Part-Time Work Permission for Canadian Students in Japan

Why you need permission at all

Your student visa authorizes you to study in Japan, not to work. Taking any paid part-time job, even a few hours a week, without separate permission puts your immigration status at risk. The permission is called shikaku-gai katsudo, officially permission to engage in activity other than that permitted under the status of residence previously granted, and Japan's Immigration Services Agency issues it as a distinct step from your student visa. If you're weighing a working holiday instead of a student visa, the work rules differ, as covered in Canada-Japan working holiday visa vs a student visa.

Getting the permission

The easiest route is at the airport when you land. If you're entering Japan on a student visa for a stay of more than three months, immigration staff at major airports including Narita and Haneda commonly let you apply for shikaku-gai katsudo at the same counter where you get your residence card, by checking a box on the landing form. This saves you a separate trip to an immigration office later. That's the same COE and visa sequence covered in Certificate of Eligibility and student visa process for Canadians going to Japan.

If you skip that step, or land somewhere that doesn't offer it, apply afterward at the regional immigration bureau nearest your school. Bring your residence card, your student ID, your passport, and a completed application form, available at the bureau or through your university's international office. Ask your school's international student office for help before your first visit, since they process these requests constantly and can flag anything missing before you wait in line.

The hour limits

The widely published rule caps part-time student work at 28 hours a week during regular school terms, rising to up to 8 hours a day during officially designated long school vacations such as summer break. Confirm the current figure on the Immigration Services Agency's website or with your university's international office before you commit to a work schedule, since immigration rules do change and you want the number your school is currently working from. Canadians in Korea face a different cap, detailed in part-time work rules for Canadian students on a D-2 visa.

These caps apply across all your jobs combined, not per employer. If you work two part-time jobs, add the hours together and stay under the limit either way.

What kind of work is off limits

Regardless of your hour limits, you cannot work in Japan's adult entertainment industry (fuzoku eigyo), a broad legal category covering certain bars, clubs, and pachinko parlors. This restriction applies even if a specific job offer seems unrelated to entertainment on the surface, so check with your university's international office if a job's classification is unclear before you accept it.

Keeping your status clean

• Carry your residence card whenever you work. Employers and, occasionally, immigration officers check it.

• Stay under the published hour cap even during a busy week. Exceeding it repeatedly can affect your ability to extend your period of stay or renew your visa later.

• Prioritize your academic standing. Universities can flag poor attendance to immigration authorities, and work hours are not a valid excuse for missing required coursework, whether you're in a Japanese-taught program or one of the English-taught degree programs at Japan's top universities.

• Reconfirm your shikaku-gai katsudo status alongside any residence status extension, since the work permission ties to your student status rather than running on its own separate schedule.

Consequences of skipping the permission

Working without shikaku-gai katsudo counts as unauthorized employment under Japanese immigration law, for both you and the employer who hired you. Consequences for a student range from a formal warning to non-renewal of your period of stay or, in serious repeated cases, deportation. Employers face fines and reputational damage, which is part of why compliant employers ask for proof of your permission before they schedule your first shift.

Internships and research placements

A paid internship or a paid research placement connected to your degree still counts as work under these rules and still needs shikaku-gai katsudo, even when your university helped arrange it. An unpaid internship may fall outside the permission requirement, but confirm the specific arrangement with your university's international office before you start, since the paid or unpaid distinction is what determines whether you need the permit, not whether the placement is academic. For the broader difference between the two authorization types, see how a work permit differs from a study permit for international co-op and internship terms.

Tracking your hours

Keep a simple running log of your weekly hours across every job you hold, since you are the one responsible for staying under the cap even if no single employer sees your full schedule. A log also helps if your university or immigration asks you to account for your work activity during a status renewal.

Why employers ask to see your permit

Japanese employers who hire international students face their own penalties for employing someone without valid work permission, so a legitimate part-time employer typically asks for your residence card and confirms your shikaku-gai katsudo status before your first shift. An employer who doesn't ask is a warning sign, not a shortcut in your favor.

Where to find part-time work

Most university international student offices keep a running list of employers who have hired international students before and understand the hour caps and paperwork already. JASSO 's student support services also list part-time opportunities aimed at the international student population. Convenience stores, restaurants, and tutoring or language-related work are common entry points for students still building Japanese fluency, since they don't always require advanced language skills. A part-time job supplements but doesn't replace JASSO's living-expense subsidies, if you're eligible for them.