How to get Japan's Study Visa? | Pakistan Law Reports

Active international student exchange is now taking place throughout many parts of the world, and there are now said to be more than 1.5 million foreign students studying around the globe. Among them, 117,302 (as of May 1, 2004) are studying in Japan. The greatest reason for studying in Japan is its academic environment where one can study state-of-the-art technology and acquire the knowledge that enabled Japan's phenomenal postwar economic growth. Whether it is electronics, Japanese literature, medicine or international business administration, Japanese universities and other institutes of higher education can offer course studies or research programs of virtually any field. Many institutions of higher education, such as universities and junior colleges, are well equipped with fine research, computer, and library facilities and enable students to carry out their research in an excellent environment. The procedures that need to be taken to obtain visa for Japan as a foreign student are as follows: Application for Certificate of Eligibility Two photographs Letter of Acceptance from University Please inquire at an overseas Japanese embassy or consular offices (http://www.mofa.go.jp/about/emb_cons/mofaserv.html) for details regarding visas. Please note that a "temporary visitor" visa is normally needed to enter Japan in order to take an entrance examination . 1) Be sure to note your term of residence Students who hold the College Student residency status are permitted to reside in Japan for either 2 years or 1 year. Those holding the Pre-college Student status of residence are allowed to stay in Japan for either 1 year or 6 months. If you wish to extend your stay or change your status of residence, you will need to make an application to do so. 2) Be sure to make the application as soon as possible If you should happen to reside in Japan without extending the term of your stay or changing your status of residence, you will become an illegal alien even if you do not mean to do so. You can make applications to extend your stay 2 months before the end of the term, so it is recommended that you make your application as soon as possible. In recent years, a growing number of schools have begun making the application for extension of stay on behalf of foreign students. Therefore, there are an increasing number of foreign students, such as those attending Japanese-language institutes, who do not know about the immigration bureaus . Because procedures related to staying in Japan need to be taken by the individual in essence, it is important that you clearly understand your status of residence, term of residency as well as the necessary procedures. 3) If you are unsure of anything, be sure to check with a counseling center before you make your application If your class attendance is low without a reason such as illness, you will be judged as not concentrating on your studies. In such cases, you will not receive permission to extend your stay or change your status of residence. Even if there is a valid reason, your extension or change of status of residence may not be approved without documentary proof. Once your application for an extension of stay or change of status of residence is turned down, it is extremely difficult to reverse the decision. Therefore, if you should have any questions or doubts about your application, be sure to consult with the Immigration Information Center or a counseling center for foreign students before making your application.