Change of Status After High School Graduation and Employment While on a Dependent Visa | Procedures and Examination Points for Changing to Long-Term Resident or Designated Activities

2. Which Should You Choose: Long-Term Resident or Designated Activities? (By Applicable Pattern)

When working after high school graduation, whether “Long-Term Resident” or “Designated Activities” is appropriate depends on family circumstances, prior residence history, and the industry and employment type of the prospective employer, among other factors. Below are typical patterns.

1. Cases Where a Change to Long-Term Resident Is Considered

• Where the person has lived in Japan for a long period as a Dependent and has established a stable life base in Japan
• Where the person has studied consistently at Japanese educational institutions, such as elementary school, junior high school, and high school in Japan
• Where, based on the parent’s status of residence and family relationship, it is deemed reasonable that the person will live in Japan in the medium to long term

If a change to Long-Term Resident is approved, the range of occupations you can engage in is relatively broad, including convenience stores, restaurants, caregiving, manufacturing, and other non-professional job categories.
On the other hand, for Long-Term Resident status, immigration has broad discretion, and careful explanations tailored to the individual circumstances are necessary.

2. Cases Where a Change to Designated Activities Is Considered

• Where the prospective employer and job type are somewhat limited, and you will seek permission to work based on a specific Designated Activities notification category
• Where, after graduating from high school, you plan to gain work experience for a certain period and then later transition to another status of residence (such as a work visa)
• Where information is somewhat insufficient to meet the Long-Term Resident requirements, and you are considering a step-by-step residence plan under Designated Activities

Designated Activities has many categories, so it is essential to consider an application policy based on the details of the relevant notification category and examination practices.
Which status is appropriate will be determined by considering not only the individual but also the overall family’s residence situation and future path.

3. Requirements and Required Documents for Changing from Dependent to Long-Term Resident / Designated Activities

When changing status from Dependent to Long-Term Resident or Designated Activities, it is important to organize “who prepares what.”
In general, there are required documents from three parties: the applicant, the parent/guardian, and the employer.

1. Main Documents the Applicant Should Prepare

Documents prepared by the applicant are used to prove the applicant’s learning background to date, living history in Japan, and suitability for future employment.
In particular, materials showing “high school graduation,” “Japanese language ability,” and “past residence status/compliance” directly affect the examination decision, so it is important to prepare them carefully.

• Residence card, passport
• Resume (educational background, work history, residence history in Japan, etc.)
• High school graduation certificate and academic transcript
• Documents proving Japanese language ability (Japanese-Language Proficiency Test, school grades, etc.)
• Documents showing past part-time work history / employment history (if any)

2. Main Documents the Parent/Guardian Should Prepare

Documents prepared by the parent/guardian are emphasized in the examination as materials demonstrating the household’s overall living foundation and ability to maintain livelihood.
The clearer you can explain that “life is stable and it is reasonable to continue living in Japan,” the higher the likelihood of approval becomes.

• Certificate of Residence (juminhyo) listing all household members
• Taxation certificate and tax payment certificate
• Documents showing ability to support the household, such as certificate of employment and income certificates
• Family relationship documents such as family register (koseki) transcript, marriage certificate, birth certificate, etc. (as necessary)
• Written statement explaining living circumstances in Japan and future living plan/policy

3. Main Documents the Employer Should Prepare

Documents from the employer are required to show the terms of employment, clarity of job duties, and that an appropriate working environment exists.
In particular, if the job description and salary condition documents are insufficient, it is common for immigration to request additional documents or resubmission.

• Company profile (certificate of registered matters, company brochure, etc.)
• Employment contract (showing employment type, working hours, salary, and workplace/location)
• Job description statement (specific job duties, assigned department, supervision/training structure, etc.)
• Documents showing the wage structure and pay raise system
• Internal rules regarding employment of foreign nationals (if any)

In particular, the point of “what level of salary and what kind of life is feasible” is emphasized in the examination.
It is reassuring to organize the household’s overall financial plan—including the parent/guardian’s income and the applicant’s salary—in written form.

4. Points Likely to Lead to Denial or Requests for Additional Documents

When changing from Dependent to Long-Term Resident or Designated Activities, the key points are “stability of life” and “appropriateness of the purpose of residence.”
In the following situations, immigration may request additional documents, or the risk of denial increases.

• Insufficient explanation of living expenses (unclear salary level, household expense breakdown, whether there is financial support, etc.)
• Short residence history in Japan, or the life base in Japan is not sufficiently explained
• Unclear job duties, making it difficult to determine whether the actual work is simple labor or specialized work
• Many absences from school, poor conduct, or other concerns about residence status/compliance
• Problems with the parent/household head’s tax payment status and social insurance enrollment status

Even if these concerns exist, there are many cases where the risk can be reduced through explanations of circumstances and submission of supplementary materials.
Before applying, it is important to organize which points will become the “issues” in the examination.

5. Frequently Asked Questions About Changing from Dependent to Long-Term Resident / Designated Activities

If the destination is an educational institution such as a vocational school or university, in most cases you would consider changing not to “Long-Term Resident” or “Designated Activities” but to a Student (College Student) status of residence.
The reason is that the Student status is the appropriate status whose purpose of residence is “to receive school education.”

However, in the following situations, a change to “Long-Term Resident” may exceptionally be considered.

