Update  04/26/2024

 

My clients sometimes ask me if he/she can do a part-time job with the current status of residence.

 

The answer depends on what kind of residence card you have. Let’s examine each case.

 

 

Family related visa

 

 

If your status of residence is family-related, such as “Permanent Resident” or “Spouse or Child of Japanese National,” then you are permitted to work without restrictions. Therefore, you can engage in any kind of part-time job, and there are no restrictions on working hours.

 

 

Non-working visa

 

 

If your status of residence is such as “Student” and “Dependent”, you can do a part-time job. In this case, you need to apply for an additional permission, so-called “permission to engage in activity other than that permitted under the status of residence previously granted” (Shikaku-gai Katsudo Kyoka) to Immigration office. You are allowed to work for a maximum of 28 hours/week, if permitted.

 

The required documents depend on what visa you currently have.

 

 

 

Working visa

 

This is the scenario I am most frequently asked about. Essentially, if your company doesn’t prohibit you from working part-time, you can engage in such employment, but you might need to apply for additional permission.

Let’s consider the case where you hold an Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services visa.

In this situation, whether or not you require an additional permit depends on the nature of the part-time job you intend to undertake. Regardless, you are not permitted to work in roles such as cashier at a convenience store, on a factory production line, or any other on-site positions.

 

Case requiring additional permission

 

 

If you possess an Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services visa and plan to work in a part-time role that is not permitted under your current visa, you must apply for additional permission.

For instance, if you work as a translator and interpreter for a trading company but intend to teach your native language at a high school part-time, teaching at a high school is classified under the “Instructor” category, not under the “Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services” category. Consequently, you need to obtain “Permission to engage in activities other than those permitted under the status of residence previously granted”.

If you work as a technician at a company responsible for product development on weekdays and want to give lectures at a university for about one day a week, you will also need the permission.

 

Case not requiring additional permission

 

Case not requiring additional permission

 

If you are employed as a computer programmer at a software company and plan to take on a part-time role as a computer programmer at another company within the same industry, you will not need to apply for additional permission. This is because the part-time role falls within the scope of your current visa status. Another example: if you are employed as an English teacher at an English school under an Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services visa and intend to engage in part-time translation work as a side job on holidays, you do not need to apply for additional permission.

 

 

Summary

Thus, you are only permitted to work part-time within the boundaries of your current status of residence or with a “permission to engage in activities other than those permitted by your status of residence previously granted.” Violating this rule could result in the revocation of your status of residence, deportation, and legal action against the employing company for encouraging illegal employment.

Additionally, it’s worth noting that if you intend to engage in academic and cultural activities that do not involve remuneration, you do not need to obtain additional permission.

 

 

If you need help for applying an additional permission or apply for the visa, please do not hesitate to contact us!

 

 

Profile

Ami Ito　　Immigration lawyer in Tokyo, Japan

– Spent high school years in the U.K. and graduated from a local school.
– Studied mainly intercultural communication at Sophia University’s Faculty of Foreign Languages, English Department.
– Worked in the overseas department of SEIKO for 11 years after graduation.
– Over 10 years of experience teaching English to high school students, with a TOEIC score of 970 and a Class A level in the United Nations Associations Test of English.
– Serves as a board member in charge of international affairs at the Chiba Administrative Scrivener Association.
– Officially registered on the Financial Services Agency’s “List of Professionals (Administrative Scriveners) in Chiba Prefecture capable of providing services in foreign languages.”