Changing My Visa from Researcher to Student in Japan — and the Surprise from Immigration

Arriving in Japan before the academic year officially starts has a consequence that not many people know about: you can’t enter on a Student visa. You enter as a Researcher first — and switch visas later once your student status is official.

Sounds simple. But my experience was a little different from what I expected.

Why the Visa Change Was Necessary

As I shared in the previous article, I arrived in Japan in late January 2020 — two months before the new academic year began. Since my official student status at University of Tsukuba didn’t start until April 1, 2020, entering on a Student visa (留学) wasn’t possible yet.

The solution: enter on a Researcher visa (研究), then switch to Student once the university documentation was ready.

During February and March, I was registered as a research student — able to work in the lab and adapt, but not yet officially enrolled as a degree student.

Documents Required

To apply for the visa change, I needed documents from two sources:

From NIMS:

• Employment contract as proof of financial support (salary)

From the University:

• Official letter confirming student enrollment starting April 1, 2020

Both were essential — immigration needed to see that I had a legitimate reason to stay in Japan as a student, plus a clear source of funding.

Immigration Office: Mito vs. Tokyo

In mid-February, I went to the immigration office in Mito, Ibaraki — because my registered address in Tsukuba falls under the Mito immigration office’s jurisdiction, not Tokyo.

Practical tip: If you live in Tsukuba, go to Mito, not Shinagawa (Tokyo). The Shinagawa immigration office is notoriously crowded and the wait times can be very long. Mito is much quieter and the process is far more comfortable.

The Surprise: Visa Processing Took Months

Normally, changing visa status takes 1–2 weeks.

Mine took almost two months.

I wasn’t able to pick up my new visa until early April — nearly two months after I submitted the application.

The reason turned out to make sense: because I was still registered as a research student and receiving my Researcher contract salary until the end of March, immigration couldn’t approve the status change immediately. Approving it in February would mean I was no longer permitted to work under my active Researcher contract.

So immigration issued me a hagaki (notification card) — essentially telling me to come back in early April to pick up the new visa once my Researcher contract had ended.

Timeline of the process:

Living Without a Residence Card Update — Not Comfortable

Honestly, the waiting period was stressful.

Without an updated residence card, daily life in Japan felt inconvenient. A lot of administrative tasks and public services were difficult to access. It felt like being a “temporary visitor” — even though I was working in a lab every day and fully committed to staying long-term.

But once the Student visa was in hand in early April, my status was officially set: Master’s student at University of Tsukuba and NIMS researcher simultaneously.

What to Know if You’re Going Through the Same Process

If you’re planning to arrive in Japan early (before the April academic year), keep these in mind:

• Prepare documents from NIMS and the university early — immigration can’t start processing without both
• Choose a less crowded immigration office — Mito over Shinagawa if you’re in Tsukuba
• Don’t panic if visa processing is delayed — if your Researcher contract is still active, immigration will issue a hagaki and ask you to return at the right time
• Be prepared to live temporarily without an updated residence card — inconvenient but manageable