepted qualifying job whose start date is later. It requires graduation, a valid future work basis and employer undertakings; it does not itself authorise the full job.

Eligible resident graduate, confirmed qualifying future job, timing limits, employer undertakings and resourcesDoes not lead to permanent residencyThe approved waiting period until the qualifying employment start, within one year of the offer and one year and six months of graduation. Follow the actual designated period.
Processing time
An in-country status-change decision is required. Timing depends on the competent bureau and evidence; plan before the current permission expires and do not assume approval by a fixed employment date.
Government fees
For status changes or renewals received from 1 October 2026, office fees by granted period are: up to three months JPY 10,000; over three to six months JPY 18,000; over six months to under one year JPY 25,000; one year JPY 33,000; over one to under three years JPY 48,000; three to under five years JPY 64,000; five years or more JPY 75,000. Online totals including the processing charge are respectively JPY 10,330, 15,330, 21,330, 27,330, 42,330, 56,550 and 65,550. Receipts by 30 September 2026 retain the old office JPY 6,000 / online JPY 5,500 regime. Actual exemptions, reductions and special card charges require the authority assessment; concession requests use the office procedure. This is an in-country status change; overseas visa/COE fees are not the ordinary basis.
Typical duration
The approved waiting period until the qualifying employment start, within one year of the offer and one year and six months of graduation. Follow the actual designated period.
Required support
Eligible resident graduate, confirmed qualifying future job, timing limits, employer undertakings and resources
Leads to permanent residency
No
Reviewed Japan Immigration Services Agency ↗

In short

An in-country residence change for an eligible former student with an accepted qualifying job whose start date is later. It requires graduation, a valid future work basis and employer undertakings; it does not itself authorise the full job. Guidance updated 15 November 2026. Costs, application stages and eligibility conditions are set out with their sources below.

Cite this: https://visaatlas.org/visas/japan/graduate-job-offer-wait#answer

What is the Graduate waiting for accepted employment: Designated Activities in Japan?

Eligible resident graduate, confirmed qualifying future job, timing limits, employer undertakings and resources. Follow the actual entry, status-change or renewal procedure and issued activity conditions. Indicative government fees are For status changes or renewals received from 1 October 2026, office fees by granted period are: up to three months JPY 10,000; over three to six months JPY 18,000; over six months to under one year JPY 25,000; one year JPY 33,000; over one to under three years JPY 48,000; three to under five years JPY 64,000; five years or more JPY 75,000. Online totals including the processing charge are respectively JPY 10,330, 15,330, 21,330, 27,330, 42,330, 56,550 and 65,550. Receipts by 30 September 2026 retain the old office JPY 6,000 / online JPY 5,500 regime. Actual exemptions, reductions and special card charges require the authority assessment; concession requests use the office procedure. This is an in-country status change; overseas visa/COE fees are not the ordinary basis; indicative processing time is An in-country status-change decision is required. Timing depends on the competent bureau and evidence; plan before the current permission expires and do not assume approval by a fixed employment date; typical duration is The approved waiting period until the qualifying employment start, within one year of the offer and one year and six months of graduation. Follow the actual designated period. This route does not lead to permanent residence.

Primary guidance checked with Japan Immigration Services Agency on 15 November 2026.

Overview

This procedure is distinct from continued job hunting. It covers eligible Student residents or residents already on the continued job-search Designated Activities permission who have a confirmed offer and meet the actual graduation and future work-status requirements. Employment must begin within one year of the offer and within one year and six months of graduation. The prospective employer must stay in regular contact and report cancellation promptly. Paid work or a pre-employment internship needs the actual separate authorisation; the future contract does not automatically authorise the job before the appropriate work-status decision.

Additional sources

Eligibility

Typical criteria

  • ✓Be within the eligible Student or continued-job-search Designated Activities resident group and have graduated or completed the Japanese educational course required by the procedure. Establish an actual offer whose work is expected to qualify for the applicable work-status change.Japan Immigration Services Agency ↗
  • ✓Employment must start within one year after the offer and within one year and six months after graduation. The employer must undertake periodic contact and prompt notification to the regional immigration bureau if the offer is cancelled.Japan Immigration Services Agency ↗
  • ✓Maintain an acceptable residence history and sufficient resources during the wait. The waiting permission and later work-status change are separate; future eligibility must be evidenced rather than assumed from a job title.Japan Immigration Services Agency ↗

