Japan Pathways offers Japanese language school pathways programs for applicants from Afghanistan, Syria, and Ukraine. Read the details of each program below

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Japan-Afghanistan Language School Pathways 2025

Afghanistan-Japan Japanese Language School Pathways (JALP) allows Afghan youth to learn Japanese for two years in private language schools throughout Japan. The initiative is intended for Afghan citizens who have migrated to neighboring nations after August 2021 or those in Afghanistan who are seeking relocation to Japan. Based on the Japan-Syria Japanese Language School Pathways, the program intends to assist Afghan students in achieving the level of Japanese required for admission to colleges and universities, graduate programs, or jobs.

8 Afghan students will be accepted into this program.

Brief Details

Provided by: Pathways Japan
Host Organization: Japanese Language Schools
Implementing Organization: Pathways Japan
Funding Organization: Japan ICU Foundation
Submission Start Date: August 2, 2024
Deadline: August 22, 2024
Eligible Country: Afghanistan
Number of Admissions: 8

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Benefits

The program provides the following:

• Japanese language classes before travel to Japan
• visa issuance and residence permit support
• Airfare to Japan.
• Two years tuition fee at a Japanese language institute.
• Six-month period of subsidy.
• Introduction to part-time job opportunity and housing
• Educational and career consultations help you get into college or a job every three months.

Note: Students must work part-time to pay their rent and other living expenses. Language schools and Pathways Japan can help you obtain a part-time job. Pathways Japan can also assist you in locating a rental or shared home in Japan.

Future Possibilities:

You will have the following possibilities after you get sufficient knowledge of the Japanese language:

If you have your high school diploma…

• You can apply to Japanese institutions after developing your Japanese language abilities and scoring well on the EJU (Examination for Japanese University Admission for International Students). Although the program will provide frequent guidance on exam preparation, scholarships for further education are not guaranteed; thus, you are obligated to submit a financial assistance application. You will have a high chance of landing a job in Japan after graduating from college or a vocational school. Once you land a job, you may apply for a work visa in Japan.

If you have a degree from a university…

• You can apply for a master’s degree by winning a scholarship after completing the two-year program. Additionally, getting a work visa and finding a job are both options. Even if one is fluent in English, a high level of Japanese is typically necessary to get employment in Japan. A master’s or doctoral degree can also be pursued if enough money is saved over several years of work.

Eligibility

All of the following applicants are qualified to apply:

• Must be a citizen of Afghanistan.
• Must reside in Afghanistan and seek evacuation to Japan or have left the country by August 2021.
• You must be single or can travel to Japan alone. (The Japanese government does not issue visas for accompanying family members of students in language schools.)
• You must be 26 years old or younger if you are a high school graduate and 33 years old or less if you are a university graduate.
• You must consent to a part-time job in an entry-level position to pay your living expenses.
• have prior Japanese study experience or, in the absence of such knowledge, a strong motivation to learn and master the Japanese language.
• Must have completed 12 years of formal education or be on track by March 2025. (This is necessary to apply for a student visa in Japan.)
• After completing this program, you must intend to enroll in a Japanese institution as an undergraduate or graduate student. (Students are permitted to pursue work if they are unable to get a scholarship and cannot attend college.)
• Must not be required to assist family members financially (Students should expect part-time work to cover only their own living expenses and not to support their families.)
• Optional: Having a Japanese guarantor who can provide financial assistance for the student is ideal, while it is not required. This is crucial for students who have never studied Japanese and may struggle to obtain part-time employment as soon as they arrive in Japan.

Documents Requirement

Applicants must submit the following documents:

• Document outlining your history as a refugee, such as a letter from an NGO or expert outlining the difficulties of remaining in or going back to your own country; the candidate may write their statement if this cannot be provided.)
• Copy of passport (If you do not currently have a passport, you may apply without one, but you must obtain one by February 2025).
• A diploma from a high school or another similar document.
• Transcripts from grades 10 through 12 from a high school, or something similar
• University transcripts and certificates for periods that you have registered (whether you are a graduate or undergraduate).
• A degree certificate (if you hold a master’s or doctoral degree).
• A certificate from a foreign language exam, such as the IELTS or TOEFL, if one is available and not required.
• Letter of recommendation (Family, friends, or relatives should not write this letter. It would be ideal for getting a letter of support from someone in Japan.)

