Part-time work, for international students

What the permit is, and why it comes first

By ISA's definition, doing anything outside your current status that is an income-generating business or a paid activity requires prior permission. Under "Student" your main activity is study, so working is a "paid activity other than study" — working without the permit is itself crossing the line.

• It covers running an income-generating business or any paid activity.
• Under "Student", study is the main activity — work falls outside it.
• ISA's guidance for new arrivals states plainly that working needs the permit first.

Officialmoj.go.jp

The line on the back of your residence card is the key red line

Most students receive a "comprehensive permission", printed on the back of the residence card as: "Permitted (in principle within 28 hours/week, excluding work at fuzoku-type businesses)". Your two most important red lines are right there. Employers are also legally required to check your status, expiry, work restrictions, and this very permit.

PitfallIf an employer looks only at the front of your card and never the back, treat it as a warning sign — the permit, the cap, and the excluded industries are all defined on the back.

The three application routes available now

Three routes are most common for ordinary students, and they're free of charge. The catch is online filing: it's allowed only together with a change-of-status, extension, or acquisition application. You cannot file online "on its own, just to find a part-time job".

• 1) File at the airport on arrival (if not a re-entry, you're on "Student", and not the short "3-month" status) — adds roughly "a few minutes" to normal entry.
• 2) File at the Regional Immigration office for your area — in person or via an approved agent; show the form, activity statement, residence card and passport; no fee.
• 3) File online — but only together with a change/extension/acquisition application (never standalone).

PitfallDon't assume you can apply online "just for a work permit" — online filing is only possible alongside a change/extension/acquisition. Most students already in Japan use route 2, the office counter.

Officialmoj.go.jp

Interview success does not mean you may work today

ISA's standard processing time is a guideline 2 weeks to 2 months — that's the official figure, not when it actually reaches you. In busy periods it can feel close to a month, so don't read "passed the interview" as "can start today". The validity basically tracks your period of stay.

PitfallWhen you extend your period of stay, remember to re-apply for or renew the work permit too — otherwise you fall into the classic trap where you and the job are unchanged, but the permit has quietly expired along with the old period of stay.

What happens if you work without permission, or over the limit

Don't shrug off "just two days without the permit". ISA states that working beyond what's permitted can lead to your extension being refused; in serious cases, deportation — generally a 5-year re-entry ban (longer for repeat cases). This isn't an empty threat: in 2024, 14,453 people were found to have worked illegally, 76.4% of that year's deportation cases.

PitfallIf you want to keep job-hunting after graduation, separately confirm whether you've switched to the appropriate "Designated Activities" status and still have work eligibility — continuing to work on the old card is high-risk.

Officialmoj.go.jp

The 28 hours are measured over any rolling 7-day week

The core of the comprehensive permit is "in principle within 28 hours per week". What people miss isn't the number but the definition of "a week": ISA's Q&A states that whatever day you start counting from, any 7-day window must stay within 28 hours. "Mon-to-Sun didn't exceed" is not automatically safe — if Thu-to-next-Wed exceeds, you still have a problem.

PitfallDon't memorise it as "each week, Monday to Sunday". The correct framing is "any rolling 7-day week must not exceed 28 hours".

Officialmoj.go.jp

Multiple jobs are combined — keep your own total-hours ledger

"Each store under 28 hours is fine" is wrong. ISA's employer materials and the card guidance repeat it: where you have several jobs, the combined total must stay within 28 hours/week. Whether on- or off-campus, you alone must track the total — Immigration judges by your total hours, not by how restrained each store is.

PitfallKeep every shift table, clock-in record, cover-shift note, LINE rescheduling screenshot and payslip, and compute your total over "any rolling 7 days". No one will build that total for you.

Cash, day-pay, and a friend's shop still count as work

Being paid in cash, by the day, or quietly at a friend's shop does not remove the job from being a "paid activity". ISA's definition looks at whether it's paid work; the hour cap looks at whether and how many hours you're working — not at whether the wage went through a bank. So "cash pay doesn't count toward hours" is a classic myth.

Inference from official rulesThis is not a quoted FAQ line but a direct inference from ISA's rules — and the direction is certain. Count by hours worked, not by how the wage is paid.

A long break is not "the days you personally have no class"

ISA's public FAQ: during long institutional breaks (summer, winter, etc.) defined by the school's rules, students may work up to 8 hours/day. The key isn't "I currently have no class" but "the break period defined in the school's regulations" — check the academic calendar; it can differ by graduate school.

