Japan’s international student population has reached a record high

On May 29, 2026, Japan’s Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology announced the latest results of the survey on international students in Japan. According to the announcement, as of May 1, 2025, the number of international students in Japan was 408,069, an increase of 71,361 students, or 21.2%, compared with the previous year.

The increase was especially significant in vocational schools and Japanese language institutions. By country or region of origin, China, Nepal, and Vietnam were among the largest groups, and the increase from South and Southwest Asian countries such as Nepal, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh was particularly notable.

In a 40-student class, vocational schools would have about 7 to 8 international students by simple calculation

The figure of more than 400,000 international students may feel too large to understand intuitively. One useful way to grasp the scale is to convert the ratio into a simple “40-student class” image for each school type.

According to the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, the number of international students in Japan as of May 1, 2025 was 408,069. The breakdown was 156,593 in universities and related institutions, 106,829 in vocational schools, 140,174 in Japanese language institutions, and 527 in colleges of technology.

Meanwhile, the 2025 School Basic Survey shows that the total number of students was 2,972,412 in universities, 71,196 in junior colleges, 569,107 in vocational schools, and 56,277 in colleges of technology.

By this simple conversion, universities and junior colleges would have about 2 international students in a 40-student class, vocational schools would have about 7 to 8, and colleges of technology would have about 0.4.

The most notable point is the scale in vocational schools. By simple calculation, international students correspond to about 7 to 8 students in a 40-student vocational school class. This means that international student management, part-time work permission, and post-graduation work visa checks are no longer exceptional issues for only a few institutions. They are becoming routine practical issues for vocational schools and employers.

Japanese language institutions should be understood differently from universities and vocational schools because many of them mainly serve foreign students. For these institutions, the quality of enrollment management, further study support, career guidance, and immigration compliance is especially important.

Student status is not a work visa

The status of residence “Student” is intended for studying at an educational institution in Japan. It is not a general work visa. Therefore, if a student wishes to work part-time, permission to engage in activity other than that permitted under the status of residence previously granted is generally required.

The Immigration Services Agency of Japan explains that this permission is required when a foreign national wishes to engage in income-generating or remunerated activities outside the scope of the current status of residence. For comprehensive permission, part-time activities within 28 hours per week are generally contemplated.

However, it is risky to assume that everything is acceptable simply because the work is within 28 hours per week. If the student’s attendance, grades, academic activity, or work pattern creates concern, this may affect renewal of Student status or a later application to change to a work visa.

Key points international students should check

Points to consider when moving from school to a work visa

After graduation, possible options may include Engineer / Specialist in Humanities / International Services, Specified Skilled Worker, Nursing Care, Highly Skilled Professional, Designated Activities after receiving a job offer, or Designated Activities for continued job hunting.

For Engineer / Specialist in Humanities / International Services, it is especially important to review the student’s academic background, field of study, proposed job duties, employer’s business, employment contract, and salary level. If the job mainly consists of simple labor or has only a weak connection with the student’s field of study, approval may be difficult.

In addition, for certain applications filed on or after April 15, 2026, category 3 or 4 employers may need to submit additional documents, including a declaration regarding the representative of the accepting organization. If the work mainly uses language skills in customer-facing duties, such as translation, interpretation, or hotel front desk work, documents showing language ability may also need to be checked.

Employers should check not only “Can we hire this person?” but also “Does the job match the visa?”

Many employers wish to hire international students as full-time employees after graduation, especially where labor shortages are serious. However, the fact that a student has been working part-time for a company does not automatically mean that a work visa will be approved for full-time employment after graduation.

Employers should check at least the following points before hiring:

• Residence card and period of stay
• Expected graduation or graduation certificate
• Connection between the field of study and proposed job duties
• Employment contract
• Salary level, work location, and working hours
• Employer’s actual business activities
• For Specified Skilled Worker, the relevant field, tests, and support system

Check the case from four perspectives: student, school, employer, and documents

Renewal of Student status and change of status after graduation are not judged based on one document alone. In practice, it is important to check the consistency of the case from four perspectives: the student, the school, the employer, and the supporting documents.

Student

• Period of stay
• Attendance, grades, and credits
• Part-time work, working hours, and wages
• Tuition and living expenses
• Past immigration record

School

• Enrollment status
• Expected graduation or graduation certificate
• Academic transcript
• Field of study
• For Japanese language schools, explanation of further study or employment plans

Employer

• Actual business operations
• Employment contract
• Job duties
• Salary level
• Social insurance, tax, and labor compliance

Documents

• Application form
• Statement of reasons
• Employment contract
• Company documents
• Academic and transcript documents
• Explanation of part-time work history if necessary

Conclusion

The fact that Japan’s international student population has exceeded 400,000 shows that more foreign nationals are choosing to study and build their future in Japan. At the same time, students, schools, and employers must pay closer attention to immigration compliance and the documents required for each status of residence.

It is not enough to assume that a student can work because they are studying in Japan, or that a work visa will be granted simply because the student is expected to graduate. Part-time work permission, attendance, academic records, field of study, job duties, and the employer’s acceptance structure should be reviewed carefully.