To those who are thinking about changing their job or are in the midst of a job search, do you know what VISA procedures are needed once you get a new job? In this article, it will explain the procedures needed.
This article introduces the necessary procedures for those who are currently working in Japan with an Engineer/Specialist/Humanities/International Services VISA hereby known as ESI VISA and want to change jobs without changing the type of residence status (hereby known as VISA)..
First thing to do when you leave/change jobs
First and foremost, the VISA you have permits you to do your current job at your current company. Therefore, even if you are doing the same work at a new company, you still need to go through the procedures for changing jobs.
You might need to submit one or two of the following documents:
- Notification of contract termination and signing of a new contract
- Notification of the termination of the contract with the affiliated organization (One document)
- Notification of the signing of a contract with a new affiliated organization
No. 1 and No. 2 should be sumbitted within 14 days of leaving the company and No. 3 should be submitted within 14 days from the day you start working at your new company.
Failing to submit the documents in time might result in a fine of up to 200,000 yen or a shortened period of stay when you renew the VISA. Even if you forget it or were not aware of it, there may be no penalty, however, it is recommended to go to the immigration office as soon as possible.
Duration of Stay and renewal procedure
This article discusses what to do when changing jobs when you have an ESI VISA. Many of you might be aware but the ESI VISA, there are three categories under this visa and the job description may vary according to the category. Even if the job description between your old job and your new job is different, you do not need to renew/apply for a VISA as long as the job description is within the VISA’s category. HOWEVER, after changing jobs, when it is time to renew your VISA, your new job will be examined. If the job description falls under the category of ESI VISA then the renewal application will be accepted.
Click here to read more about ESI VISA
-Those who have time until the expiration date (more than 6 months)
Those who have more than 6 months until their period of stay, they can just submit document 1 and 2 or only document no. 3 after leaving their previous job and joining a new one. At this point, there is no examination of if the new job description falls under the ESI VISA categories.
-Recommended to have “Certificate of Authorized Employment”
If you have plenty of time until the expiration date, you can simply submit the “Notification of the Contracting Organization” within 14 days of joining a new company. However, when renewing your VISA your new job might be examined and renewal application might be rejected. To prevent this from happening, it is recommended to have a Certificate of Authorized Employment This certificate confirms that the work at the new company corresponds to the work VISA you hold. Furthermore, the name of the new company will also be on the certificate so there is no need to worry! When renewing your VISA, submitting this certificate will make the renewal process smoother.
Note that this is not a work permit, rather an additional document to make the process easier. You can get the document from the immigration area of where you live. It costs around 1200円 and you will receive it in 1 to 3 months.
These are the following documents you need when applying for it
These are the following documents you need when applying for it
・Residence Card or VISA
・Passport
・Permit to Engage in Activity other than that Permitted under the Status of Residence
・Reasons for changing your job
Click here to read more about “Certificate of Authorized Employment”
-Those who are need to renew their VISA immediately after changing their jobs
After applying for a renewal of your VISA, it takes around 1~3 months to receive the Certificate of Authorized Employment. Therefore, if you have little time remaining on your VISA and your VISA might expire before receiving the certificate, you need to apply for the “Application for Extension of Period of Stay” first.
When you are renewing your VISA, you must inform the Immigration office that you have changed jobs and then the immigration office will determine whether the new job is within the ESI VISA category. If it falls under the category, then extension for your VISA will be approved.
Necessary documents for renewal of status of residence after changing jobs:
・Application for extension of period of stay (在留期間更新申請書)
・A copy of the withholding tax certificate (issues by the previous company)
・Certificate of resignation (issued by the previous company)
・Certificate of taxation and certificate of tax payment
There are documents which need to be issued, therefore, if you do not have much time in your period of stay (less than 5 months), it is recommended to ask for the documents when resigning from the previous company.
Summary
As mentioned earlier, if you leave the company or change your jobs, you must notify the immigration office within 14 days. Even if you change your job to the same position or to a different position, you do not need to change your VISA as long as it is under the category. What you need to do or what sort of documents you need will depend on the remaining period of stay. By knowing in advance the necessary procedures for changing jobs you will be able to start your life smoothly at your new company.
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