Precautions Concerning Leave of Absence and Status of Residence

If you are considering taking a leave of absence for any reason, please consult the International Student Advisor or International Student Section as soon as possible to see if your reasons can be considered justifiable.

According to Article 22-4 of the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act, if a non- Japanese residing in Japan with a specified status of residence (in the case of a UEC international student, a College Student status) has failed to continue to engage in the activities described in the status of residence for three months or more (excluding cases where the alien has justifiable reason for not engaging in the activities while residing in Japan), the status of residence is subject to being revoked.

Please note that if an international student takes a leave of absence, he/she needs to return to his/her home country unless he/she acquires a different type of status during his/her leave of absence.

For international students with a College Student status in particular, a leave of absence for financial reasons is NOT a justifiable reason. In other words, international students who take a leave of absence for financial reasons will not be allowed to stay in Japan for extracurricular activities (e.g. part-time work) during the leave of absence.

Created: March 30, 2010 / Last modified:November 19, 2012