Language school → job
Learn Japanese in Japan for 1–2 years, then job-hunt locally.
Bachelor's degree holders whose main blocker is Japanese.
- Time to a job
- 1.5–2.5 years
- From starting this route to your first job in Japan.
- Visa path
- Student
- Engineer/Specialist (or other work visa)
- The visas you hold, in order.
- How secure
- Okay
- How likely you can stay if plans change.
- Japanese needed
- JLPT N5 test to apply (Oct 2026+)
- aim for N2 to compete
- To get in, and to get hired.
Your language school plan
Requirements
- 12 years of schooling (high-school equivalent)
- JLPT N5, NAT-TEST or J.TEST result, required from the October 2026 intake
- Proof of funds, typically ¥1.6M–2M+ for a 1-year course (yours or a sponsor's)
- To get a work visa afterwards: a bachelor's degree, or 10+ years' experience (3+ for translation/teaching)
Timeline
- 1Months −9 to −6
Pass JLPT N5 and pick a school
Tests run in early July and early December. Shortlist accredited schools with job-hunting support.
- 2Months −6 to −3
Apply: school files your COE
Immigration takes about 1–3 months (recent average ~41 days). TB clearance first if your nationality requires it.
- 3Months −2 to 0
Get the visa, book flights and housing
Embassy visa takes 5–10 working days. Don't quit your job until the COE is issued.
- 4Months 1–3
Settle in
Residence card, city hall, health insurance, bank, phone, part-time work permit.
- 5Months 3–12
Study hard: N4 → N3
Daily classes. Part-time work up to 28 hrs/week.
- 6Months 9–15
Target N2 and start job hunting
Write a Japanese resume (履歴書). Use job boards, fairs, and your school's career support.
- 7Months 12–21
Interview → offer → change visa
Your employer supports the work-visa change (1–3 months). No offer yet? Degree holders can get up to 1 year of job-hunting status.
Do's and don'ts
✓ Do
- Pass JLPT N5 before applying; it's now required
- Choose an accredited school with job-hunting support; read graduate reviews
- Budget for 2 years, not 1. Reaching N2 from zero usually takes 1.5–2 years
- Keep attendance above ~80%
- Start job hunting 6–9 months before graduation
- Target employers that value your previous work experience
✕ Don't
- Don't plan to pay tuition or rent from part-time work
- Don't exceed 28 hrs/week across all jobs; schools check every 3 months
- Don't expect an office job at N4–N3
- Don't pay agents who promise guaranteed jobs or visas
- Don't quit your job before the COE is issued
- Don't leave Japan at graduation if you're still job hunting