<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Before you make your application, please refer to Programme Guidance 2027 for JALP<\/a> to understand the details of the program.<\/strong> Category of Questions<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Q: What will my legal status be in Japan during the program? If you are a university graduate and you find employment after finishing the language school program, you can apply for a work permit. Alternatively, if you enter graduate school, you can extend your student status until graduation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Q: What will happen if I am not able to attend university or vocational school, nor find employment?<\/em> Q: Can I work with a student status? Q: What types of scholarships are there to attend university?<\/em> a) Japan Education Pathways Program (JEP) b)UNHCR Refugee Higher Education Programme\u3000(RHEP) c) Philoxenia Scholarship by JELA d) Toshizo Watanabe International Scholarship (TWIS) e) Other scholarship opportunities Q: Does the program allow us to enroll in a Japanese University before completing the Language School Program?<\/em> Q: If we have a relative in Japan are we allowed to live with them?<\/em> Q: If some one has Afghan nationality but because of situation in Afghanistan immigrated to Iran, can apply for this program? Q: I have been living as a refugee in Iran for several years. However, I was recently deported to Afghanistan. Am I eligible to apply?<\/em> Q: I was born outside Afghanistan. Am I eligible to apply?<\/em> Q: Why Afghan youth refugees who have left Afghanistan before 2021 August are not eligible for this opportunity?<\/em> Q: Is having a refugee background mandatory?<\/em> Q: Can you explain more about refugee background, how can we provide it?<\/em> Q: I am 35 years old now. Can I still Apply to this Program?<\/em> Q: I have a Master\/Doctor degree. Can I still apply?<\/em> Q: What is the selection criteria for the program ?<\/em> Q: About the documents proving or explaining the refugee background, can the statement by local NGO is acceptable?<\/em> Q: Who should I ask to write a recommendation letter?<\/em> Q: About “Recommendation letter”, It is written that a letter from someone in Japan who may offer advice, information or any support to the applicant is desirable. I don’t know anyone who lives in Japan.What should I do?<\/em> Q: Is an online high school transcript from in Afghanistan accepted for admission?<\/em> Q: Should the transcript be translated with the stamp of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, or is the stamp of a certified translation agency sufficient?<\/em> Q: My high school certificate has not yet been transcribed. Is it possible to upload my documents later?<\/em> If you are shortlisted for an interview, you will be allowed to submit the high school certificate before the end of September. in case you cannot submit them by then, unfortunately you will be ineligible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Q: I am expected to graduate from high school by March 2027. What kind of document should I submit as High school graduate certificate?<\/em> Q: Will transcripts and graduation certificate outside Afghanistan be accepted?<\/em> Q: My English proficiency certificate is old and not valid now. Do I need to take another one\uff1f<\/em> Q: Can I submit GED as a high school graduate certificate?<\/em> Q: In the application form a question asks” Please describe what is your career plan after you complete your education in Japan?” Do you mean after the Japanese language or After my university studies ?<\/em> Q: I am currently a university student. Do I still need to submit my high school transcripts, even though I am studying at university?<\/em> Q: How much do work experience and social activities affect your chances of being selected?<\/em> Q: If someone is in a very difficult financial situation, can they still join the program? Also, how much money should a participant prepare before joining?<\/em> Q: How will the interview conducted and what kind of questions will be asked?<\/em> The main medium is English but we will ask some questions in Japanese to check your proficiency.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Q: I don\u2019t have A1 level of Japanese now. Can I still apply?<\/em> So it is highly reccommended to study by yourself and improve your Japanese proficiency as much as possible before the interviews by the program and by the school.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Q: If I cannot reach to A1 level by the required timing, what will happen?<\/em> Q: Does Duolingo scores would also be accepted as proof of Japanese level?<\/em> Q: Will students who have applied in the past be prioritized for this program?<\/em> Q: I was instructed to “submit” in the middle of the application. Why?<\/em> If your situation changes to meet eligibility for our program, please fill the form from the beginning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Q: I don’t have a passport yet, but can obtain one newly by October 2026. What document should I submit when applying?<\/em> Q: Will the students accepted in this program, travel and stay together in Japan or not?<\/em> Q: I live outside Afghanistan. Can I directly travel to Japan without returning to Afghanistan?<\/em> Q: In Afghanistan, female people cannot travel without male accompany. How does Pathways Japan support in this situation?<\/em> Q: After the two years of language study, what kind of support is provided to help us apply for university or find a job in Japan?<\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Please also check the presentation slide<\/a> of the Info Session.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
Status\/Life in Japan<\/a><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
<\/em>A: You will stay in Japan with a resident status of student for two years. Please note that you will not travel to Japan with \u201crefugee\u201d status.
