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Change of Status of Residence

Change status of residence Japan filings let you switch visa types without leaving the country, from student to work or dependent to work to work to spouse.12 The examination is stricter than a routine renewal because ISA re-tests your eligibility from scratch, so the logic behind the decision matters as much as the paperwork.

Confirm current details with official sources

Procedures, fees, and requirements can change. Confirm current details at the Immigration Services Agency change procedure page. This article is general information, not legal, tax, or immigration advice; for your specific case, consult a licensed gyoseishoshi for a change-eligibility read, or an immigration lawyer for a refusal or scrutiny-heavy history.

Last verified: 2026-09.

Overview​

Change of status (the 在留資格変更許可申請, zairyū shikaku henkō kyoka shinsei, "application for permission to change status of residence") converts one status of residence into another through an in-Japan filing.12 It is governed by Article 20 of the Immigration Control Act, and no departure is required at any point.2 This article covers the ISA and statute angle: eligibility logic, exhibits, fees, and pending-application rules.

Eligibility logic and the legitimate-reasons examination​

You must satisfy the target status's requirements as of the application date, as if newly landing under it.12 For work targets, that means the new duties must actually fall within the target status's authorized scope; a title change alone proves nothing.1

ISA then applies a second test with no renewal equivalent: whether the change is consistent with the original intent of your stay.1 Rapid or sequential changes, such as study to work to spouse in short succession, can draw extra scrutiny of whether each stay was genuine.1 The file should tell a coherent story across statuses, not just document the latest one.
File the change before acting on it

Starting the new activity before permission issues means working outside your status, even with an application pending. The pending application covers prior-status activities only.2

Documents, fees, and where to file​

Exhibits prove the target status: new employer terms for work moves, admission evidence for study moves, marriage evidence for spouse moves, each filed at the regional bureau with jurisdiction over your residence.1 ISA publishes the per-status lists; assemble against the target status, not the current one.1

The October 2026 fee revision​

Filing dateCounterOnlineAs of
Through 2026-09-306,000 yen5,500 yen2026-093
From 2026-10-01Tiered by granted periodDiscounted per tier2026-093

The figures above reflect the ISA fee leaflet as of the stated date; confirm current figures with ISA. Post-revision change fees follow the same granted-period scale as extension permissions, and online-route payments moved to convenience-store or bank settlement.34 Applications filed by 2026-09-30 pay pre-revision fees even where the decision lands after 2026-10-01.5

Processing and activities while pending​

Typical processing runs 1 to 3 months (as of 2026-09; confirm current estimates with ISA).1 While the application is pending, Article 20 lets you continue the activities of your prior status, and a timely filing carries the same up-to-2-months special-period protection past expiry as an extension filing.2

A refusal ends that protection. Unless another permission is secured, the departure obligation revives, so a refusal notice is the moment to seek professional advice, not the moment to wait.2

Good to know​

Sequential changes invite extra scrutiny​

Each change re-opens the question of why you are in Japan. Stacked changes in a short span draw questions about every prior stay, so document the through-line rather than treating each filing as isolated.1

Overstepping the old activity while pending is still a violation​

Pending status is a waiting room, not an early start. Work duties belonging to the target status begin after permission issues, and early starts can poison the very application they anticipate.2

A refused change is not an extended stay​

Refusal restores the departure obligation under the Act. Line up your next step, whether re-filing, a different status, or departure, immediately on receiving the decision.2

Confirm the new status actually covers the new job​

Some job moves need this full change procedure rather than a simple employer notification, particularly where duties leave the current status's scope. When in doubt, have a gyoseishoshi read the duties against the status before choosing a procedure.1

See also​

References​

Footnotes​

  1. 出入国在留管理庁. 「在留資格変更許可申請」手続案内. https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/applications/procedures/ ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6 ↩7 ↩8 ↩9 ↩10 ↩11

  2. e-Gov法令検索. 「出入国管理及び難民認定法」. https://laws.e-gov.go.jp/law/326CO0000000319 ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6 ↩7 ↩8 ↩9

  3. 出入国在留管理庁. 「外国人の在留手続に関する手数料」リーフレット. https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/content/001469200.pdf ↩ ↩2 ↩3

  4. 出入国在留管理庁. 「令和8年10月1日付け在留許可手数料の額の改定等について」. https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/01_00644.html ↩

  5. 出入国在留管理庁. 「令和8年10月1日付け在留許可手数料の額の改定等に関するQ&A」. https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/applications/faq/01_00650.html ↩