Activities other than permitted
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What is "Activities other than permitted"?
Under Japan’s Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act, “activities outside the scope of residence status” refers to activities carried out by foreign nationals that go beyond the activities permitted under their granted status of residence. Each residence status is assigned according to the purpose of stay: for example, “Student” is intended for academic study, while “Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services” is meant for professional work in a company. Engaging in activities outside this scope without permission constitutes unauthorized employment and may lead to the revocation of status, deportation, or other legal sanctions.
In practice, however, situations often arise where such additional activities are necessary. For instance, international students may wish to work part-time to support their tuition and living expenses, while researchers or professionals may accept side jobs such as lectures or translation work. To address these realities, the “Permission to Engage in Activities Other Than Those Permitted under the Status of Residence” system exists. With this permission, certain activities outside the original scope are legally allowed under specific conditions. For students, for example, part-time work is permitted up to 28 hours per week during the school term, and up to 8 hours per day during long vacations.
Nevertheless, certain types of work, such as employment in the adult entertainment industry, are strictly prohibited regardless of permission. This system is designed to prevent illegal employment while at the same time providing flexibility for foreign residents to live and participate in Japanese society without undermining their primary purpose of stay. In this way, it functions as an important framework that benefits both foreign nationals living in Japan and Japanese society as a whole.