Job Discussion Forums

eteacher16 · Joined: 04 Jun 2013 Posts: 3

Here is my situation. Even though my visa is for 3 years, I only did two years and returned home (without canceling anything). Since the visa is still valid and I kept my gaijincard, can I simply return to japan to start a new (similar) job? And do I have to notify immigration of the job change? How would immigration find out if I chose not to notify them? Thanks.

fluffyhamster · Posted: Thu Jun 13, 2013 9:13 am Post subject:

The fact that upon exiting Japan your visa wasn't cancelled and you were able to retain your ARC suggests you had (had obtained) a re-entry permit. If so, you will be able to re-enter the country no problem. The procedure then will be to go along to your local City Hall once you've got your new address, and employer's details, and have them entered on the back of your ARC (which is where amendments are put). If and when you then need a new visa sponsored, Immigration will be pleased to see from your amended ARC that you've played ball (and it's best to try to keep all the amended details as up to date as possible, if only to help ensure that they keep giving you more than one-year visas i.e. they probably won't refuse a new visa if details are found to be out of date, but they could well just give you only a one-year one as punishment LOL). You don't need to notify them directly of job or address changes AFAIK.

eteacher16 · Joined: 04 Jun 2013 Posts: 3

Oh. I didn't know you had to update your employer details on the ARC.

fluffyhamster · Posted: Sat Jun 15, 2013 4:57 am Post subject:

They give you a little leaflet with your ARC (well, they did with mine, many moons ago) that explains what needs to be updated. Mind you, not everyone can take leave at the drop of a hanko and nip off to their local City Hall during working hours on weekdays (and most are shut at weekends).

thomthom · Joined: 20 May 2011 Posts: 125

Only grant a 1-year visa? Is that the worst they'll do if your employer details aren't up to date on your visa?
I'm currently working for a different company than stated on my visa but my original employer was making it so difficult for me to get a release letter, I just let it slide. My new company never even checked my visa.
I'm not sure what the ramifications of this might be... I'm assuming I can just let this visa run down to being out of date and then get sponsored by a new employer?

fluffyhamster · Posted: Sat Jun 15, 2013 7:54 am Post subject:

thomthom · Joined: 20 May 2011 Posts: 125

fluffyhamster · Posted: Mon Jun 17, 2013 11:54 pm Post subject:

Not having a letter of release from each and every employer (I'd changed jobs several times within one year, to escape some bad gigs) wasn't a huge issue when I was getting my visa renewed with a new sponsor. I simply told Immigration that some employers didn't deign to abide by the half of their legal obligations (it is a legal requirement that they should provide letters of release, but not all do, especially when they have quite high turnover of staff generally). Mind you, that was a number of years ago now. But it's surely always best to find new sponsors and renew visas than than to let them expire (certainly, for something as apparently trivial as the lack of the odd release letter).

I assume that an application for a completely new visa nullifies or severs a lot of the paperwork trail, but if your new application were with exactly the same passport and perhaps even to the same Immigration office mere weeks say after leaving the country, they might of course remember you and still have much the same questions as before.

If Japan were that concerned about employees abiding by notice periods etc, they could alter the visa system and make the employer the actual owner of the visa and thus in a very real sense the owner of the employee. Thankfully the current system means you are always free to find better jobs, provided you do your best to give the required notice period, try to get the letter of release, etc. I guess only if you kept presenting yourself year after year for a visa renewal, yet never with a letter of release, would they eventually refuse you LOL.