Fellow travellers and Japan enthusiasts,
I seek your wisdom on a matter regarding visa procedures. I am planning to visit Japan on a tourist visa (visitor visa), but while I’m there, I hope to enrol in a Japanese language school. Ideally, I would prefer to change my visa from a tourist to a student visa while still in Japan, without the need to leave and re-apply from abroad.
However, I’ve encountered conflicting information. Some say it’s possible to make the switch within Japan, while others claim that this policy is no longer in effect. I would love to hear if anyone has recent experience with this or any advice on the process.
To provide a bit more context, returning to my home country to re-apply would be quite expensive (flights are around $3,000 USD). Furthermore, I’d prefer to visit the schools in person, speak with people, and get a feel for the environment before committing to a specific one.
Any advice, guidance, or shared experiences would be greatly appreciated!
Thank you in advance!
by IAm_Expert