Specified Skilled Workers are free to change jobs. It is also possible to change jobs at the time of transition from technical internship to specified technical skills.
The cooperation of the old and new receiving organizations is essential to the process, and the Yamagata Specialized Industry Cooperative has a complete system in place to accept foreign nationals.
Support for Application for Change of Status of Residence
Specified skilled foreigners may only engage in activities specified in the letter of designation. If you change jobs, you will need to apply again for permission to change your status of residence with the support of the new receiving organization at your new employer.
By applying again to the Immigration Bureau for permission to change status of residence, a new residence card and letter of designation will be issued, and you will be able to change jobs and work.
When you apply for a change of status of residence at your new company, the new receiving organization will examine whether you meet their requirements. Therefore, it is essential to provide support to the new company in preparing the documents and setting up a support system in your native language.
When changing jobs during the transition from technical training to specified skills
After completing Technical Internship No. 2, it is possible to change jobs when moving up to a specific skill as a step up.
You must complete the technical training period and pass the practical skills test of the Technical Skills Test Level 3 or the Technical Training Evaluation Test (Specialized Level) before you can move on to the specified skills. Schedule coordination with the technical internship site and the registered support organization is required.
About the industries in which you can change jobs
There are requirements for foreign nationals and requirements for the receiving company for the specified skills, so you cannot change jobs unless you meet both requirements.
Requirements to be met on the part of the foreigner
One of the requirements for foreign nationals is to pass a field-specific skills test, but it is not necessary to take the test again when changing jobs in the same industry. In this case, you still need to apply for permission to change your status of residence.
If you want to change jobs in a different industry, you can do so by passing a skills test in the field in which you want to change jobs.
However, please note that some industries do not hold such tests, and even if they do, they are often held in limited places and on limited dates.
Requirements to be met by the host institution
As a host institution, it is necessary to check which job requirements are fulfilled by the foreign human resources when they are engaged in the work, which tests must be passed or the technical training must be completed, and whether they fit into the 14 industrial classifications recognized under the specified skills in the first place.
For details, please refer to the operational guidelines for each field.
Procedures for changing jobs for specific skills
There are three types of procedures associated with a job change of specified skills: procedures to be taken by the old receiving organization, procedures to be taken by the foreigner, and procedures to be taken by the new receiving organization.
Procedures to be followed by the former receiving institution
Not only new receiving organizations, but also former receiving organizations are required to follow the necessary procedures for the resignation of a foreign national with specified skills.
The “Notification of Difficulty in Acceptance by the Organization with Specified Skills” and the “Notification of Employment Contract with Specified Skills by the Organization with Specified Skills” must be submitted to the Immigration and Residence Management Agency’s electronic notification system or to the Immigration and Residence Management Bureau with jurisdiction over the head office of the former accepting organization. In addition, a “Notification of Employment Status of Foreign Nationals” must be submitted to Hello Work.
Notification of Employment Status of Foreign Nationals｜Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare
Procedures for foreigners
It is necessary to reapply for permission for change of status of residence. The foreigner himself/herself needs to request the new host institution to prepare documents such as an individual health examination certificate and a certificate of passing a skill test, as well as documents of the new host institution and documents for each field.
Specific Skills for Qualified Residents｜International Office of Immigration and Residence Management
Procedures to be followed by the new recipient institution
Although the applicant for change of status is a foreigner, there are a number of required documents to be prepared by the new receiving organization. A statement of employment conditions, support contract, tax payment certificate, etc. are required.
If you do not have a system in place to provide support in your native language, our association can handle this for you.
Sessions and Procedures｜International Office for Immigration and Residence Management