Permission to Work on a Student or Dependent Visa in Japan (Shikakugai Katsudo)

Quick answer

Hi, I'm Miya, and if you've come to Japan as a student or as the dependent of someone else, your residence status doesn't automatically let you take a part-time job. What you need is a separate immigration permission — usually called permission to engage in activity outside your status, or shikakugai katsudo kyoka. This guide walks through what it is and how people generally apply, so you know the shape of the process before you start. It's general procedure information, not legal advice, and the rules do change, so I'll keep pointing you to the Immigration Services Agency's own guidance for the exact details.

What this permission is, and who needs it

Your residence status describes the main activity you were admitted for — studying, or living in Japan as a family member. Paid work sits outside that main activity, so before you take any part-time job you need the immigration authorities to grant permission for it. That permission is what people mean when they talk about shikakugai katsudo: an approval that lets you do a limited amount of work alongside your primary status.

In everyday terms, this is mainly for two groups: students (including language-school and university students) who want a part-time job, and dependents who want to earn some income while their partner or parent is the main visa holder. If you're not sure whether your particular status is covered or how it's treated, don't guess from a forum post — the Immigration Services Agency's guidance is the place to confirm what applies to you.

Applying at the airport when you arrive

If you already know you'll want to work part-time, the easiest moment to apply is often when you first land. At the airport immigration counter, when you're issued your residence card, you can usually submit the request for this permission at the same time. Because it's handled together with your entry, you don't have to make a separate trip later, which is why I suggest thinking about it before you fly.

To do this you'll want to have decided in advance that you'll apply, and to follow the counter staff's instructions on the spot. Not every arrival route or status is handled identically, so treat this as the general path rather than a guarantee — check the Immigration Services Agency's guidance on airport procedures so you know what to expect at your point of entry.

Applying later at an immigration office

If you didn't apply at the airport, or you decided to look for work only after settling in, you can apply afterwards at a regional immigration office. This is the route many people use once they've found a job they want or realised a part-time income would help. You submit the request there and wait for it to be processed before you actually start working.

The documents generally involved are the sort you'd expect: your passport, your residence card, and an application form for the permission, sometimes with information about the work you intend to do. I'm deliberately not listing exact forms or requirements here, because they're updated and they vary by situation — the current, authoritative checklist lives in the Immigration Services Agency's guidance, so build your document folder from that.

The weekly hours limit and excluded work

This permission is not an open door to full-time work — it comes with a cap on how many hours a week you're allowed to work, and there are periods (like long school holidays) that can be treated differently. I won't put a number on it here on purpose, because those figures are exactly the kind of thing that gets revised, and getting them wrong has real consequences. Read the current limit straight from the Immigration Services Agency's guidance and plan your shifts around it.

There's also a category idea worth knowing: certain kinds of businesses and industries are excluded, so the permission doesn't cover working in them at all. Rather than trying to memorise a list from me, understand that some sectors are off-limits and check whether a specific job falls into an excluded category before you accept it. When in doubt, ask the employer and confirm against official guidance.

Why working without it is a serious risk

It's tempting to think of this as paperwork you can catch up on later, but working before your permission is granted — or beyond what it allows — is treated as unauthorised work, and it can affect your ability to stay in Japan and to renew or change your status down the line. The stakes are high enough that it's genuinely worth waiting until you're properly cleared before your first shift.

So please take this as the general lay of the land, not as legal advice, and remember that immigration rules change over time. The safe habit is simple: apply through the proper route, keep your approval where you can show it, and confirm anything you're unsure about with the Immigration Services Agency's guidance rather than with rumour.

Staying reachable is part of getting cleared

Here's the practical thread that runs through all of this: much of it reaches you by phone. Booking a slot at an immigration office, receiving notifications about your case, and — later — an employer verifying that you're eligible to work often happen by call or SMS to a Japanese number. If you can't be reached, the process stalls, so being contactable is quietly part of getting cleared to work and staying on the right side of the rules.

That's why I get newcomers connected early. A bridge eSIM keeps you online from the moment you land, so you can look up guidance and answer messages before your residence card even arrives. Then, once that card is in hand, you can apply for a proper Japanese line online — and if your phone supports eSIM, you can be set up the same day in about fifteen minutes, no store visit needed. Sort the number out, and every later step can actually find you.