For foreign nationals working in Japan, resigning from a company means much more than just a career milestone. It represents a major change regarding your "Status of Residence (Visa)," which is the legal basis for your stay in Japan. "Do I have to return to my country immediately after quitting?" "What should I do if my visa expires while I'm looking for a job?" To resolve these anxieties, we will thoroughly explain the obligation to notify the Immigration Services Agency, the risk of revocation of residence status, and the specific procedures for a successful job change from a professional perspective.

1. "Notification to the Immigration Services Agency" Within 14 Days After Resignation

When you quit your job, the highest priority procedure is the "Notification of the Contracting Organization." This is a legal obligation stipulated by the Immigration Control Act, and failure to do so may negatively affect future visa renewals or permanent residency applications.

1-1. What is the "Notification of the Contracting Organization"?

If you are residing on a work visa such as "Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services" or "Skilled Labor," you must notify the Immigration Bureau that your contract with your employer (contracting organization) has ended. This notification must be made within 14 days of your resignation. If you forget this notification, you may be judged as "lacking a spirit of legal compliance" in the next renewal screening, leading to risks such as a shortened period of stay or, in the worst case, denial of renewal.

1-2. Method of Notification: Online, Mail, or In-person

Currently, notifications can be made in the following three ways:

• Immigration Services Agency Electronic Notification System: The easiest method, allowing you to complete the procedure from home 24 hours a day.

• By Mail: Send a copy of your Residence Card to the "Notification Acceptance Window for Residence Management" of the Tokyo Regional Immigration Bureau.

• In-person: Visit the Immigration Bureau that has jurisdiction over your place of residence.

1-3. Precautions for "Specified Skilled Worker Visa"

If you are working with a Specified Skilled Worker visa, the importance of notification is higher than other work visas. Since Specified Skilled Worker status is granted on the premise of a contract with a "specific company," that premise is lost at the time of resignation. In addition to the notification at the time of resignation, you will also need to submit very detailed contracts when a new job is decided, so preparation with plenty of time is required.

2. The Risk of Revocation of Residence Status and the Truth About the "3-Month Rule"

You may hear rumors that "your visa will be revoked if you don't change jobs within 3 months of quitting," but an accurate understanding of this is necessary.

2-1. Grounds for Revocation of Residence Status (Article 22-4 of the Immigration Control Act)

The Immigration Control Act stipulates that if you have not continued your original activities (such as work permitted by your current visa) for 3 months or more without a "justifiable reason," your residence status can be revoked. However, this does not mean "automatic immediate revocation after 3 months." The Immigration Bureau judges the situation individually.

2-2. Cases Recognized as Having a "Justifiable Reason"

If there are unavoidable circumstances, such as actively seeking a job or undergoing medical treatment for an illness, your status will not be revoked immediately even after 3 months. Specifically, it is important to have the following evidence ready:

• Hello Work registration card

• Emails such as job application history and interview notifications

• Separation notice (Rishoku-hyo) or Employment Insurance Claimant Certificate (preparation for receiving unemployment insurance)

2-3. Relationship Between Receiving Unemployment Insurance (Employment Insurance) and Visa

Even foreign nationals can receive unemployment insurance if they are enrolled in employment insurance. Receiving unemployment insurance serves as public proof that you "have the will to work and are engaging in job-seeking activities," which also works positively for maintaining your residence status.

3. Procedures When a New Job is Decided and Utilization of the "Certificate of Authorized Employment"

Just because a new job has been decided does not mean everything is complete. Next, you need to check if the new job is within the scope of your current visa.

3-1. Changing Jobs Within the Same Occupational Category: When Period of Stay Remains

For example, if you have an "Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services" visa and change to the same type of occupation (e.g., from an IT engineer at one company to an IT engineer at another company), a new visa application is not necessary. However, you must perform a "Notification of Change of Contracting Organization" to the Immigration Bureau within 14 days.

3-2. Benefits of Obtaining a "Certificate of Authorized Employment"

If you are worried about whether the job description of your new employer matches your current visa, we recommend applying for a "Certificate of Authorized Employment." This is a document where the Immigration Bureau gives its "seal of approval" that "this person can work with this visa even at the new company."

• Benefit 1: The next visa renewal will be smoother.

• Benefit 2: The hiring company can also feel relieved that "this person can be hired legally," which can be a deciding factor in hiring.

3-3. Changing Jobs to a Different Occupational Category: Application for Change of Status of Residence

When changing to an occupation in a different visa category, such as "from site work to office work," you must apply for and obtain permission for a Change of Status of Residence before starting work. If you start working in a new occupation before permission is granted, it will be "Activity Other Than That Permitted (Illegal Work)," and both you and the company may be punished, so it is strictly prohibited.

4. Switching Procedures for Social Insurance, Pension, and Taxes

Upon resignation, important procedures regarding "money and health" occur in addition to the visa. Neglecting these can be a fatal reason for disapproval in a future "Permanent Residency Application."

4-1. Switching Health Insurance

The company's health insurance cannot be used from the day after you quit. Within 14 days, you must go to the city or ward office of your residence to join the National Health Insurance or perform procedures for voluntary continuation.

4-2. Enrollment in National Pension

Since you will be withdrawing from the Welfare Pension (Kosei Nenkin), you must similarly perform switching procedures to the National Pension at the city office, etc. Unpaid or delinquent payments will make obtaining permanent residency in the future extremely difficult, so be sure to pay within the deadline.

4-3. Payment of Residence Tax

Residence tax is levied on the income of the previous year. You must pay it in a lump sum after resignation or pay it yourself using the payment slip sent from the city office. If you leave this and a "demand notice" arrives, you will lose a lot of trust from the Immigration Bureau.

5. Advice from Experts: Job-seeking Activities in Mind

To succeed in your job search and lead a stable life in Japan, please keep the following three points in mind:

• Storage of Public Documents: Separation notices, withholding tax slips (Gensen Choshu-hyo), and employment contracts are "evidence" for future visa applications. Please file and store them all.

• Utilization of Hello Work: Be sure to visit at least once to leave a public record that you are "currently seeking a job."

• Consultation with Experts (Administrative Scriveners): If you think your case might fall under the "3-month rule" or if you don't know if a new occupation fits your visa, consult an administrative scrivener who is strong in work visas rather than judging for yourself.

Summary: A Message from Job get JAPAN

Leaving a job is anxious, but your visa will not be revoked immediately if you follow the appropriate procedures. First, reliably perform the "Notification Within 14 Days" and look for your next career with confidence. At Job get JAPAN, we provide not only job information tailored to your background and wishes, but also tools such as the [Salary Simulator] to calculate take-home pay from annual income and the [Visa Renewal Check] to check the possibility of visa renewal. Let's use these to proceed with a stable job-seeking activity both legally and economically.

Supervision/Reference Information

• [Shikana Administrative Scrivener Office: Notification to Immigration after resignation and handling of visas]

• [Back-end Co., Ltd.: Procedural guide for Specified Skilled Worker foreigners when changing jobs]