Specified Skilled Workers are allowed to change companies they work at. It is also possible to change the company at the time of transition from Technical Internship to Specified Skilled Worker.
Yamagata Specialized Industry Cooperative serves you with a complete system in place to accommodate foreign nationals.
Support for Application for the Change of Status of Residence for SSW
Specified Skilled Workers may only engage in activities specified in the permitted couditious. If you change jobs, you will need to apply again to obtain permission to change your status of residence with the support of the new receiving organization at your new employer.
When changing jobs during the transition from Technical Intern Training to Specified Skilled Worker
After completing Technical Internship Type 2, it is possible to transfer to a Specified Skilled Worker.
To complete the technical training period, You must pass the practical skills test of the Technical Skills Test Level 3 or the Technical Training Evaluation Test (Specialized Level) before you move on to the Specified Skilled Worker. 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 company to receive the Specified Skilled Worker, so you cannot change jobs unless you quality with both requirements.
Requirements to be met by the foreign Workers
One of the requirements for foreign nationals is to pass a specific skills test of a relative field, but it is not necessary to take the test again when transfering from Technical Intern to Specified Skilled Workers within 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 worker 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 Skilled Worker scheme in the first place.
For details, please refer to the following operational guidelines for each field.
Procedures for changing companies for Specified Skilled Worker
There are three types of procedures associated with a job change of Specified Skilled Worker: procedures to be taken by the previous 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 Specific Skilled Worker” and the “Notification of Employment Contract with Specified Skilled Worker by the Organization with Specified Skilled Worker” 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 receiving organization. In addition, a “Notification of Employment Status of Foreign Nationals” must be submitted to Public Employment Security Office.
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.
Procedures to be followed by the new receiving 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. For instance, 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 may be able to handle this for you.
Sessions and Procedures｜International Office for Immigration and Residence Management