PitfallISA's most reliable wording is "up to 8 hours/day"; many university offices, for scheduling, add "8 hours/day and within 40 hours/week". Hold both tiers in mind — and remember "long break" is defined by school rules, not by the days you happen to be free.

Officialmoj.go.jp

The permit ends with enrolment; leave and graduation differ

ISA's Q&A states this kind of permit is in principle "limited to the period you are enrolled". Many schools spell it out: no work while on leave of absence, and after enrolment ends (withdrawal, graduation) you can't keep working under the "Student + work permit" framework.

Pitfall"My card is still valid, so I'll keep working after graduation" is dangerous. If you continue job-hunting after graduating, make sure you've changed to the appropriate "Designated Activities" status and confirmed you still have work eligibility.

Why "just cleaning or dishwashing" is still out

ISA's general rule bars activity at fuzoku businesses, shop-type sex-related special businesses, and designated-entertainment dining venues, plus certain non-shop, video-transmission, or telephone-introduction businesses. What matters is that the ban is by venue and business type — not by what you personally do. The question isn't "did you serve customers" but "are you working at that kind of venue".

PitfallUniversity offices repeatedly warn: sweeping, dishwashing, handing out tissues or flyers can be equally out. The safest framing: "any role tied to a fuzoku-type venue — cleaning, kitchen, register, promotion — is out in principle."

Officialmoj.go.jp

High-risk keywords and the gray zone

Rather than memorising a blacklist, first scan the job posting for these words. A word alone isn't automatically illegal, but if you can't confirm on the spot that the venue isn't covered by the entertainment-business / designated-entertainment / sex-related categories, treat it as verify-first high-risk and show it to your school's office or an immigration consultation desk.

• High-risk words: fuzoku, kyabakura, snack bar, girls' bar, pachinko, mahjong, designated entertainment, love hotel, adult, etc.
• Gray zone: late-night bar kitchen/cleaning, flyering outside the shop, social-media customer acquisition.
• Even if it looks like ordinary service work, if the business-license category is unclear, don't assume it's allowed.

PitfallMore dangerous than an obviously illegal shop is a job that looks like normal service work but whose license category is murky. If a role is tied to a fuzoku-type venue, don't assume it's fine even if it's not a core customer-facing job.

Back-of-house at night venues is the real trap

The most dangerous gray-zone jobs aren't the obviously illegal ones, but those that look like ordinary service work while the actual license category isn't clean — e.g. a late-night bar's "kitchen", "cleaning", or "door-pulling", or "flyering outside" and "promoting a social account". The official bans are written around venue and business type, not around the word "hostessing".

PitfallThe safest framing: "as long as a role is tied to a fuzoku-type venue, don't presume it's allowed — even if it isn't the core service job."

Employers are obliged to check your card and permit

Employers must confirm your status, period of stay, and whether/what work permission you hold (MHLW and ISA employer materials). Working under "Student" also assumes your main activity is still attending school — ISA's general rules require that your status activity is not being hindered and is being carried out.

Inference from official rulesIf an employer never checks and instead says "just start, we'll sort it later", that's a strong warning sign — an inference from the official verification duty, but a sound one. Long absences, leave, withdrawal, or working on an old card after graduation without re-applying tend to be most fatal at renewal time.

Officialmhlw.go.jp

First separate the "103-man" and "130-man" lines

The "103-man wall" and "130-man wall" are different systems: the former is mainly tax, the latter is health insurance / dependency. And heading into 2026 you can't mechanically memorise the old "103" for tax. The NTA opened a page for the FY2025 tax reform, noting changes to the basic deduction, employment-income deduction and dependent-income tests. Per No.1180, from 2025 a dependent's total-income test is 58-man or below (123-man or below if wages only); a new "special dependent deduction" was added for ages 19-22.

PitfallThe tax "103-man wall" is no longer a single old number — recompute against the NTA's latest version. There is a 27-man working-student deduction, but it's not an automatic tax-free button: it depends on meeting the "student" definition, total-income and non-wage-income conditions.

Officialnta.go.jp

Withholding, year-end adjustment, and when you must file

The usual flow: wages are withheld, then the main employer does a year-end adjustment. But you can submit the dependent-deduction form to only one "main wage" payer; second/third wages are taxed under the "otsu" column and side employers generally can't do your year-end adjustment. If you have wages from two or more sources that aren't year-end-adjusted, you must settle via a final tax return yourself.

PitfallMany people with a single, year-end-adjusted wage don't need to file; but once you have several jobs, mixed main/side wages, or a side income that wasn't adjusted, check whether you must file yourself. You don't need to memorise every formula.

