Limited work on student visa

If I went to japan for college on a student visa, is it possible for me to try to get a citizenship in japan while there on a student visa, because I wanted to do modeling in japan but I saw on this website that you can only work a certain amount of hours(on student visa), But I want to be able to be a little more flexible to work more hours.

Short answer: No. You can't get a citizenship under student visa if you just got there.

Long answer: You need to live continuously for 5 years in Japan, have a stable job, sufficient income and at least JLPT 3 proficiency of Japanese as the bare minimum requirement. Of course, things are pretty subjective sometimes when it comes to the Japanese immigration as you would be screened, interviewed and there will be hordes of paperwork involved.

Best option for you, study first, work later on a full working visa. If you can get sponsorship, that is.

Can a get a working visa there while on a stident visa.

You can't hold more than one visa at a time. You can apply for a work visa after your student visa expires.

You can't hold more than one visa at a time. You can apply for a work visa after your student visa expires.

You can't hold more than one status of residence at a time. You can apply for a change of status at any time, to match your circumstances.

so let's say I'm in japan and my student visa expires, can I apply for a working visa while in japan, or do I need to come back to America.

Despite what many people here (and elsewhere) say, your visa is completely irrelevant while you are in Japan. The only purpose of a visa is to certify that you have fulfilled a certain set of requirement as part of the procedure to enter Japan. Once you have entered Japan, your visa becomes a worthless and meaningless piece of paper (unless it is a multiple-entry visa). The important thing is your resident card[/ (which you will either be given at the point of entry, or asked to obtain by visiting the immigration bureau which has jurisdiction over where you live in Japan).

Your resident card lists, among other things, your status of residence and its expiration date. The status of residence determines which activities you are permitted to engage in. Initially, it will correspond to the type of visa with which you entered Japan, but you can apply to change it at any time. This is necessary because, for example, if you are a student under the "College student" status, but then you graduate and get a job, you must change your status to a work-related one before you can start working full time (and also you can't keep your student status if you are no longer a student).

The expiration date is self-explanatory: if you stay in Japan after you status has expired, you are staying illegally. The only exception is if you have applied to extend or change your status, then you can stay in Japan until a decision is made on your application, regardless of the expiration date of you current status.

ok so when it expires I will apply to change status.

No. You apply for the change of status when you stop being a student, which must be before your student status expires.

ok, I see.

Note that you can't "just" change your status at will. Before you can acquire a certain status, you must fulfill the requirements for (for a work-related status, it means you must have a firm job offer). This is why you only apply for a change of status: as part of your application, you must submit documents proving that you satisfy the requirements for the status you wish to obtain.

I hope you understand that "student visa" is for people who primarily want to study in Japan, while it allows students to engage in part-time work to supplement their living expenses. You will need to maintain good attendance and school grade records while you are on that "student" status.

If your primary aim is to work in Japan, you will need to follow other paths. However, modeling may be a hard job to get if you intend to do that on an employer-sponsored "work" status, because models are often not full-time employment, and you will need to have an impressive modeling experience/portfolio to show if you want to be hired for that.

I see, but I think modeling is the only part time job I can get to take care of were I live and stuff, I don't know any other part time job that can do that without mannual labor.

What do you actually want to do?

I think modeling is the only part time job I can get to take care of were I live and stuff, I don't know any other part time job that can do that without mannual labor.

Modeling is far from the only opportunity available to you, and is probably one of the tougher ones to break into and be successful with. With a student visa you can do most other jobs that are not in the entertainment trade. But be aware that part time work will not likely pay for your school and living expenses. Also, that's not quite how the student visa works either. You'll have to prove that you are financially capable of paying your school and living costs BEFORE your visa is granted.

I design games, but I need to go to school to get that job.

In that case, you may be better off studying CS in the US first (an minoring in Japanese perhaps), and then look for jobs in Japan.

So the best thing is to stay, I thought it would be better for me to go.

Sorry to butt in but from what I've gathered from your other posts... you really don't have a structured plan for your future?

You want to work in Japan, therefore you want to study game designing in Japan, preferably Tokyo University, but then you switched to software development since Tokyo U doesn't offer game designing, you wanted to do a study abroad, something which TU generally doesn't offer to students not from their partner unis.

Your options are either a scholarship (if you manage to get one) or paying full tuition, for a non-study abroad admission.

It is not guaranteed that you can even get modeling jobs... do you have money saved up?

I would try to get into a good school for game designing or software development, minor in Japanese if possible, try to get internships at Nintendo or other Japanese game companies, and if you have your degree, try to get a job in Japan or get a job at a international, non-Japanese gaming company which has Japanese subsidiaries and ask to get transfered there.

I just need help, I wanted to go to japan as soon as it was time for college.