Procedures Related to Residence Status

For inquiries regarding residence status procedures,
please contact International Affairs Office (Email：ryuga-support※jmj.tmu.ac.jp) [Replace ※ to @].

Notification of Residence Card Information

The University is required to keep records of international students’ Residence Card information. We regularly report their Residence Card information to the Immigration Services Agency of Japan. To ensure that the students can submit their information easily and without delay, the university uses the “Speed Visa” system. After renewing your period of stay, please log in through the link below and register your updated Residence Card information. Instructions for using the system will be provided at the time of enrollment.
Login to the Residence Card Reporting System (Speed Visa)

※The International Affairs Office sends important notifications to international students through the Speed Visa system. Please make sure to check them regularly.

Carry Your Residence Card at All Times

Please carry your Residence Card with you at all times. You are required to present it when requested by immigration officers, immigration control officers, police officers, or other authorities. If you fail to carry your Residence Card, you may be fined up to 200,000 yen. If you refuse to present it upon request, you may be subject to imprisonment for up to one year or a fine of up to 200,000 yen.

The Immigration Services Agency accepts applications for the extension of period of stay starting three months before the expiration date. The examination period is usually around two weeks to one month, but depending on the season, it may take nearly three months. Please submit your application no later than one month before your period of stay expires. If you fail to apply and your period of stay expires—even by one day—you will be considered an illegal resident. Please make sure to avoid applying at the last minute.

※The document issued by the University (Application Form for Organization) is required as part of the application.

How to Request ‘Application Form for Organization’

Please submit the following documents to the International Affairs Office either at the counter or by email. It takes approximately one week to issue the document. Please apply well in advance.

International Affairs Office
Location: Office A on the 1^st floor of International House, Minami-Osawa Campus
Office Hours: 9 am to 5 pm, weekdays (excluding 12:30 pm – 1:30 pm)
Submission by Email
Email：ryuga-support※jmj.tmu.ac.jp [Replace ※ to @] (International Affairs Office)

Documents to be Submitted to the Immigration Services Agency
The main documents are listed in the table below. Please check the Immigration Services Agency’s website for detailed information.
https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/applications/status/student.html

※Additional documents could be requested.
※Notes on Application Documents
・Any document written in a foreign language must be attached with a Japanese translation.
・Any Japanese certificates are valid for three months from the date of issuance.

※The Immigration Services Agency has been extremely strict in its examination of extension of period of stay due to repeating a year. If you are unable to graduate or complete your research within the standard completion year, please submit a detailed statement of reasons and a future study plan (in any format) along with your application. Additionally, a “guidance (teaching) plan” from your academic supervisor may be required. Please consult with the Immigration Services Agency in advance. If such documents are requested, be sure to discuss it with your academic supervisor.

When New Residence Card is Issued
When receiving your new Residence Card, please register it in the system to report to the University within three days.
Login to the Residence Card Reporting System (Speed Visa)

Change from ‘Student’ to a Status other than ‘Student’
When you change your residence status from ‘Student’ to a status other than ‘Student’, please report to the International Affairs Office as soon as possible.

Change from a Status other than ‘Student’ to ‘Student’
If you need to change from a status other than ‘Student’ to ‘Student’, the document (Application Form for Organization) is needed as a part of application. All our students with a residence status of ‘Student’ need to register the Speed Visa system. Please contact the International Affairs Office for information on how to register with the system.

How to Request ‘Application Form for Organization’
Please submit the following documents to the International Affairs Office either at the counter or by email. It takes approximately one week to issue the document. Please apply well in advance.

International Affairs Office
Location: Office A on the 1^st floor of International House, Minami-Osawa Campus
Office Hours: 9 am to 5 pm, weekdays (excluding 12:30 pm – 1:30 pm)
Submission by Email
Email：ryuga-support※jmj.tmu.ac.jp [Replace ※ to @] (International Affairs Office)

Documents to be Submitted to the Immigration Services Agency
Please check the Immigration Services Agency’s website for detailed information.
https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/applications/status/student.html

When New Residence Card is Issued
When receiving your new Residence Card, please register it in the system to report to the University within three days.
Login to the Residence Card Reporting System (Speed Visa)

If you enroll in our university from another educational institution in Japan (such as a university or Japanese language school) while holding the ‘Student’ residence status, please report the change of your affiliated institution to the Immigration Services Agency of Japan.

Applicable to：Students holding the ‘Student’ residence status (excluding students newly entering Japan)
Notifier：the student concerned
Items to be reported：NOTIFICATION OF THE ACCEPTING ORGANIZATION (transfer)
Notification Deadline：Within 14 days after enrollment
Notification method : via the Internet, submission at the office counter, or by post
【Notification regarding the organization of affiliation (activity) （Immigration Services Agency website）】
https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/applications/procedures/nyuukokukanri10_00014.html

When you are no longer a student of TMU, please submit a notification regarding your leaving from the university.