Officialnta.go.jp

Social insurance — "students never enter" is wrong

A common myth is "a student never enters social insurance". Also untrue. Under the Pension Service's expansion to short-hour workers, the core thresholds are 20+ hours/week, not being a student, and a scheduled monthly wage of 88,000 yen or more. "Student" has exceptions too — on leave, a night-division student, or someone with a pre-graduation job offer who keeps working at the same firm — who may become subject to enrolment.

PitfallThe 88,000-yen-a-month requirement is slated to be abolished in October 2026 — which is why this page states its review date (2026-06-13). Always confirm the latest with the Pension Service.

Officialnenkin.go.jp

Dependent recognition's "130/150-man" is a separate thing

If you're a dependent on someone's employee health insurance, another threshold appears. The Pension Service's typical line is a general annual-income test of under 130-man; and from 2025-10-01, for dependents aged 19-22 the income test becomes under 150-man. This is health-insurance dependent recognition — not the immigration hour cap, nor the income-tax dependency line.

PitfallEven if your hours don't exceed 28, your dependent eligibility can be affected by projected income, remittance relationships, and family status. The "130/150" is health-insurance recognition — a different system from the other two.

Officialnenkin.go.jp

The key line: don't memorise three rules as one number

The single most worthwhile line on this page: tax dependency, health-insurance dependency, and the immigration work permit are three separate systems — don't memorise just one number. That's safer than drilling "103/106/123/130/150" in isolation, and matches where students actually trip up.

PitfallThe numbers move by year, status, municipality and dependency relationship. Make the final check against the NTA, the Pension Service, and your specific insurer's latest figures.

How to read regional wage gaps safely

The floor first: the Minimum Wage Act applies to students' part-time pay too, so a legal job can't pay below the regional minimum. The latest postings show clear regional gaps, and the old line "students earn roughly 1000-1200 yen nationwide" is shaky — Tokyo's and Kanagawa's legal floors are already 1,225-1,226. Entry jobs in big cities often start in the 1,200s, lower in the regions; always check your prefecture's labour bureau notice.

PitfallDon't force a single nationwide range. Night work (22:00-5:00) legally requires a premium of at least 25%.

Officialmhlw.go.jp

Safer channels for finding work

If you prioritise compliance over speed, a safe order is: your school's international office / career center / co-op board → Hello Work → other private job sites. It's not that private sites are unusable, but campus and public channels make it easier to check status, hours and employment-condition compliance. Hello Work Internet Service and the Employment Service Centers for Foreigners offer search, placement and residence-related consultation, with dedicated desks in Tokyo, Nagoya, Osaka, Fukuoka and elsewhere.

• Suggested order: campus (international office, career center, co-op board) → Hello Work → private sites.
• If you use private sites: check compliance first, pay second.
• After an offer: verify the shop name, business type, shifts, and whether it involves hospitality/late nights/flyering — item by item against the official rules.
• The more a job is "start today, day-pay, high wage, late night, multi-store rotation", the less you should judge by price alone.

PitfallDon't jump at the "start-today, day-pay, high-wage, late-night, multi-store" combination on price alone. This isn't emotive advice — it follows directly from the rule red lines above.

Officialhellowork.mhlw.go.jp

The language bar — there's no nationwide "N-something"

Bottom line: there's no national "part-time jobs require JLPT N-x" rule. The real bar is usually set by the role, not a single JLPT number from Immigration. JASSO's student-employment guide is mainly about graduate jobs, but its take on what employers care about is useful: the ability to write, to understand instructions, and to express yourself. For hospitality, register, phone and reception roles, understanding on-site instructions and basic communication often matters more than a certificate.

Inference from official rulesThis is more of an inference-flavoured summary from JASSO and similar sources than a verbatim official rule. The required level varies by role, so judge from the specific job description.

What interviews tend to confirm

Better not to frame interview questions as a fixed quiz; safer is "interviews first check administrative risk, then shifts and communication". From ISA/MHLW's employer-verification duty and schools'/JASSO's notes on student interviews, the most commonly confirmed items are the guideline list below. If you hold several jobs, proactively saying "I manage my own total hours and won't exceed 28" actually lowers an employer's concerns.

• Whether you hold the work permit.
• Your residence card's expiry date.
• How many days a week you can work / weekends and night shifts.
• When you can start.
• Whether you can follow on-site instructions in Japanese.
• Whether the commute is sustainable.

PitfallFor multiple jobs, saying upfront "I manage my total hours and won't exceed 28" is reassuring. Conversely, an employer who never checks your permit or card is a warning sign.