As graduation season approaches next year, have you considered working full-time at a convenience store after graduation?
In recent years, foreign staff have become such a familiar part of our daily lives that it’s now rare to visit a convenience store without encountering them.
Many of these workers are international students doing part-time jobs.
Some of you may genuinely enjoy working at a convenience store and may be wondering: “Can I work here full-time after I graduate?”
This article is written especially for those who hold that hope.
Until a few years ago, it was quite difficult for international students to work full-time at a convenience store after graduation. The main reason was that immigration authorities were not issuing the appropriate work visas.
However, things have changed. Today, it is now possible for international students to obtain the “Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services” visa (commonly known as the “技術・人文知識・国際業務” visa) and become full-time employees at convenience stores.
Of course, there are certain conditions that must be met. For example, the store should offer a clear career path, such as training to become a store manager within a few years, or developing the skills to manage multiple branches in the future. The type and size of the business entity operating the convenience store may also affect whether the visa is approved.
Below, we introduce two recent cases handled by our office, where international students successfully obtained this visa and became full-time employees.
Case 1
She graduated from a university in Japan and had been working part-time at a convenience store for some time.
After consulting with the store owner about wanting to work full-time, the case was brought to our office. As a result, the individual was granted the “Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services” visa and is now working full-time at the convenience store.
She is currently regarded as a future store manager and are highly valued by the store.
Case 2
He had graduated from a university in their home country and came to Japan to study Japanese.
While attending a Japanese language school daily, he began working part-time at a convenience store. He quickly realized that the work suited his personality well.
Like in Case 1, he expressed their desire to work full-time to the store owner, who then contacted our office. We assisted with the visa change process, and he successfully received the “Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services” visa.
When we handed them their new residence card, he was overjoyed.
As these examples show, the pathway from “international student” to “full-time employee” at a convenience store is expanding from the perspective of immigration and visa options.
At our office, we stay up-to-date with the latest immigration developments and apply our experience to help individuals achieve their goals.
Please note that under Japanese immigration law, international students are no longer permitted to work part-time once they graduate from school.
If you are considering continuing to work at a convenience store after graduation, we encourage you to contact our office as early as possible for guidance and support.