Visa Support

Changing Jobs on a Work Visa in Japan: Notifications, Permissions and Gaps

Updated: Sep 25, 2026

Changing jobs is a normal part of a career in Japan, but what you have to do depends on your status. On Engineer / Specialist in Humanities / International Services (技術・人文知識・国際業務, Gijinkoku), your status is not tied to one employer: you notify the Immigration Services Agency of Japan (ISA) and make sure the new work still fits. On Specified Skilled Worker (特定技能), your permission names your employer, so you need a new permission before you start with the next one.

This page is general information, not legal advice. The ISA decides each case, and rules and procedures change. OlaJob is a job site, not an immigration authority, and does not represent applicants. If anything about your move is unusual, speak to a certified administrative scrivener (申請取次行政書士) or an immigration lawyer before you resign.

Who this is for

Gijinkoku holders planning to resign or already between jobs, SSW workers who want to move to another employer, and HR staff hiring someone who already holds a work status. Permanent Residents, Long-Term Residents and holders of spouse statuses have no restriction on the type of work, so most of this page does not apply to them.

Requirements on Engineer/Specialist status

Notify the ISA within 14 days when your contract with an employer ends, and again within 14 days when you sign with a new one. This is the notification regarding your organization (所属機関等に関する届出; for this status it is the notification regarding the contracting organization, 契約機関に関する届出). If both events fall within 14 days, they can usually be reported together. You can file online through the ISA's electronic notification system, by post, or at a regional immigration bureau.

The new duties must fit the status. Moving from one engineering or office role to a similar one is usually straightforward. Moving to work that is mainly manual, or far from your field of study, may not fit, and you would need a different status before doing that work.

A Certificate of Authorized Employment (就労資格証明書) is optional. You apply to the ISA with details of the new job, and the certificate states that the work falls within your status. You do not need it to change jobs, but it gives you and the employer certainty, and it can make the next renewal smoother, because otherwise the renewal is the first time the ISA reviews the new job. A revenue stamp fee applies when it is issued (check the ISA site for the current amount).

Requirements on Specified Skilled Worker status

An SSW designation (指定書) names your employer and field. To move to another employer, even in the same field, you need a change of status permission (在留資格変更許可) before you start working there. The new employer prepares its own contract, support plan and documents. Moving into a different field also means passing that field's tests or qualifying for an exemption.

You still notify the ISA within 14 days of the old contract ending and the new one starting, and your old and new employers have their own reporting duties. If your period of stay is close to expiring before the new employer's paperwork is ready, ask the bureau what options exist in your situation rather than waiting.

Gaps between jobs

For work statuses, the ISA may revoke a status if the holder has not carried out the activities of that status for 3 months or more without a justifiable reason. Actively looking for a new job after leaving one is generally treated as a justifiable reason, but the ISA looks at individual circumstances, so keep a record of applications and interviews. A long gap with no job search, or a long stay abroad, is riskier.

During a gap you still need health insurance and pension. If you leave your employer's insurance, you usually need to enroll in National Health Insurance and the National Pension at your city office within 14 days. If you paid into employment insurance, ask Hello Work whether you qualify for benefits. Missed payments can come up at your next renewal.

Step by step: Engineer/Specialist

Where possible, secure the new offer before resigning, so the gap stays short and the timeline is clear.

1. Compare the new duties with your status and, if they differ from your current job, get advice first.
2. On leaving, collect your withholding tax slip (源泉徴収票) and, where applicable, the employment insurance separation notice (離職票) and a certificate of resignation (退職証明書).
3. Within 14 days of leaving, file the notification with the ISA.
4. If there is a gap, switch to National Health Insurance and the National Pension.
5. Within 14 days of signing with the new employer, file the notification again.
6. Optional: apply for a Certificate of Authorized Employment with documents about the new job.
7. At your next renewal, submit the new employer's documents and your tax records.

Step by step: Specified Skilled Worker

Talk to your support staff early. When employment ends for the employer's reasons, the support plan includes help finding a new job.

1. Find a new employer in the same field, or pass the tests for a new field.
2. The new employer prepares the SSW contract, support plan and company documents.
3. File the change of status application well before your period of stay expires.
4. Do not start at the new employer until the permission is granted and you have the new designation.
5. File the 14-day notifications for the old and new contracts.

Documents

Requirements differ by procedure and can change, so check the ISA site for the current forms. These are the categories that are typically involved.

Notification: your residence card details, the names and addresses of the old and new organizations, and the dates of leaving and joining
Certificate of Authorized Employment: application form, passport and residence card, documents on the new job and employer such as the contract and company details, and a certificate of resignation or withholding slip from the previous employer
SSW change of status: the full SSW set for the new employer, including test certificates, contract, support plan and company documents
Renewal after a job change: the new employer's documents and tax certificates covering the period

Timing

The 14-day deadlines run from the day your contract ends and the day the new one is signed. For SSW, processing time varies by bureau and case, so start the change application as soon as the new employer's documents are ready. If your period of stay expires soon after a Gijinkoku job change, it may make more sense to apply for renewal with the new employer's documents than to apply for a certificate first; a scrivener can help you decide.

Common pitfalls

None of these problems is rare, and most are easy to prevent with a little planning.

Forgetting the 14-day notification. Penalties can apply, and it can count against you later
Moving to a job that does not fit your status
On SSW, starting at the new employer before the permission is granted
A long, unexplained gap between jobs
Gaps in health insurance and pension payments
Not collecting the withholding slip, which causes tax problems later
Assuming the approval for your old job automatically covers the new one

Checklist

Compare the new duties with your status before you resign
Collect the withholding slip and resignation documents from your old employer
Notify the ISA within 14 days of leaving
Notify the ISA within 14 days of joining the new employer
Enroll in National Health Insurance and Pension if there is a gap
Keep records of your job search during any gap
Consider a Certificate of Authorized Employment for the new job
SSW: file the change of status and wait for permission before starting
Check how long is left on your period of stay
Keep copies of every notification and application

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a new visa when I change jobs on Gijinkoku?

Generally not, as long as the new duties fit the status. You notify the ISA within 14 days of leaving and of joining. A Certificate of Authorized Employment is optional but gives certainty.

What does the Certificate of Authorized Employment actually do?

It is an ISA document stating that the work at your new employer falls within your status. It helps reassure the employer and can make your next renewal smoother. It is not a new status and does not extend your period of stay.

How long can I be unemployed?

A status can be revoked if its activities are not carried out for 3 months or more without a justifiable reason. Active job hunting is generally treated as justifiable, but each case is judged individually, so keep records and do not let the gap drift.

Can I work part-time while I look for a new job?

Not automatically. Work outside your status needs a permission to engage in activity outside status, and it is not always granted. Ask the ISA or a scrivener before taking any part-time job.

Can I move to a different SSW field?

Yes, if you pass the tests for the new field or qualify for an exemption, find an employer in that field, and obtain a change of status permission before starting.

What does my new employer need to do?

Employers in Japan report the hiring and departure of foreign employees to Hello Work. SSW employers also have their own contract, support and reporting duties toward the ISA.