How does the Go! Go! Nihon Japanese Student visa application process work?
- In our application platform we provide you with application forms and information on the documents required for your school and visa applications
- We check the documents, submit them to the school and wait to hear back from the school about your application
- We help to answer any questions the school might have about your application. Once the school approves your application, they will submit it to Japanese immigration for your student visa.
- If immigration approves your visa, the school will send you the Certificate of Eligibility (COE) to your home address, usually around one month before you are due to arrive in Japan
- Once you receive your COE, you take it to your local Japanese embassy to convert into your student visa
- Get your things together and fly to Japan!
For more information, please read our blog article: https://gogonihon.kinsta.cloud/en/blog/application-process-timeline-when-to-start-your-japanese-student-visa-application/
Do I need specific education requirements in order to study at a language school in Japan?
Students need to have a high school diploma (or equivalent) and completed 12 years of education. If students have not completed high school, they can take an online course such as the GED or a TAFE course, which, once finished, can count as equivalent to high school completion.
What is the age limit to apply to a language school in Japan?
There are no upper age limits to apply to a language school in Japan, but you generally need to be 18 years or over in order to apply for a student visa. If you are not yet 18 we offer short-term courses through our Study Trips programs: http://studytrip.com
Note that if you completed high school more than five years prior to applying for language school, the school may require more information and documentation. But don’t worry too much – we successfully help many students of all ages apply to Japanese language schools!
Can you study in a Japanese language school if you’re over 30?
Absolutely! We have successfully helped many students over 30 come to Japan! Some application requirements vary and schools can ask for additional documents, so feel free to contact us for more information.
How can I get a visa to study Japanese in Japan?
In order to get a student visa to study in Japan, you will need to apply to a language school that supports student visas and have them accept your application. Applying for a student visa requires a lot of documentation and paperwork: amongst other things, you need to prove you have graduated high school (or have completed the requisite number of years of education), you need to show your bank statement to prove you have the funds and you also need an income proof. This is where Go! Go! Nihon comes in as we help you with your documentation and paperwork to ensure the highest possible chance of acceptance for the school of your choice.
Read more information about applying for a student visa on our blog: https://gogonihon.kinsta.cloud/en/blog/japan-student-visa/
How much is the general cost of living in Japan?
Japanese immigration estimates that 6 months of full-time study in Japan costs about 1,000,000yen. This includes tuition, housing, and some living expenses. But if you’re thinking of studying for a longer or shorter period of time, please contact us and we can provide some further information!
For more information about cost of living in Japan check out our blog article: https://gogonihon.kinsta.cloud/en/blog/the-highs-and-lows-of-the-cost-of-living-in-japan/
Do you offer scholarships to study Japanese in Japan?
Unfortunately, we do not assist with financial aid or scholarships for our partnered language schools, so we are unable to provide any information about those types of programs. However, individual schools may offer information and/or assistance to students depending on the availability of scholarships and how well students perform.
Can I only apply to schools in Japan listed on your website?
Unfortunately yes. We cannot offer assistance in applying for language schools that we are not currently partnered with, as they each have their own process and regulations that we are unaware of. Please check our Japanese language schools’ page to see which options we offer: https://gogonihon.kinsta.cloud/en/language-schools/
Does Go! Go! Nihon only help with long-term studies in Japan?
We can assist you in applying for studies from 3 months, or even shorter with our specialised Study trips in Japan that range from 2 – 4 weeks. You can check these out from our Study trips page: https://gogonihon.kinsta.cloud/en/study-trips/.
Can I choose if I get morning or afternoon Japanese language classes?
Your school will determine your class schedule based on your current level of Japanese. Most schools will have beginner courses in the afternoons and more advanced students placed in the morning classes. Please check our article on how Japanese language schools in Japan work: https://gogonihon.kinsta.cloud/en/blog/how-japanese-language-schools-in-japan-work/
When should I arrive in Japan to start at Japanese Language School?
We suggest arriving no earlier than 1 to 4 days before you’re due to begin school. If you arrive at an earlier time this can cause complications for you upon arrival at Immigration. But not to worry, your Student Coordinator will be able to advise your school’s starting dates well in advance so you can prepare your travel arrangements.
Please find more information here about what to do after your visa application is done: https://gogonihon.kinsta.cloud/en/blog/after-applying-for-a-visa-for-japan/
PLEASE NOTE: due to the COVID-19 pandemic, quarantine may be required depending on your country and the current situation. Please contact us for more information.
Can I bring my pet to Japan?
Technically yes, however bringing pets to Japan can be a very complicated process with a lot of paperwork. For some further information about requirements for your pets travel abroad, we recommend checking out this site: http://www.maff.go.jp/aqs/english/animal/im_index.html and read our article: https://gogonihon.kinsta.cloud/en/blog/bringing-your-pet-to-japan/
Do you have to study Japanese before going to Japan?
Prior knowledge of Japanese may be required depending on the school you choose, your country of citizenship, your educational background, etc. In most cases, a JLPT N5 certificate or a document proving 150 hours of Japanese class suffices for the immigration bureau. Even if no proof of Japanese knowledge is required, we recommend learning at least the two kana alphabets (hiragana and katakana) before your arrival. If you’re not a beginner, you will have the chance to take a placement test before starting classes in Japan and you might get placed into a higher level and therefore save some time and money.
For learning the kana alphabets, we recommend our Go! Go! Nihon learning app called Hiragana Quest for those who have not yet mastered these essential Japanese alphabets: http://hiraganaquest.com.
If you need official proof of 150 hours of Japanese studies, check out our Akamonkai Beginner Online Course: https://japaneseonline.gogonihon.kinsta.cloud/courses/akamonkai-japanese-12-week-beginner-course.
Can I go into complete higher education in Japan?
In order to continue on to higher education in Japan, you must have a high school diploma (or equivalent) and 12 years of education in total. Check out our article for more information: https://gogonihon.kinsta.cloud/en/blog/working-in-japan-without-a-university-degree/
Do I need Japanese to find work in Japan?
Very few employers in Japan hire those who do not know at least conversational Japanese and ideally, you need to be at least JLPT N2 level for full-time roles. Check out our article for more information: https://gogonihon.kinsta.cloud/en/blog/working-in-japan-without-a-university-degree/
How much will it cost to learn Japanese in Japan?
This will depend a lot on what school you attend, where you live and your lifestyle. Read more in our article about the cost of living in Japan: https://gogonihon.kinsta.cloud/en/blog/the-highs-and-lows-of-the-cost-of-living-in-japan/
How long does it take to learn Japanese in Japan?
This depends on your goals. If you start from a beginner level and aim to work in Japan in the future, you will need to study Japanese in Japan full-time for about two years. For more on how Japanese language schools work check our article here: https://gogonihon.kinsta.cloud/en/blog/how-japanese-language-schools-in-japan-work/
How effective is it to learn Japanese in Japan?
Very effective! Learning a language in a country where it is spoken is one of the best and fastest ways of mastering it. This makes a lot of sense when you think about the fact that you are surrounded by people who speak Japanese, you can make Japanese friends and you have so many opportunities to actually use and practise Japanese. There is also so much about the Japanese language that you can only learn once you live in Japan, such as certain words and ways of saying things that sound more natural.
Where should I learn Japanese in Japan?
Go! Go! Nihon offers many options, with a variety of different styles of Japanese language schools in several cities. Read our article about the best cities to study Japanese in Japan: https://gogonihon.kinsta.cloud/en/blog/best-cities-to-study-japanese-in-japan/
We have also created a quiz with essential questions that will help determine which city in Japan would be the best fit for you! Click here to find out.