Applicable to：Students holding the ‘Student’ residence status
Notifier：the student concerned
Items to be reported：NOTIFICATION OF THE ACCEPTING ORGANIZATION (left the organization)
Notification Deadline：Within 14 days after leaving the university
Notification method : via the Internet, submission at the office counter, or by post
【Notification regarding the organization of affiliation (activity) （Immigration Services Agency website）】
https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/applications/procedures/nyuukokukanri10_00014.html

In case your Residence Card is lost or stolen, you must report it to the Immigration Services Agency within 14 days of discovering the loss. Also, if your Residence Card is severely damaged or cracked, you must apply for reissuance at Immigration Services Agency as soon as possible.

If there is any change in your name or nationality due to marriage or other reasons, you must notify the Immigration Services Agency within 14 days.

Foreign nationals in possession of a valid passport and Residence Card who will be re-entering Japan within one year of their departure to continue their activities in Japan will, in principle, not be required to apply for a re-entry permit. (This is called a special re-entry permit.) Be sure to present your valid passport and Residence Card at departure.
Foreign nationals who have departed from Japan on a special re-entry permit will not be able to extend that permit while abroad. Please note that such foreign nationals will lose their resident status if they fail to re-enter Japan within 1 year of their departure. If your period of stay expires within 1 year after your departure, please ensure that you re-enter Japan before the expiration of your period of stay.

If you have a plan to travel overseas or visit your home country, you must notify your academic advisor of your trip and submit the "Form of Temporary Return to Home Country and Travel Abroad" to the International Affairs Office. After you come back to Japan, you must also notify your re-entry to your academic advisor and the International Affairs Office. Your notification to the International Affairs Office is accepted at the office counter and Email.

International Affairs Office
Location: Office A on the 1^st floor of International House, Minami-Osawa Campus
Office Hours: 9 am to 5 pm, weekdays (excluding 12:30 pm – 1:30 pm)
Submission by Email
Email：ryuga-support※jmj.tmu.ac.jp [Replace ※ to @] (International Affairs Office)

International students with the residence status of ‘Student’ may work part-time within the limits that do not interfere with their studies (up to 28 hours per week, or up to 8 hours per day during long holidays designated in the university regulations) if they obtain permission for engaging in activities other than those permitted under the status of residence (‘part-time work permit’) from the Immigration Services Agency. For details regarding the application for permission to engage in other activities and regulations concerning part-time work, please check the information here.

The university is obligated to confirm that enrolled international students are engaging in part-time work in compliance with national regulations. For this reason, we conduct periodic checks on students’ part-time work situations. Details will be provided through Speed Visa.

Under the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act, international students with the residence status of ‘Student’ are required to leave Japan promptly if they do not engage in study or research activities for more than three months due to reasons such as a leave of absence, withdrawal, or expulsion. In such cases, the ‘Student’ residence status must be cancelled even if it is still valid. If international students with the ‘Student’ residence status continue to stay in Japan without engaging in study at their university, they may be subject to cancellation of their residence status. In severe cases, they may be subject to deportation and may be prohibited from entering Japan for five years. If you must continue to stay in Japan, please change to an appropriate residence status other than ’Student’.

・When leaving Japan, please return your Residence Card at the airport. ・Part-time work within Japan is not permitted during a leave of absence and after the date of withdrawal and expulsion. ・If you need to stay in Japan during your leave of absence, please inquire with the Immigration Services Agency about the procedure for changing your residence status. ・If there is a legitimate reason for staying in Japan (e.g., long-term hospitalization for medical treatment), you may not be subject to cancellation of your residence status. Do not judge whether your reason is legitimate by yourself; consult with the Immigration Services Agency in advance.

To resume studies after taking a leave of absence, you need to obtain a "Certificate of Eligibility" before returning to Japan and obtain a visa at the Japanese embassy in your home country.
The International Affairs Office can support the "Application for Issuance of Certificate of Eligibility."
For the support, we need “Certificate of Leave of Absent” and "Notification of Permission to Resume Studies,". Please contact your Academic Affairs Office and start the procedure three to four months before resuming your studies. At that time, also apply for the "Student Visa Application Support" with your Academic Affairs Office. If you have any questions regarding the documents for the application, please contact the International Affairs Office by email.

International students who graduate from TMU are not permitted to stay in Japan with their current residence status ‘Student’ after graduation.
Your residence status ‘Student' is valid only during your enrollment at TMU.
Those who are graduating from TMU, please make sure to complete the procedures mentioned.

