This particular post was made with Malaysians in mind, but if you’re from another country, this might still be of help to you. The reason I mentioned nationality is because the student visa application process is different depending on the country you’re from. It could be easier, it could more difficult, it all depends. I know. Sucks, right?
But that’s just how the wind blows.
Anyways, here is the lowdown on my student visa application process timeline. I started my school application journey around the middle of last year, I received approval from my chosen school around the end of last year (YES, it took 6 about months!), I received my student visa in early March this year, and I finally landed in Tokyo, Japan at the end of March, ready to move into my apartment in April and head into school as part of the April school intake.
All in all, it was an extremely nerve-wracking experience. That I’m crazy enough to repeat if I had the money. (Korea? Taiwan? Is that you calling me? No? Okay.)
Don’t get me wrong. Even though the application process itself was nerve-wracking, if you just follow the instructions they give you, you’ll be fine. The reason being that the application process is more tedious than difficult.
Now, with that in mind, let’s dive in on the details.
Be prepared. Be very prepared. And be very, very, very patient
This was not my first time applying for a school abroad, but I was surprised by the amount of work that was involved in applying for a school in Japan. My parents were too. I first studied abroad in Australia, and the paperwork involved in that was waaaaaaay less than what was required for Japan. And, the process was a whole lot quicker too!
That being said, times have changed and it is now not as easy for Malaysians to study in Australia.
But back to Japan. If you’re planning to study in Japan, don’t leave your application till the very last minute. Get started as early as possible, preferably half a year before the application deadline, especially if your school is going to help you in the process. Mine did, and there was a lot of going back and forth involved because they had to check my application for mistakes and things that were missing in it.
Mind you, they make a big deal over things like capitalization and punctuation, so make sure everything is in order. My application form was just 3-4 pages long, but it took MONTHS of checking, editing and additional padding for it to be deemed acceptable enough for the school to approve.
Oh, another thing: it usually takes a while for the school to get back to you each time, so yeah. Patience.
You’ll need lots of documents
For the love of everything holy, make sure that all of your personal documents are in order. Keep them all in one place so you won’t end up freaking out and scouring the entire house for That One Missing Document.
In general, important personal documents include:
- Birth certificate
- High school leaving certificate
- SPM results
- JLPT certificate (if you have one)
- Passport
- ID photos taken within 3 months prior to your application (make sure your photos follow the format requested by the school)
If you’ve already graduated from college, here are a couple more:
- College results
- College graduation letter
- College certificate (Diploma, Degree, Masters, etc)
Other pertinent documents:
- Income statement of sponsor*
- Bank statement of sponsor
*The person who will be paying for your education and stay in Japan. It is best if the person is closely related to you i.e. your dad, mom, parents. You can also be your own sponsor if you are financially able to.
Depending on your situation, they might ask for more documents
My case might be a bit more unique because not only have I graduated from university, but I also come from a multiracial, unconventional family background. This sparked a few questions from the Japanese school I was applying for. Not because they held any prejudice towards us, but because of my father’s names.
Yes, names.
They questioned why my father has two names, and requested documents to clarify why he has two. If you’re in this situation, then documents like a marriage certificate, conversion certificate, a document with both names on it, etc whatever it is that can clarify your situation will do.
If you’ve already graduated from college, you might have to write a longer essay
The more information you provide the school with on the application, the better your chances are of getting accepted! As someone who has graduated from college, and worked for a few years before choosing to reenter student life, I was requested to write an even longer essay about why I was interested in going to school in Japan. And my essay was already quite lengthy.
So, yeah. Be clear in your essay. State why you’re interested in studying in Japan, how studying the Japanese language would help you in your career, and how your job/career is related to the Japanese language.
Don’t be too hasty in purchasing your flight ticket
I was told a few times not to purchase my flight ticket until I’d gotten the student visa. The reason for this is that there is always a chance that applications could get rejected.
Apparently, depending on your country and other factors, there may be a higher or lower chance of your application getting rejected. Of course, I was assured that since I’m Malaysian, it should be okay, but you never know, y’know?
Wait for your COE
Once your application has been approved, your school will send it over to the Immigration Bureau. Another screening will take place here and it will take approximately 1-2 months to complete.
If they decide to approve your application, the Immigration Bureau will issue a Certificate of Eligibility (COE), which is essentially a document stating their permission to allow you to study in Japan, and send it to your school. And now, after MONTHS of waiting, you have FINALLY gotten their approval. The school will issue a bill of school fees to you, and once payment has been confirmed, they will send over the Certificate of Eligibility and the Certificate of Admission to you.
Apply for your student visa
Here’s the last step. With your COE and other pertinent documents, you are to apply at the nearest Japanese Embassy. But before you do this, make sure to call the Embassy to check whether you have to bring other documents before you come over. Just in case, because if you make any mistakes at this point, you’ll have to start the application process all over again!
But if all goes well, this step will be a breeze. How it went for me was that after filling in the visa application form, the Immigration Officer decided then and there that I should pick up my passport the very next day. So off I went the next day, and there it was, my shiny new student visa stamped in my passport! God, I was so happy that it was all over at last.
There you go. A step-by-step guide on the student visa application process. I hope this is helpful to you.
Make sure to bring your COE when you head on that plane to Japan. You’ll need it upon landing.
Please note that this is more of a general guideline than anything else. Depending on your chosen school and your circumstances, the documents required for the application process will be different.