Supporting organizations:

1. Pathways Japan – Organizer
Pathways Japan (PJ) is an independent Japanese NGO, separate from the government and UN agencies. It assists refugees in accessing higher education and jobs in Japan. PJ took over the Japanese Language School Program, formerly managed by the Japan Association for Refugees (JAR), on July 1, 2021.

2. Japanese Language Schools – Hosts
Around five Japanese language schools aim to enroll Afghan youth for Japanese studies from April 2024 to March 2026. These schools will offer full-tuition scholarships. For more on the host schools, contact them here

3. Japan ICU Foundation – Funders and Operators
The Japan ICU Foundation (JICUF), a US non-profit in New York, has partnered with JAR and PJ since 2016 to oversee the Syrian Scholars Initiative (SSI). This program sponsored seven Syrian students at Tokyo’s International Christian University (ICU) from 2018 to 2022, providing full scholarships for four years. Starting in 2023, JICUF will partially fund JLSP and extend support to both Afghan and Syrian students.

Timeline for Applications 

Announcement of document screening (first screening) results and submission of second screening: 9th August – 12 September 2024

Document screening result: 13th September

Interview (online) by Pathways Japan (second screening): Between 20th- 26th  September  2024

Announcement of second screening results: 10th October 2024

Interview (online) by Japanese language schools (third screening): 11th- 17th October  2024

Announcement of final results: 18th October 2024

Steps after Selection:

• Application for residence status: 19th October – Mid November 2024
• Preparatory Japanese online classes: November 2024 – February 2025
• Travel to Japan: End of March 2025
• School starts: The second week of April 2025

How to Apply?

To apply to Japan-Afghanistan Language School Pathways (JALP) 2025, Fill out the application form below.

Apply Now

Watch the informative video from last year  on Facebook 

Watch the above video on Youtube 

For more information and/or any question, you can contact Japan-Afghanistan Language School Pathways (JALP)or check their  official website. 

Frequently Asked Questions:

1. What types of scholarships are there to attend university?

Here are some scholarships that you can consider applying for:
a) International Scholarship offered by PJ
In 2022, PJ established Toshizo Watanabe International Scholarship .To qualify for this scholarship, you must have been accepted into the JALP program and achieved satisfactory EJU scores.
b) UNHCR Refugee Higher Education Program (RHEP) for refugees in Japan
UNHCR Japan provides a program called Refugee Higher Education Program
(RHEP), which is a fully-funded scholarship program that becomes available to students after their arrival in Japan.

c) Philoxenia Scholarship offered by JELA
Japan Lutheran Evangelical Association offers the Philoxenia Scholarship for students with refugee background in Japan. To be eligible, students must have been admitted through JSLSP and must separately apply to universities and be accepted to receive this partial scholarship.
d) Other scholarship opportunities
Various organizations offer scholarships to international students studying in Japan. For a comprehensive list, please check out the JASSO  website.

Jasso Scholarship in Japan

What will my legal status be in Japan during the program?
A: You will stay in Japan with a student visa for two years. Please note that you will
not stay in Japan with “refugee” status.

What will my legal status be in Japan after the program?
A: If you are a high school graduate, by entering university, you can extend your student visa for four years. (If you enter a vocational school, you can extend it for two years.) If you find employment after graduating from university/vocational school, you can apply for a work permit. The Japanese government does not issue work permits to foreigners without university or vocational school
certificate (except for some designated skill status defined by the government.)

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 visa for another two years.

Family Reunion: 

A: the program does not support family reunions financially. You are responsible for working and planning for family reunion after coming to Japan.

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Resources  to start learning Japanese:

a.NHK World on simple Japanese in Farsi:

The site is good to know about the
language in Farsi. https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/fa/learnjapanese/

b. Erin’s Challenge;

If you would also like to know about Japanese culture, the
site Erin’s Challenge can be recommended. https://www.erin.jpf.go.jp/
c. Minato:

If you would like to learn and improve systematically, the site offers an
opportunity. https://minato-jf.jp/
d. Irodori:

This is the site most lately developed for the Japanese learners who wants
to study systematically. https://www.irodori.jpf.go.jp/en/starter/pdf.html
There is also an online learning site. https://www.irodori-online.jpf.go.jp/

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