Many young Vietnamese people have opted to study in Japan on their own, believing in promises made by overseas study consultancy companies that they would help them to part-time work with a monthly income of between USD1,500 and USD2,000.

Overseas study in Japan that is not sponsored  has become a popular trend among many young Vietnamese as the number of such students has nearly doubled in recent years.

The only requirements is submitting a dossier and paying about VND200 million (USD9,462) to the overseas study consultancy agency.

As it turns out, many of of these students face difficulties in their study destinations and cannot continue.

While overseas study consultancy agencies have promised help to students, including finding part-time work and apartments, the actual living conditions they find have often been much less than what they were led to believe. Many have had to share a 20-square metre apartment.

“The reality was much different that what they promised. They said in contract that only three people would share a room in the hostel, now one room houses six or seven people,” one overseas student said.

Some said that consultants promised help students in finding part-time jobs with a livable income, but they found that they were left on their own and the situation was not as easy as the companies promised.

Some students manage to find menial jobs such as cleaning or working as a waiter but the pay is not enough to cover their living costs.

Several students have gone on their own to find jobs just to cover their tuition. Many students live under the threat of being expelled from the country for working over the limit of 28 hours per week.

Nguyen Dinh Trung, a former Vietnamese overseas student who studied in Japan and is currently working in Osaka, said overseas students in Japan who want to rent houses, or even register for mobile phone services, must obtain a guarantee from a school, individual or organisation. Many Vietnamese students who opt to pay for their own studies abroad have been swindled by profit-takers who promise to give a helping hand, but just take their money without a valid binding contract. These can cost the students anywhere from VND2 million (USD94.71) to VND8 million (USD378.87).