Common blockers

  • !An offer outside the timing limits, work that cannot qualify for the intended work status, missing employer undertakings or inadequate resources can prevent approval. A general graduate job-search title does not automatically convert when an offer is made.Japan Immigration Services Agency ↗
  • !Ordinary paid work while waiting requires the appropriate outside-activity permission, generally up to 28 hours per week under its conditions. A pre-employment internship at the offering company can support a separate permission exceeding 28 hours where its conditions are met; this is not automatic unrestricted work.Japan Immigration Services Agency ↗

Typical evidence

  • ·Use the current application form, passport, specified photograph and actual activity checklist; an in-country applicant also provides the current residence card. Supply Japanese translations where the checklist requires them and respond to additional evidence requests. A COE or appointment alone is not the granted residence status.Japan Immigration Services Agency ↗
  • ·Provide resources/supporter evidence and the documents needed for the intended work-status change, actual offer and offer date, employer contact/reporting undertaking and any proposed pre-employment training details. Even a category 1 or 2 employer must provide the specified company, workplace, business, pay and duty information; dispatched cases include the actual client workplace and duties.Japan Immigration Services Agency ↗

Application pathway

  1. Confirm the offer, graduation and start-date limits

    Check the existing resident basis, actual completed course, offer date and intended start. Match the future duties, qualifications and pay to the appropriate professional work status.

  2. Prepare employer undertakings and the residence application

    Submit the in-country change with funding and intended-work evidence, confirmed offer and the employer's regular-contact/cancellation-reporting undertaking. Include actual workplace, duties, remuneration and any training arrangements.

  3. Observe the waiting designation and any separate work permission

    Maintain the approved residence and employer contact. Obtain outside-activity permission before ordinary paid work or a qualifying internship. An offer, application receipt or old Student work permission does not authorise the future full job.

  4. Obtain the appropriate work status before starting the job

    Coordinate the actual professional work-status change and its required evidence before relying on the job's full working rights. If the offer or start date changes or is cancelled, follow the competent bureau's status and employer-reporting procedure.

After approval: prepare for your next step

For Graduate waiting for accepted employment: Designated Activities, use the actual decision and the issuing authority’s instructions to establish what has been granted. A successful application, permission to enter, permission to work and a residence document are not interchangeable.

  1. 1. Check the decision. Confirm the name, passport, status granted, start date and any next action. Resolve an error with the authority before relying on the document for travel or employment.
  2. 2. Establish the travel step. Read any entry window, activation, collection or in-country registration instruction. For an extension or change of status, do not assume leaving the country is required or safe while a further step remains pending.
  3. 3. Confirm what you may do. Agree the lawful start date and onboarding with the employer or sponsor. Check whether the permission names an employer, role or activity before changing the arrangement.
  4. 4. Organise the household. Check each accompanying person’s permission separately, then arrange healthcare, accommodation, access to money and the relevant local registrations. A tax number or bank account does not by itself prove a right to work.
  5. 5. Keep the ongoing conditions visible. Record the actual expiry, renewal process, permitted absences and any duty to report changes. An initial grant does not automatically establish permanent residence or citizenship.
Official Graduate waiting for accepted employment: Designated Activities instructionsBuild my moving plan for this routeMoving to Japan

Official application links

Where to actually go next

Government links only

These are the official pages to use for this route. Open them before preparing documents: the forms, fees, appointment systems, and sponsor steps can change without warning.

  1. Official guidanceApplicant + sponsor
    Prepare the accepted-job waiting application ↗

    Applicant and future employer assemble the current offer, resources, intended-work and undertaking evidence.

    Japan Immigration Services Agency · verified

  2. Official guidanceApplicant
    Check the waiting-period and activity conditions ↗

    Confirm the offer/graduation timing limits, employer obligations and separate part-time/internship permission.

    Japan Immigration Services Agency · verified

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Frequently asked questions

Is this the same as a graduate job-search extension?+

No. Continued job search is for eligible graduates still seeking work. This waiting procedure requires an actual qualifying offer and a later start within its offer/graduation timing limits.

Can I start the full job while the status change is pending?+

A future offer or pending application does not itself authorise that full job. Obtain the appropriate work-status decision, or the actual separate limited activity permission where applicable, before starting the activity.

What must the employer provide?+

The future work-status evidence, confirmed offer/date, required business/workplace/pay/duty details and the regular-contact and cancellation-reporting undertaking. Proposed training and dispatch arrangements need their actual additional details.

Need tailored advice?

We do not provide legal advice. For an application that depends on your exact circumstances, consult a regulator-listed immigration advisor.

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How we verified this

We check every figure on this page against the primary government source, record the date it was last checked, and re-check it on a regular schedule. Rules change, so always confirm time-sensitive details with the official source before you rely on them. Visa Atlas is an information-only publication and does not give legal advice.

Primary source: Japan Immigration Services Agency

Last checked: 15 November 2026

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