最終更新日 2023-02-16
I’m thinking of changing jobs. Do I need to apply for a change of status of residence? If so, what is required to change it? Do they not always permit applications for a change of status of residence?
You may be trying hard to get information from the English websites of the relevant Japanese government offices. Although they contain a wide range of information on their Japanese websites, not all of them are translated into English. Some of the English translations need to reflect the recent changes.
Here, I will refer you to the relevant official English websites to consult with, and show you how to determine whether a change of status of residence is necessary, what is required to apply for a change of status of residence, and what you should be aware of.
How to determine whether a change of status of residence is necessary
１ You will need to apply for a change of residence status when your purpose of stay changes and you are engaged in activities that fall under a different residence status.
For example,
- when an international student graduates from school and starts to work for a company as an engineer;
- when an assistant English teacher at a public Japanese junior high school changes their job to become an English instructor at a small private language school.
２ In addition, you may need to consider applying for a change of residence status if you are losing the basis for your current residence status before the permitted period of stay expires.
For example,
- when you are getting divorced from your spouse;
- when the company you work for went bankrupt.
You must change your status of residence to an appropriate one to be able to renew your status of residence. Further, suppose you have not been engaged with the activities corresponding to your current residence status for a certain period. In that case, this can be grounds for canceling your residence status.
３ There are additional requirements for certain statuses of residence.
Additionally, suppose your current residence status is Highly Skilled Professional (i); you will need to apply for a change of residence status if you change your employer. Suppose your current residence status is Specific Skills; you will need to do so if you change your employer or the specific industry sector. Suppose your current residence status is Designated Activities; you will need to do so if you change the purpose of your stay and engage in activities other than currently designated.
What is required to change status of residence
１ You need to fulfill the requirements for your new status of residence.
You must carefully review the authorized activities under your new residence status to confirm that you will be engaged in the activities as given in the Appended Tables 1 and 2 of the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act. These tables are shown at the end of the linked page.
In addition, for some of the residence statuses, you must satisfy additional criteria in the Ministerial Order.
It is almost impossible to fully understand the requirements from the information available in English from the official websites alone. As to work-related residence statuses, you may need to know, among other things, the required educational backgrounds and the required length of work experience in the relevant field. Also, your employer will need to satisfy the requirements to keep you employed and engage in the work activities under the new residence status, stably and continuously throughout your stay.
２ You also need to observe the guidelines.
You need to review the Guidelines for Permission for Change of Status of Residence and Extension of Period of Stay. Items 3 to 9 are, among others, taken into consideration by the Immigration office in determining whether there are reasonable grounds to deem permission appropriate. These elements include that your behavior is adequate, you are and will be financially stable, your working conditions are proper, and that you have fulfilled your obligations, such as tax payments and notification obligations under the Immigration Control Act.
３ You need to prepare the required application documents.
For a list of necessary documents, please visit this link to the website of the Immigration Services Agency of Japan. There is also an internal link for the supporting documents that may be required.
Unfortunately, the English site of the Immigration Services Agency of Japan does not provide English translations of all the information available on the Japanese site.
The listed documents are minimum requirements. It is recommended that you submit additional supporting documents, including your detailed statement as to the reason why your application for a change of status of residence should be allowed.
If the Immigration office needs further documents for examination, they will require you to submit additional documents. This will delay the whole process (usually, the entire process takes two weeks to a month).
What you should be aware of before or when you apply for a change of status of residence
- The Immigration Office sometimes, though not very often, do reject some applications. This is because, according to the law, the Justice Minister can permit applications only when the Minister finds reasonable grounds to grant the change of residence status based on reviewing the documents submitted by the foreign national.
- The most common reasons for rejection are nonconformity to the requirements for the new residence status and lack of reasonable grounds due to unfavorable past residence records.
- You are not allowed to conduct activities under your new residence status until the Justice Minister grants permission. If you do so, such acts violate the Immigration Act as being extra-status activities.
If you are unsure whether you will be eligible for the new status of residence or how to prepare persuasive documents, you should ask for help from an expert in this field, such as a gyoseishoshi or immigration lawyer. Especially if you are considering staying in Japan for as long as possible, it is essential to accumulate a history of renewal records without any problems. An immigration expert will advise you on how best to proceed from a long-term point of view.