Guide to converting visas in Japan

There are many different types of visas in Japan. Therefore, there are many types of conversion such as: from a student visa to a work visa, from a work visa to a permanent resident visa, or even when you switch to a new company and your job changes, you also need to switch. change visa (also known as change of status of residence). 

The process and documents required to convert a Visa are quite complicated. In addition to self-prepared documents, the company also needs to provide you with some documents before you can complete the application process. . Because of the complexity, some of you often hire a lawyer, the fee to hire this administrative staff is usually very high, about 20-30万yen or more depending on the difficulty of the file. 

However, it is not too difficult to apply for a Visa yourself. Before doing so, do thorough research from the Immigration Department website for your respective visa section and various articles on trusted online forums. Then synthesize it into a complete profile, although it takes a bit of time, you can save a lot of money, right? 

Through this, KUROFUNE will guide you on the procedure to convert a trainee visa/or a student visa to a specific skill visa.

This article is for you Jissyuusei converting to Visa tokutei ginou and those of you switching from Student Visa to Visa tokutei ginou

CONVERT FROM TRAINER VISA (実習生 – jissyuusei) To SPECIFIC SKILL VISA (特定技能 – tokutei ginou) 

1.Conditions for conversion: 

– Be an intern who has completed all Technical Internships (including the No.1 Technical Internship Program lasting for 1 year and the No. 2 Internship Program within 2 years, for a total of 3 years ) received a certificate issued by Jitco. 

– For those of you moving in the same industry, you just need to find a receiving company to change your visa. However, for those who move to the wrong industry, it is mandatory to take an additional exam to test the skills of that industry and find a receiving company. 

– You need to have an additional certificate of Japanese language ability (at least N4) for the Immigration Department to evaluate the application. The higher the certificate, the higher the pass rate. When you have met at least the 3 mandatory conditions above, you can continue to sign a contract with the company you are working for or find another receiving company and then proceed to apply for a conversion visa.    

Documents to prepare when converting a visa.

The part you prepare yourself. 3kyu certificate of the 3rd year vocational exam. 

Note: in case TTS does not pass the 3rd year skills exam (3 kyu), you need to apply for a certificate of skill level assessment from your business; This certificate will replace the 3rd skill level (3 kyu) when applying for a visa, but the skill assessment certificate from the business will have a lower visa rate than 3kyu. 

Original CV – curriculum vitae when going as an intern. (can be obtained from the union) 

Apply for a certificate of completion of 3 years of internship in Japan. 

Medical examination certificate (when the contract expires, check it out) 

課税証明書　．納税証明書 (bring your residence card with you to the city hall for apply) 

源泉徴収書 Paper (usually at the end of the year Japanese companies will give it) 

Certificate of Japanese Language Proficiency. 

Passport and original high school diploma in Vietnam. 

CONVERT FROM STUDENT STUDENT VISA (留学生 ryugaku) ​​to SPECIFIC SKILL VISA (特定技能 – tokutei ginou): Conditions for visa conversion:

For international students, the transition conditions are easier 

– Graduated from language school (senmon) 

– Do not drop out of school, leave school beyond the prescribed time 

– Do not work overtime 

– Never applied for a refugee visa in Japan 

Dossiers and documents to be prepared: 

– Profile 

– Contract for recruitment of specific skills 

– Recruitment conditions sheet 

– Application for change of status of residence 

– Copy of alien card 

– Copy of passport

Submit a resume and a few notes. 

– After preparing all the relevant documents, please check again. Or ask someone with experience to check for help. 

– The location to submit the application is at the nearest Immigration Department. Working time is from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. on weekdays from Monday to Friday. 

– The review time is from 2 weeks to 2 months depending on the region and the type of application. 

– When submitting the application, note to bring all the original documents you have so that in case you need to compare, you can have it right away without wasting time. Bring the seal in case you need to use it. And you should print a few more photos to bring.