If you are now residing in Japan with a “Cultural Activities” or “Dependant” visa, please be sure to change your present status of residence to “”College Student”.
If you are now residing in Japan with an “Engineer” visa, please change your status of residence to “College Student”, unless you are going to be enrolled as a Working Student. The “Engineer” visas are basically issued to foreigners under employment contract with employers in Japan. As you are going to be enrolled in Sokendai as a student, you should change the status to “College Student”, which fits the purpose of your stay in Japan.
If you are residing in Japan with a “Spouse of Japanese” visa, it is not always necessary to change the present status of your visa. However, please be reminded that without a “College Student” visa, you will be ineligible for most of services for international students.
Those who are going to change the resident status of their present visas should file the application at the regional immigration office in person. The required documents for the application include an application form issued by Sokendai as well as an application filled out by the applicant. Please read the following instruction for the details.

How to apply for the application form issued by Sokendai

1. Download an Application Form for Change of Status of Residence and fill out the form according to the sample.
2. After completing the form, please send the file and an Application Form for Certificates to your department office.
3. The department office will forward the documents to the International Affairs Section in Hayama.
4. You will receive the sealed application form from Sokendai about one week after your submission of the file. Please go to the regional immigration office and submit the form and other required documents.

Required Documents

1. Application for Change of Status of Residence (For applicant)
2. For Current Students: Certificate of Enrollment
   For Prospective Students: Acceptance Letter from Sokendai
   *You may be required to submit other documents such as an Admission Permit issued after your payment of registration fee. If you submit the application after your enrollment, you should submit a Certificate of Enrollment instead.
3. For Current Students: Academic Transcript in Sokendai
   For Prospective Students: Certificate of (Expected) Graduation and Academic Transcript of the last university attended
4. Copies of your passport (The copy should show your basic information, photograph, and latest visa and landing permit.)
5. A copy of your Alien Registration Card (Both sides)
6. 4,000 yen for fee (You should pay the fee by revenue stamp when your application is approved.)
7. Documents to certify that you can defray all the expenses incurred during your stay (Please see here.)