• Having lived in Japan since early childhood and having received Japan’s educational curriculum for a long period
• The family has settled in Japan and a strong living foundation has been formed
• Based on the parent’s status of residence and family relationship, long-term residence is deemed reasonable

On the other hand, even if the schooling is aimed at future employment, during the period of enrollment it is generally standard to change first to “Student” and then, depending on the path after graduation, consider Long-Term Resident / Designated Activities / a work visa.
If the school admission timing is close to the current period-of-stay expiry date, you will need to prepare the procedures early.

Work permitted under Dependent status is basically limited to the scope of Permission to Engage in Activity Other Than That Permitted under the Status of Residence Previously Granted (up to 28 hours per week).
Therefore, when you switch to full-time employment after high school graduation, you need to complete the procedure to change your status of residence.

As representative options at the time of hiring, the following three are common.

1. Long-Term Resident…A wide scope of allowable work, and job types are less likely to be restricted. Explanation of living foundation is important.
2. Designated Activities…Consider the applicable category depending on the employer and job duties. A step-by-step residence approach.
3. Work visa…Because the job must require specialized skills, the applicable scope for new high school graduates is narrow.

Especially for occupations such as manufacturing, caregiving, service industries, and customer-facing work—job types that are often outside the scope of work visas—there are many cases where applying under Long-Term Resident / Designated Activities is the realistic approach.

Yes, it is possible. However, in the examination, what matters more than the employment type is whether you can make a living—i.e., stability of livelihood.

Typical factors that affect approval include the following:

• Whether the balance between salary amount and working hours is appropriate (minimum wage, explanation of dependency relationships, etc.)
• Whether the parent/household head’s income and tax payment status are stable
• Whether housing and living environment can be maintained continuously
• Whether the employer can show prospects of continued employment

Even if you are a part-time or contract employee, there are many cases where approval is granted when you carefully explain the situation and clearly show your life plan, so there is no need to be overly pessimistic.

For new high school graduates, it is possible to obtain a work visa only for occupations that require specialized knowledge, so the companies and job types you can choose are limited.
In the following job categories, obtaining a work visa may be difficult (or not suitable):

• Simple-labor-type work such as restaurant work, customer service, sales, cleaning, factory line work, warehouse work, etc.
• Work that can be performed with only a high school diploma and for which it is difficult to explain specialized nature
• Cases where the company cannot prepare a job description statement or placement plan

Therefore, in cases where you anticipate the following paths, it is realistic to consider Long-Term Resident / Designated Activities from the start.

1. Want to work at the company long-term while gaining experience
2. Are considering career advancement in the future through vocational school or obtaining qualifications
3. Have your living foundation in Japan together with your family and are considering settling in Japan

Of course, there are cases where applying for a work visa is possible, but because consistency with the applicant’s educational background, job duties, and future plan is essential, an individual assessment is necessary.

6. Summary: Changing from Dependent to Long-Term Resident / Designated Activities

For children who grew up in Japan under Dependent status, if they wish to continue working in Japan after graduating from high school, it is essential to change to a visa status that matches the purpose of residence.
In particular, changing to “Long-Term Resident” or “Designated Activities” is a commonly used option in practice, and it is important for the applicant, the parent/guardian, and the employer to coordinate and proceed with preparations together.

• Understand that, in principle, Dependent status is not intended for full-time employment.
• Based on the applicant’s educational background, residence history in Japan, and the family’s residence status, consider whether Long-Term Resident, Designated Activities, or a work visa is appropriate.
• Organize the documents that the applicant, parent/guardian, and employer each need to prepare, and carefully explain the living foundation and household financial plan.
• Insufficient explanation of living expenses and unclear job duties are major causes of denial or requests for additional documents, so advance measures are important.
• Because the timing of high school graduation, period-of-stay expiry, and the start of employment often overlaps, early consultation and early preparation provide peace of mind.

Changing status from Dependent is not merely about “whether you can work,” but a major turning point that directly relates to how you plan your life in Japan.
By considering choices such as further education versus employment, the family’s future place of residence, and career plans, you can make a more satisfactory and appropriate choice of status of residence.

If you feel, “I don’t know which status of residence suits me (or my child),” or “As a company, I’m unsure how far we should cooperate,” we recommend consulting a professional once to organize the direction and policy.
By organizing information and taking measures at an early stage, it becomes possible to achieve a smooth status change and create an environment to start working life with confidence.

7.ACROSEED Immigration Lawyer's Office Support System

When seeking employment after graduating from a Japanese high school under Dependent status, the status you can change to is not determined solely by whether you have a job offer.
Immigration conducts a comprehensive examination by considering the applicant’s educational background, the relevance to the job duties, the appropriateness of employment conditions, the consistency of the post-graduation path, and whether stable life in Japan can be maintained.

At ACROSEED Immigration Lawyer's Office, from the pre-application stage, we organize the points that are particularly likely to be examined in changes from Dependent after high school graduation (the appropriateness of employment immediately after graduation, consistency between job duties and the applicant’s abilities/experience, which is more appropriate between Long-Term Resident and Designated Activities, employment conditions and life planning, etc.). Based on this, even in cases where work visas are difficult, we assess whether changing to Long-Term Resident or Designated Activities is realistically feasible, and if there are circumstances that may be viewed unfavorably, we provide careful supplemental explanations of the background, while designing a reasonable application plan with the future in mind.

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