Q: What will my legal status be in Japan after the program?<\/em>
A: If you are a high school graduate, by entering university or a vocational school, you can extend your student until graduation. If you find employment after graduating from university\/vocational school, you can apply for a resident status with work perm. The Japanese government does not issue work permits to foreigners without university or vocational school certificate (except for some designated skills status defined by the government.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/small>A: If you are unable to enter a university or a school, nor find employment, you can apply for temporary protection status given to Afghans to continue your stay in Japan. PJ can give technical assistance but each student has to be responsible for one\u2019s own legal status as the decision will be made by the government.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/em>A: As a student, you are legally allowed to work part-time up to 28 hours a week while school is in session, and 40 hours during school holidays. It will be necessary for you to work to pay your rent and living expenses, but your work will be also beneficial to improve your language skills and get accustomed to the local culture and people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A: The tuition fee for universities and vocational schools in Japan normally costs USD50,000-150,000 per year, so it will be necessary to prepare and apply for a scholarship to make an access for higher education. Make some savings while being a language student is also important to partially cover the cost for higher education.The following are some scholarships that you can apply for.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
JEP offers scholarship opportunities for refugee-background youth living in Japan through its network of universities, Japan Education Pathways Network (JEPN). Previously, JEP offered scholarships of 5-6 universities per year with the full-support of tuition fee, accommodation and monthly stipend support.
https:\/\/www.reedjapan.org\/jep<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n
UNHCR Japan provides a programme called Refugee Higher Education Programme (RHEP) for refugees determined by GoJ or those who has a refugee-background living in Japan. After your arrival in Japan, you will be eligible to apply for some of the member universities in RHEP. RHEP is a full scholarship programme.
https:\/\/rhepalliance.org\/en_home<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Japan Lutheran Evangelical Association (JELA) offers a refugee assistance scholarship for those people with refugee backgrounds residing in Japan. After your arrival in Japan, you will be eligible to apply. A student will need to apply and pass the exam of any university in Japan on one\u2019s own choice to get the scholarship. It is a partial scholarship to cover the tuition fee.
https:\/\/www.jela.or.jp\/refugees\/philoxenia\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n
PJ offers its own scholarship programme for refugee-background youth living in Japan to attain higher education since 2022, based on a generous donation by Mr. Toshizo Watanabe. An applicant can study at any universities in Japan by passing the exams on their own and winning a full scholarship of TWIS. Although TWIS targets all the refugee populations in Japan, Language School Pathways students can also apply for this program.
https:\/\/pathways-j.org\/en\/twis<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n
There are other organizations which provide scholarships to international students in Japan. It can be referred to in the site of Study in Japan below.
https:\/\/www.studyinjapan.go.jp\/ja\/planning\/scholarships\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n
No, you cannot. In order to enroll in a university, you will need to master the Japanese language. Also, as a rule, you cannot be enrolled in two schools at the same timing.\u3000Although there are some universities offering English medium course, the number of course is very limited and the Japanese language proficiency is required when seek employment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It depends on your school’s location and condition as our partner schools are located from north to south of Japan. If your school is closed to the residence of your relatives, you might live with them.<\/p>\n\n\n\nEligibility<\/a><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
I live outside Afghanistan. Am I eligible to apply?<\/em>
If you left Afghanistan after August 2021, then you are eligible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A: Yes. If you are currently in Afghanistan because you were deported from Iran, you are eligible to apply. This applies even if you moved to Iran before August 2021 but have now been deported back to Afghanistan.
If your situation in Afghanistan is unstable and not safe enough to continue your life, you meet the eligibility criteria to apply.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It depends on your situation.
First, Applicants must be an Afghan national.
Applicants must reside in Afghanistan and seek evacuation to Japan or fled to other countries after August 2021. So, if you were born outside Afghanistan, but returned to Afghanistan, and now in Afghanistan or fled again to other country after August 2021, you are eligible to apply.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A: Our scholarship is quite limited, and last year we received nearly 2,000 applications. Because of this, we focus on people who fled to other countries after August 2021.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This program is for those who have refugee background or seek evacuation to Japan.
Refugee Protection by UNHCR is not necessarily required depending on situations, but applicants must prove and explain why they cannot return to Afghanistan or needs to leave the country by any documents issued by NGOs or experts or by statement by themselves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A: You can write a statement to explain about your situation. In addition, it is better to have a testimony of a thierd person as a referene letter. If you have an NGO or an expert to testify and explain your experiences, it gives more objective view for your statement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A: We have set age restrictions as follows.
“If you are a high school graduate, you must be 26 years old or younger; if you are a university graduate, you must be 33 years old or younger.”
This is because after graduation, we do not expect that you can return to your host country or home country under the current situation. Basically, you will need to live in Japan and find a job here.
