Visa & Career guide
The residence statuses you can get, the documents to submit and the timeline, from student to employee.
OpenMachi Guide
See every step before you start the paperwork.
Machi's guides cover Japan only: residence status, everyday paperwork, study and work, backed by school and company libraries and Machi AI. For the JLPT, level guides, study articles and exam dates are open now; online practice and mock exams are not yet open.
What's in the Guide
Life & paperwork guides
Life in Japan, working in Japan, studying in Japan and language schools, or just search.
OpenSchool library
Universities, graduate schools, vocational schools and language schools in Japan.
OpenCompany library
Company data for job seekers from abroad.
OpenMachi AI
Ask in English, Chinese or Japanese, with answers drawn from Machi's guides and data.
OpenMy workbench
To-dos, calendar, application tracking, household budget and document expiry reminders.
OpenVisa & Career guide
From student to employee, with the documents and steps laid out.
Based on the type of school you attend and the category (1 to 4) of the company you're joining, it lists the residence statuses you can apply for, the documents you'll need and the timeline.
Not sure where to start? Take the 30-second check and get your own document list. When you apply, the Immigration Services Agency's requirements are what count.
Machi AI
Ask in the language you're comfortable with.
English, Chinese and Japanese all work. Answers draw on Machi's guides and its school and company libraries and are marked “From Machi Guide”. When visas, law, health or money come up, it reminds you to confirm with the official source.
Free accounts get a set number of questions a day; Machi Verified members get more, plus the Pro model. Machi AI doesn't replace advice from the authorities or a qualified professional.
Japanese exams
Open
N5–N1 level guides
Pass marks, scored sections and vocabulary targets for each level.
OpenOpen
Study-route articles
Eight articles on getting from N3 to N2 and N2 to N1, and how to study vocabulary, grammar, reading and listening.
Open
Exam dates & countdown
Test and registration dates for sites in Japan, with the days left until the next exam.
OpenNot yet open
Online practice and mock exams
JLPT online practice, mock exams and placement tests are not yet open. We'll announce it on this site when they are.
Not yet open
EJU & Japanese study
The EJU zone and general Japanese study are not yet open either.
Before you rely on it
Japan only
The Guide and the school and company libraries cover Japan. Other countries are in preparation.
Official sources come first
The Guide and Machi AI help you sort out the steps, but they don't replace the Immigration Services Agency, your city office, your school or a qualified professional. When rules change, the official notice is what counts.
Members' area and shop
Some content sits in the members' area. Items in the shop marked “Content in preparation” are still being prepared.