Please submit 'Notification when leaving the organization' as in 'Notification regarding the organization of activity' to the Immigration Services Agency.
Items to be reported：NOTIFICATION OF THE ACCEPTING ORGANIZATION (left the organization)
Notification Deadline：Within 14 days after leaving TMU
Notification method : via the Internet, submission at the office counter, or by post
【Notification regarding the organization of affiliation (activity) （Immigration Services Agency website）】
https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/applications/procedures/nyuukokukanri10_00014.html

Please make sure to report your planned status after graduation (e.g. employed in Japan, continuing studying in Japan, others) to the university's Career Support Division via TMU Carrer Support System.
【在学生の方へ】 進路が決まった方へ :: 東京都立大学 キャリア支援課

Regarding the procedure for submitting career reports for research students, please refer to the guidance sent by the International Affairs Office in July or January.

Going back to your home country
Please leave Japan within one month after graduation or completion. Don't forget to cancel your Residence Card at the airport.
Part-time work is not permitted after the date of graduation or completion.
Employment in Japan
Please apply for residence status change from ‘Student' to another status according to your employment.
Enrolling in another academic institution in Japan
Please contact your new academic institution to renew your current residence status of ‘Student’.
Continuing job-hunting in Japan after graduation or completion
Please apply for residence status change to ‘特定活動ビザ (Designated Activity Visa) for the purpose of continuing job hunting in Japan’. Please check the details in Ⅷ When Continuing Job-Hunting Activities below.

To continue job-hunting after graduation, you are required to change your resident status to “Designated Activities.” For this application, you must submit documents that verify you have been continuously engaged in job-hunting since before graduation. The period of stay granted under “Designated Activities” is six months, and it can be renewed once, allowing a maximum stay of up to one year.

Eligible students are those who graduate or complete a regular undergraduate or graduate courses.

To apply to the Immigration Services Agency, you must obtain a “Recommendation Letter” issued by the university. Please submit the required documents to the International Affairs Office to request the Recommendation Letter. The university’s designated form can be obtained by email from the International Affairs Office. Issuance of the Recommendation Letter usually takes about one week.

１Application for Issue of Certificate (the university's form)
２Written Pledge (the university's form)
３Confirmation by your academic supervisor (the University form)
４Copy of Graduation/Completion Certificate
※If you apply before the graduation or completion, please submit Expected Graduation Certificate.
５Copy of your Residence Card (both sides)
６Report on the progress of continuing job hunting in A4 size paper
７Materials related to your job-hunting activities
(Notifications from companies you applied to, selection results, emails confirming your reservation for company information sessions, and materials distributed by companies, etc.)

Where to Request the University Forms
Email：ryuga-support※jmj.tmu.ac.jp [Replace ※ to @] (International Affairs Office)

Where to submit the Application
International Affairs Office
Location: Office A on the 1^st floor of International House, Minami-Osawa Campus
Office Hours: 9 am to 5 pm, weekdays (excluding 12:30 pm – 1:30 pm)
Submission by Email
Email：ryuga-support※jmj.tmu.ac.jp [Replace ※ to @] (International Affairs Office)

Documents to be Submitted to the Immigration Services Agency
https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/applications/status/designatedactivities14.html

Tokyo Regional Immigration Services Bureau, Shinagawa Office https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/about/region/tokyo/16_00408.html
Service Counter Hours
From 9 am to 4 pm (closed on weekends and national holidays)
Access
Approx. 13-minute bus ride from JR Shinagawa station. Get off at at the “Tokyo Regional Immigration Services Bureau‑mae” stop.
※Appointments for visiting the office are available.
https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/about/region/tokyo/shinsei_yoyaku.html

Tokyo Regional Immigration Services Bureau, Tachikawa Branch Office https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/about/region/tokyo/index.html
Jurisdiction
For those who reside in Tokyo or in Sagamihara City, Kanagawa Prefecture
Service Counter Hours
From 9 am to 4 pm (closed on weekends and national holidays)
Access
From JR Tachikawa Station (North Exit), take a bus and get off at the “Tama Shakenjo” stop. It is a 5‑minute walk.

Regional Immigration Services Bureau, Yokohama Branch Office https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/about/region/yokohama/index.html
Jurisdiction
For those who reside in Kanagawa Prefecture
Service Counter Hours
From 9 am to 4 pm (closed on weekends and national holidays)
Access
From Shin‑Sugita Station on the JR Negishi Line or the Yokohama Seaside Line, take a bus for approx. 14 minutes and get off at the “Immigration Bureau‑mae” stop.