1. Procedures for entering Japan

A person who wishes to enter Japan as an international student must fulfill the following procedures:
1) Gain admission to a Japanese educational institution (Japanese language institute, junior college, university, etc.) of your choice.
2) Acquire your home country�fs passport.
3) Acquire a visa at a Japanese embassy or consulate in your home country.

2. Status of residence

The status of residence defines the types of activities that foreign residents are allowed to undertake in Japan and the status or positions they are allowed to hold. It is classified into 27 different categories. International students entering Japan to attend a university, junior college, special training college, college of technology, or a preparatory international student program at a private university or a junior college are given the status of residence as �gcollege student,�h under which the period of stay is usually one or two years.

International students who are going to attend a Japanese university for a short period of less than one year while maintaining their student status at their home university are also given the status of residence as �gcollege student�h if the host university accepts them as international students.

Those who will attend Japanese language institutes other than Preparatory Japanese-language programs offered by universities and post secondary courses offered by special training colleges will be given the status of residence as �gpre-college student�h who are usually allowed to stay in Japan for six months, one year or two years.

If a student gains admission to a university or special training college while studying at a Japanese-language institute, he or she can change the status of residence from �gpre-college student�h to�gcollege student.�h