Hello everyone,
I'm a 22-year-old French student, and I've been offered a 6-month paid internship in Japan starting from January 2026. To be more specific, the company where I might be doing this internship is a large, multinational corporation with which I've already done an internship in another country.
I will be taking a gap year during that period. That is, the internship is not required and does not grant credits. But:
– My school formally approved my gap year based on a written proposal I submitted.
– The gap year is deemed part of my coursework and seamlessly carries over into my master's program later on.
– Professional experience is also needed by my institution to validate the gap year.
The issue lies in the fact that for the Certificate of Eligibility (COE), Japanese immigration normally requires a letter from the school stating that the internship is mandatory or credit-granting.
However, my school issued and signed this letter formally to support my case:
To whom it may concern,
This letter is to certify that Mr…… is currently enrolled in the Grande École Programme (Master in Management and Strategy) at ….. School of Management.
As part of his approved Gap Year within the Grande École programme, Mr. …. is required to complete a minimum of four months of professional experience in order to validate this period of his curriculum.
I have all the other supporting documents, and even more to go along with this letter, such as the letter of taking my gap year, certificate of education for the coming year, …
Has anybody around here ever done something with getting a COE for an internship on a gap year? Does anybody believe that this letter from my school can be used in lieu of the letter asked for by the immigration?
by DifferentFunction01