Status of residence for international students who do not find a job after graduation and engage in entrepreneurial activities

Foreigners who are studying at a Japanese university with a "Student" status of residence need to change their status of residence to a different one in order to continue to stay in Japan after graduation.
If you want to find a job, you will need to apply for a work-related status of residence such as "Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services", and if you want to start a business, you will need to apply for a "Business Manager" status.
However, these statuses of residence will not be granted if the foreigner does not find a job after graduation and prepares to start his/her own business.
In such cases, if the following requirements are met, the status of residence for “Designated Activities” (start-up activities after graduation) will be approved.

  1. The applicant must fall under any of the following.
    Applicants must have graduated from or completed a school selected or participating in the “Career Development Program for International Students,” which is said to be actively working to accept excellent foreign students in Japan.
    Applicants must have graduated from or completed a school (university, graduate school, junior college, or technical college) selected for the Top Global University Project.
  2. The applicant has been engaged in entrepreneurial activities while enrolled in a university, etc., as described in 1 above.
  3. The university, etc. mentioned in 1 above must recommend the applicant's entrepreneurial activities.
  4. The university, etc. mentioned in 1 above must support the applicant's entrepreneurial activities.
  5. The applicant must report the status of entrepreneurial activities to the university, etc. mentioned in 1 above.
  6. In the event that the university, etc. mentioned in 1. above finds it difficult to continue the applicant's entrepreneurial activities, the applicant must provide guidance and support to the applicant's return to Japan.

The maximum period of stay for this “Designated Activity” (start-up activity after graduation) is 2 years.