However, if your age is above a certain limit, it will be harder to find a job. For people with a foreign background, it can be even more difficult.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Yes, if you meet all the criteria, including age 33 or less, you are eligible to apply.<\/p>\n\n\n\nApplication documents and process<\/a><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
A: The committee will evaluate candidates based on their adaptability, motivation to learn Japanese, and clear career goals. Another criteria is whether applicants have already started learning Japanese and have basic Japanese language skills.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Yes, explanation by any organizations, including local and international NGOs are acceptable. Also, you can explain the circumstances by yourself if there are no explanatory materials provided by a third party.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This person should know your academic or personal background well, such as a teacher, a manager, or someone from an NGO.
However, family members cannot write your recommendation letter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A: If you do not know anyone living in Japan, it is completely fine to ask someone in Afghanistan or in another country to write a recommendation for you.
This person should know your academic or personal background well, such as a teacher, a manager, or someone from an NGO.
However, family members cannot write your recommendation letter.
If a reference person is in Japan, it would be preferable if the person can offer advice or useful information to an applicant upon arrival.
Of course, it is preferable if someone can be your emergency contact or can support you financially even partially in an emergency, but again it is not a requirement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A: This online high school transcript is an official document issued by an educational institution in any country, and is therefore accepted. However, it must be a valid and recognized transcript in that country.
For example, if you obtain an online transcript in Afghanistan, it must be officially recognized there and eligible for admission to an Afghan university. Likewise, if you obtain it in Pakistan, it must be recognized as valid in Pakistan. The same applies to other countries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A: It’s not required in this program. You can just submit the copy of it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A: You need to submit the high school certificates in your application. If you don’t have it with you now for any unavoidable reason, please submit a document explaining the circumstances preventing you from doing so. Also, if situation allows, you may submit any alternative documents that clearly explain your enrolement at the high school such as a photograph of your grade report, even if it is not an official document, or transcript until the Grade 11.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Please submit Expected Graduation Certificate, including the timing of the graduation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Yes, if applicants complete education outside Afghanistan, transcript and graduation certificate in your country of residence is accepted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
English proficiency certificate is not mandatory and evaluated as a reference. Regardless of the test timing, if you have any, please submit what you have now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Yes, you can use GED as a proof of completing 12 years of school education<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A: It means after you complete all the education in Japan, if you go to university, then after complete your university education, then what’s you gonna do in Japan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A: Yes, because we need a high school certificate or university certificates. You don’t have a certificate of university, then you have to have submit the high school certificates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A: In the application form, there is a section to list your work history. If you have work experience, please describe the type of work you have done. This helps the committee understand your background, especially since you will be required to work soon after arriving in Japan.
Social activity experience can also be relevant. If you think an activity is related to the program, include it in your application.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A: There is no financial requirement to join the program. Ideally, it is recommended to have about 1,000 to 1,500 US dollars when you arrive in Japan to help cover housing and initial living expenses. However, this is not mandatory.
In the past, some students from various countries arrived in Japan with less than 500 US dollars and were still able to start their lives, partly because we provide some accommodation support after arrival.
You do not need to worry if your financial situation makes it difficult to prepare cash before coming to Japan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The interview will be conducted online, and we will ask questions based on the documents you have submitted. Please prepare for the interview by referring to the selection criteria written in the programme guidance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
To apply for the program, the applicant must have studied or been studying Japanese. And from recruitment 2027, A1 level will be more strictly required for the visa application.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If some applicants are shortlisted for the school interview but cannot pass the interview due to the Japanese proficiency level, they will need to continue studying Japanese and may be asked to postpone their enrollment until July 2027 or April 2028.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It can be a reference for the consideration, but will not be regarded as a proof by the government.
Please refer to the “Programme Guidance” about the approved Japanese language tests<\/p>\n\n\n\n
No, previous applications are not considered, and the selection is made solely based on this year’s application.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Applicants who do not meet eligibility, which are checked by answers, are instructed to “submit”. So, please check the note of each question and review your answer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Please submit the letter to explain your situation regarding the passport issuance.<\/p>\n\n\n\nTravel to Japan<\/a><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
It depends on departing locations of students and mostly several students travel to Japan together. After the arrival, we will have orientations which all students stay together. After that, students will move to each school’s location.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It depends on your visa status in the current country of residence. Please check the Japanese embassy in your country of residence if you could apply for a Japanese student visa with your current visa status. If you cannot apply at your current country of stay, you will need to move to some designated countries, if situation allows.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Pathways Japan will support the travel expense of male guardian from Afghanistan to the third country to apply for Japan’s visa.<\/p>\n\n\n\nSupport after arrival<\/a><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
A: While you are a language student, his program offers regular counseling on scholarships, university application plans, and preparing to find a job.<\/p>\n\n\n\n