Can you apply for a work visa with a certified copy of your degree?

8 comments

1. When I got my working Visa, I did not submit the original but a copy to the company sponsoring it for me, so you will not need the original. I also submitted a self made Japanese translation. Not remembering if the translation was necessary, but I assume it saves time for the authorities so if you can, probably better to attach one.

2. Are you talking about changing visa type? I changed from instructor to engineer/humanities, and I just submitted a printed copy of a scan of the related degree. It was in English.

3. Never give out the original.

   They will need a scan/copy of the original in your country’s language, and a Japanese translation that helps them make sense of it (i.e. it explains the grading system).

   Certified translator is a bonus (being prepared always is), but not strictly necessary — the actual information in your degree is your name, the name of the school, the year of graduation and the title, and only the latter needs translation at all.

   English translations are not sufficient to my knowledge.

4. Never give the original. What i did was make a copy (didn’t even certify it) and I brought the original. They asked to look at the original but took the copy anyways

5. I just used a transcript I got off the web and that was fine, show’s graduation on it, no translation attached.

6. I never showed my originals. They took copies and said several times that not giving them back.

7. My (copy of) graduation certificate is in Chinese and English, I didn’t have it translated into Japanese and it was accepted just fine. Also from student to engineering/humanities/intl svc.

8. A simple copy is usually good enough