Can a foreign resident in Japan work this part-time job or side gig on their status, and which permission is needed?
japan_parttime_work_checkApplies the Immigration Services Agency's rules on permission for activities outside status of residence (資格外活動許可, Immigration Control Act art. 19(2); rules as of 2026-10-26). Comprehensive permission (包括許可) for Student, Dependent and Designated Activities (dependent / job hunting): 28 hours in any 7 days, all jobs combined; students 8 h/day in the school's official long vacation; never at 風俗営業 / 特定遊興飲食店 / sex-related venues in any role. NEW 2026-10-01: Dependent (家族滞在) holders only may work at pachinko, mahjong and licensed game centers (風営法 2条1項4号・5号) with an individual permission per venue (employer + applicant pledges, venue license copy, ≤ 28 h total); students still excluded. Contractor delivery counts only if hours are objectively verifiable; freelance with unclear hours needs individual permission; company/staff/office needs Business Manager. Work visas: same-field OK, other work status needs individual permission, simple labor generally not allowed. SSW, Technical Intern, Temporary Visitor: no side jobs; Working Holiday free except 風俗営業; PR/spouse/long-term resident unrestricted. Returns verdict (ok | ok_if_hours | apply_first | individual_permission | status_change | not_allowed | no_restriction), headline, summary, permissionNeeded, hours {weeklyLimit, dailyLimitOnVacation, withinLimit, rolling windows}, conditions, documents, steps, warnings, ISA sources, disclaimer. Use for 'can I work on a student visa', 留学生 アルバイト 28時間, 家族滞在 パチンコ, Uber Eats on a visa. Educational, not immigration advice; not affiliated with ISA.
Tool call template
Replace each placeholder with a value matching the input schema. Only required parameters are included; add optional parameters as needed.
{
"id": 1,
"jsonrpc": "2.0",
"method": "tools/call",
"params": {
"arguments": {
"status": "<status>",
"job": "<job>"
},
"name": "japan_parttime_work_check"
}
}Input Schema
| Name | Required | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|---|
| job | Yes | Kind of work or venue. izakaya_bar = no hosting of guests; hostess_bar = hosting (接待) venues incl. snack/girls bar; delivery_gig = app contractor (Uber Eats etc.); internship = over 28 h/week. | |
| status | Yes | Status of residence. student = 留学; dependent = 家族滞在; designated_dependent / job_hunting = 特定活動; work_visa = 技人国, 教育, 教授 etc.; specified_skilled = 特定技能; technical_intern = 技能実習; temporary_visitor = tourist; unrestricted = permanent resident, spouse of Japanese/PR, long-term resident. | |
| enrolled | No | Students: still enrolled and attending. Default true. | |
| dailyHours | No | Day-by-day hours, comma separated, all jobs combined; suffix v = school long-vacation day (students only), e.g. '8v,8v,8v,4,4,0,0'. Checks every rolling 7-day window. | |
| permission | No | Permission already held. comprehensive = 28-hour stamp on the residence card. Default unknown. | |
| weeklyHours | No | Hours in a 7-day period across ALL side jobs. | |
| longVacation | No | Students: hours fall in the school's official long vacation (8 h/day rule). | |
| sameCategoryWork | No | Work visa: side job is the same kind of work the visa covers. | |
| internshipEligible | No | Students: final-year undergrad with ~90%+ credits, final-year master's/PhD, or credit-bearing practicum. | |
| hasEmployeesOrOffice | No | Freelance: hires staff, has a company or rents an office. |