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How to Change Residence Status in Japan: Forms and Steps | MyKyoten

Working under the wrong visa status, even temporarily while waiting to change it, is a criminal violation in Japan that can result in deportation and a…

Last verified: 2026. This guide is based on Immigration Bureau regulations, Ministry of Health Labour and Welfare guidelines, and standard Japanese administrative practice. It is informational only and does not constitute legal advice. Consult a licensed immigration attorney or official government sources for case-specific guidance.

Working under the wrong visa status, even temporarily while waiting to change it, is a criminal violation in Japan that can result in deportation and a multi-year re-entry ban. This is not a gray area. It is not something you can explain away later.

Do You Actually Need to Change Your Status, or Just Renew It?

This is where people mess up before they even start.

A change of status of residence (在留資格変更許可申請) is required when you are moving from one visa category to a fundamentally different one. Common triggers:

A change of status is not required if you are simply renewing within the same category, even if you change employers, as long as the work type matches your existing status. Reporting the job change to immigration is still mandatory within 14 days, but that is a separate administrative obligation. See the job change reporting deadline guide for exactly how that works.

Basically, if the visa category printed on your residence card still accurately describes your activity in Japan, you renew. If it does not, you change.

→ Check whether your current work activities are permitted under your visa status using the Visa Work Checker.

The Exact Forms You Need and How to Get Them

The primary form is Form ROC: Application for Change of Status of Residence (在留資格変更許可申請書). Download it directly from the Immigration Services Agency website at moj.go.jp. Do not use a third-party scan. Older versions are rejected at the counter.

The form runs four pages. You will fill in personal information, your current status, and your target status. Critically, you must specify the exact visa category you are applying for, not just a general description. Writing "work visa" is not acceptable.

Beyond Form ROC, you need category-specific supplementary materials. These are not optional attachments. They are evaluated as core evidence:

If you are unsure whether your current employment situation matches your visa category, the Visa Work Checker can help you assess alignment before you apply.

Warning Box Submitting Form ROC while still performing work that does not match your current visa category is a violation, not just a paperwork issue. Immigration officers can and do ask about your activities between your last renewal and this application. Gaps in compliance are grounds for outright rejection, regardless of how clean the rest of your application is.

Document Requirements by Category: What You Actually Need to Bring

Do not rely on a single-source checklist. The Immigration Services Agency publishes category-specific document lists. These lists are updated. Print the current version from moj.go.jp on the day you prepare your documents.

Here is what is consistent across most categories:

For work-related changes, the employer must provide: a company overview document (会社概要), a signed and sealed employment contract, a tax registration certificate (納税証明書), and often the company's most recent corporate tax return. The reason immigration wants this is to verify the employer is a legitimate, financially stable entity that can actually support the visa they are sponsoring.

For spouse visa applications, the scrutiny is higher. Immigration is specifically looking for evidence that the marriage is not a paper arrangement. Reports from foreign residents consistently indicate that officers look for co-habitation proof: utility bills at a shared address, photographs across multiple occasions, and sometimes a handwritten explanation letter about how the couple met.

The spouse and dependent visa guide breaks down the evidence requirements in more detail.

Step-by-Step Checklist: Submitting Your Change of Status Application 1. Download the current Form ROC from moj.go.jp 2. Gather all category-specific supplementary documents 3. Obtain your juminhyo from city hall (must be recent, usually within 3 months) 4. Get one photo taken meeting exact specifications 5. Purchase a ¥4,000 revenue stamp (収入印紙) at a post office or convenience store selling them (not all do) 6. Visit your nearest Regional Immigration Services Bureau in person (most categories cannot be filed online yet) 7. Submit the complete package and receive your receipt slip (受付票) 8. Wait for the result notice by postcard

How Long Does This Take, and What Happens While You Wait

Standard processing time is one to three months. This is not a guarantee. During peak periods (April and September), based on common experience from foreign residents, waits can extend closer to the upper end of that range.

Here is the part nobody tells you: your current residence card does not become invalid the moment you apply. Your existing status remains technically active during processing. But this does not mean you can continue performing activities under your current status if those activities are exactly what you are trying to change away from. The legal position here is complicated enough that you should not make decisions without checking with a licensed immigration attorney (行政書士 or 弁護士 specializing in immigration).

If your current status expires before the application is resolved, Japan has a statutory protection period. You are permitted to remain in Japan for up to two months after the expiry date, or until the decision is made, whichever comes first. Your residence card during this period will show "under review" (審査中) status after you update it. You can present this card to employers and landlords as valid documentation.

Critically, you cannot simply leave Japan and re-enter during this period without risking serious complications to your pending application.

A concrete example: A Brazilian graphic designer whose Student visa expired on March 31 submitted her change of status application to Engineer/Specialist in Humanities on March 15. The notice of decision arrived by postcard on June 2, seventy-nine days later. She was legally permitted to remain employed at her new company during that window because her prior status covered a period of legal residence and the application was filed before expiry.

Reality Check The ¥4,000 revenue stamp is paid only after your application is approved, not at submission. The postcard you receive tells you to appear at the immigration office with your passport, residence card, and the revenue stamp. People who show up without the stamp have to leave and come back. Buy it at a post office on the way to the appointment.

What Rejection Looks Like, and What to Do About It

Rejections come without detailed explanation in most cases. The postcard simply states the application was not approved. You then have the right to visit the immigration office and request a verbal explanation of the grounds for denial.

Common triggers for rejection include:

After a rejection, you can reapply. There is no mandatory waiting period, but reapplying with the same documents and the same gaps will produce the same result. You need to address the actual reason for denial. If you genuinely cannot determine what went wrong, an immigration lawyer reviewing the denial is worth the consultation fee.

Appeals through the formal administrative appeal process exist but are rarely successful without substantial new evidence or a procedural error on the immigration office's part.

Your next step: before you gather a single document, run your current situation through the Immigration Risk Checker to identify any compliance gaps in your tax payments, social insurance enrollment, or activity history that could sink an otherwise clean application.

Can I work at my new employer while my change of status application is being processed? This depends on your current visa category and what work you plan to do. If the new work falls outside your current visa's permitted activities, you cannot legally perform it until the change is approved. Working in violation of your current status during processing is still a criminal offense and can result in rejection plus immigration enforcement action.

What happens if immigration rejects my application and my original status has already expired? You will be out of status. This requires immediate contact with an immigration attorney. You may be subject to an overstay designation, which carries deportation risk and re-entry bans ranging from one to ten years depending on circumstances. Do not delay.

Do I need a Certificate of Eligibility (COE) for a change of status? No. A Certificate of Eligibility is used for initial entry from abroad. For a change of status application filed inside Japan, the COE process does not apply. Form ROC and your supporting documents replace that function entirely.

If you are heading into a change of status application and want to check whether your current compliance record, employment situation, or tax payment history could create problems, use the Immigration Risk Checker. It reviews the factors immigration officers actually examine and flags issues before they become grounds for rejection, not after.