Working on a Dependent Visa in Japan: the 28-Hour Rule and Full-Time Options

Who this is for

Spouses and children in Japan on Dependent status who want part-time work or are thinking about a full-time career, and employers who would like to hire them.

Requirements for part-time work

Before working, you need a permission to engage in activity outside the status of residence (資格外活動許可). The standard form, often called comprehensive permission, allows work of generally up to 28 hours per week in almost any kind of job, with one major exclusion: businesses regulated under Japan's adult entertainment business law.

The 28 hours are counted across all your jobs combined, in any seven-day period. Students can work longer during long school holidays, but that exception does not apply to Dependent status.

The excluded workplaces cover more than people expect. They include hostess and host clubs and other places where staff entertain customers, and venues such as pachinko and mahjong parlors, even if your role would only be cleaning or kitchen work. Ordinary restaurants and izakaya are generally fine. If you are unsure about a workplace, ask before you start.

Work that does not fit the comprehensive permission, such as some freelance arrangements where hours are hard to count, may need an individual permission instead. Also keep in mind that Dependent status assumes your family member supports you. If your own income grows to the point that you are effectively independent, it may raise questions at renewal.

Step by step: getting permission

No fee is charged for this permission at the time of writing; check the ISA page for the current procedure.

• 1. Apply at the regional immigration bureau for your address, or online if eligible, with the application form, your passport and residence card.
• 2. When it is granted, the permission is noted on your residence card.
• 3. Show the card to employers. They check the permission and report your employment to Hello Work.
• 4. Track your weekly hours across all jobs.
• 5. Comprehensive permission is not tied to one employer, so changing part-time jobs generally does not require a new permission, as long as you stay within its conditions.
• 6. The permission is linked to your period of stay. When you renew, check whether you need to apply again; it can usually be requested at the same time as the renewal.

Moving to full-time work

Full-time work generally requires changing to a status that allows it. Once you change, the status is your own and no longer depends on your family member's. Common routes are listed below.

• Engineer / Specialist in Humanities / International Services, if you have a relevant degree or diploma, or enough experience, and a job offer whose duties fit
• Specified Skilled Worker (i), if you pass the skills and Japanese tests for a field and find an employer in that field
• For children who grew up in Japan: those who came with a parent and completed their schooling here, for example by graduating from a Japanese high school, may be able to change to Long-Term Resident (定住者) or a Designated Activities (特定活動) status that allows full-time work, under conditions set by the ISA. The conditions depend on factors such as when they arrived and which schools they completed in Japan
• Other statuses, depending on your circumstances

Documents

The ISA site lists the current requirements for each procedure. Typical categories are below; preparing them does not guarantee approval.

• Permission to work part-time: application form, passport and residence card, and sometimes a document describing the planned work
• Change to a work status: the full document set for that status, including the employer's documents
• Children changing after Japanese schooling: school records such as graduation certificates, plus the job offer and other documents listed by the ISA

Timing

Apply for the permission before you start any job, and allow time for processing. For a change of status to full-time work, plan months ahead and file before your current period of stay expires. Your Dependent period of stay often lines up with your family member's, so keep an eye on their renewal as well as your own.

Common pitfalls

If your family situation changes, for example your family member leaves Japan, loses their status, or you separate or divorce, your own status is affected. Get advice from a certified scrivener or immigration lawyer quickly in that case.

• Starting a job before the permission is granted
• Going over 28 hours a week when combining two jobs
• Working at an excluded venue, even in a back-room role
• Assuming the student holiday exception applies to you
• Forgetting that your earnings can affect your family's tax deductions and whether you stay covered under their health insurance. Check the thresholds with the employer or city office