The Yamasa Institute A dvisors'  C atalog

Tourist visas are for up to 90 days or 3 months in most cases. Some nationalities may be able to extend the visa inside Japan for another 3 months; most have to leave the country before the visa expires. At the moment, citizens of the following countries can stay for up to 6 months on the tourist visa: Britain, Switzerland, Germany, Mexico, Liechtenstein, Austria, Ireland. All other nationalities have to leave the country before their visa expires. It is illegal to work while on a tourist visa in Japan. Your client can follow any course on a Tourist Visa.

On completion of an application for a short term course and payment of tuition fees and completion of any guarantor requirements, Yamasa will send you a Letter of Acceptance for your client. They should take this to the Japanese Consulate for a tourist visa (if required) before entry to Japan, or just bring the Letter of Acceptance with them to show immigration on arrival in Japan if not. Please check with the Japanese Consulate to confirm requirements for your client's nationality or contact support@yamasa.org.

Student visas are valid for up to 2 years. They are issued twice a year: in April and October. Please note that due to Yamasa's arrangement with immigration it is not possible for us to apply for student visas to start at any other time. Application is a fairly simple process, but requires extensive documentation from your client. You will need to submit a complete application kit for the visa by November 5th (for April admission) or by May 5th (for October admission).

Applicants must be 18 or older and have completed at least 12 years of full time education (up to the age of 18). Download or request the application kit in the FORMS section when ready to enrol. Always confirm with support@yamasa.org before starting an application for a student visa that your client is eligible and that there is space - there is a limited number of places every year.

On completion of the application, the Immigration Office will release a list of those students awarded the visa on or around March 1st (for April start) or on/around September 1st (for October start). They will also send Yamasa a Certificate of Eligibility which we will send to you for your client. Your client must take the Certificate of Eligibility to the Japanese Consulate nearest where they are with their passport and be issued the student visa before coming to Japan. Yamasa will send you the Certificate of Eligibility on receipt of payment of a minimum of 6 month's tuition fees and 3 month's accommodation fees, plus an accommodation deposit. Holders of the Student Visa may work up to 4 hours per day. Holders of the Student Visa may only follow Academic Courses - AIJP, AJSP and Acceleration Format 1.

It is no longer possible to change to the student visa from a short term (tourist) visa whilst in Japan. Students must receive the student visa stamp in their passport before they enter Japan.

Working Holiday visas are for up to 12 months. They are issued by the Japanese Consulate, and do not require any documentation from Yamasa. At present, nationals of the following countries can apply for a Working Holiday visa: Korea, Australia, France, Canada, New Zealand, UK, Germany. Check requirements with the Japanese Consulate. Working Holiday holders may also work in Japan while studying, and can follow any course at Yamasa.

Guarantors

Unfortunately due to a political problem caused in part by illegal immigration and illegal overstays, applicants from some countries require additional documentation in the form of a personal guarantor.

Your client will need a personal guarantor if they are a citizen of one of the following countries:

Turkey, Syria, Jordan, Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh,
Myanmar (Burma), Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, Malaysia, Brunei, Indonesia, Philippines,
China (except for Hong Kong/Macau residents), Mongolia,
all of the former Soviet Bloc except for Hungary, Poland and the Czech Rep.,
all of Africa except South Africa.

This list will change from time to time. Contact support@yamasa.org for confirmation.

Your client does not need a guarantor if:
1) Their nationality does not appear in the list above.
2) If they have dual nationality and their second passport is of a country that does not appear in the list above.
3) If their nationality appears in the list above but they are a permanent resident of a country that does not appear in the list above.
4) If they are a resident of Hong Kong or Macau.

For a more detailed listing, please click here.

If your client requires a personal guarantor:

1) For short courses of 3 months duration or less they do not require a "financial sponsor". Remittance of the tuition fees is sufficient. However they will need either a Japanese citizen or a foreign resident in Japan to act as their "personal guarantor". The personal guarantor should ideally live in Aichi Prefecture, although this will not necessarily be a condition of entry. An interview is usually required, and the interview will normally take place in Okazaki at the Yamasa Institute. The personal guarantor will be required to issue a statement guaranteeing your client's good conduct, and taking full responsibility for actions your client may undertake during their stay, and guaranteeing that they will ensure that your client departs from Japan at the conclusion of their course.

2) For applicants requiring a student visa your client will require both a financial guarantor as well as a personal guarantor.

If your client's nationality is not on this government list, then they will probably need a guarantor

www.yamasa.org Advisors' Catalog

©1997-2006 The Yamasa Institute, 1-2-1 Hanehigashimachi, Okazaki, Aichi, Japan 444-0832
Tel: +81 (0)564 558111 Fax: +81 (0)564 558113