Job Discussion Forums

einsenundnullen · Joined: 07 Jul 2003 Posts: 76

Hello Everyone,

I've seen a few references to a document called a letter of release, apparently necessary of you want your visa renewed by a company other than the original sponsor.

Are companies typically willing to issue such a document? Is it possible to renew a working visa without the paper?

Thanks,
Chris

homersimpson · Joined: 14 Feb 2003 Posts: 569 Location: Kagoshima

I got a letter of release from AEON some time back. They had no problem sending one to me. I received it 2 days after asking for it (surprising effeciency for AEON). In any event, when I went to renew my visa (Kago City) the immigration officer didn't even ask for it. I volunteered it. I would suggest you get one just in case the people at the immigration office request it.

fion · Joined: 03 Feb 2003 Posts: 69 Location: tokyo

Get the letter of release if you can, just in case you need it. I've just renewed my visa and this was never mentioned. (I don't have a sponsor either; I'm freelance and juggle part-time jobs). All that immigration seemed to need was evidence that I was working and paying tax.
A lot of conflicting information circulates about visa renewal, and it probably depends on which office you go to, or on your nationality etc.
I found it a lot less troublesome than I had expected. Good luck
Fion

lajzar · Joined: 09 Feb 2003 Posts: 647 Location: Saitama-ken, Japan

Hmm, when I left Interac and asked about getting a letter of release, they said it was their policy to only provide such letters when you tell them who your new employer. Not wishing to give them the time of day, I let it slide. There's still plenty of time to get it if necessary though, and when i do, it will be on a new passport anyway. Should I be worried? And is their insistance on that information a technical breach of the rules? And how concerned should I be about them asking?

shmooj · Joined: 11 Sep 2003 Posts: 1758 Location: Seoul, ROK

Fion's right. Is there anyone here who can post definitively about the visa renewal situation.

For example, this is the first I've heard of someone being able to renew while not having a sponsor which is encouraging. It might be good also, if you know, to post exactly which tax docs etc (Japanese names would be good) you need to provide when applying.

Can anyone help out?

fion · Joined: 03 Feb 2003 Posts: 69 Location: tokyo

Will post short version of my recent visa renewal for the record.

I have a UK passport and am way beyond the age when a working holiday visa applies. I came to Japan three years ago, with sponsorship. Stayed in my first job for one year then moved on to the mix of things I do now. Din't ask for letter of release, could probably have got one, but frankly they were such a horrible company to deal with I didn't want to spoil my day. (Took long enough just to get a tax withholding slip, which most other companies I've dealt with send out automatically.)

This year found me in visa renewal mode as about to run out in Oct. Down to Shinegawa, picked up visa renewal form. One page of this wants employer's details, the other two pages are for my details. I told the immigration staff I actually have three employers, so how could I fit them all on the form. They said I should put down the 'main' employer, but I fudged a bit on this as the company I usually do most work for located at an inconvenient distance from Shinegawa and I wanted to get all the paperwork done the same day. Finally agreed I could get details of any one of my employers.

Asked two of my three companies how they felt about providing this information (annual turnover, amount of corporate tax paid, that sort of thing). Both said, no problem. Went to the closest head office, got this info and a certificate of employment. (None of which amounts to 'sponsorship' - that particular company pays me 70,000yen/month so cannot sponsor me. They put this fact on the form as well.)

What I handed in to the immigration office was: the completed form, including one company's corporate details; the certificate of employment which that company gave me, unasked; and the most recent communication from the tax department. (I fill in my own tax form every March and receive, normally in April, a sort of final statement which confirms receipt of tax paid, summarizes the calculation and confirms any rebate due. ) And my passport and gaijin card, of course.

I got 'the Postcard' a week later... this is the postcard which tells you to come back to immigration to hear their decision. (I think by the time you get the postcard the decision is probably positive. If there were any problems they would send you a letter saying 'please supply the following addition documents' or somthing like that.)

I took the postcard back to Shinegawa and got new visa in passport. Twenty minutes. Three years.

Sorry typing mistakes, am in a bit of a rush here. Can't guarantee everyone will have the same experiience as I did but this might help someone know what to expect.

Fion

Glenski · Joined: 15 Jan 2003 Posts: 12844 Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN

fion,

Just for the sake of others reading this, what you have is called "self-sponsorship".

I have a question. It is not clear to me whether you provided immigration with info on exactly how much income you were guaranteed from any (or all) of your PT gigs. Did you? (Don't feel obligated to say how much, just whether you had to provide a figure at all.)

Thanks.

Glenski · Joined: 15 Jan 2003 Posts: 12844 Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN

Brooks · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Posts: 1369 Location: Sagamihara

hi,
I have a related question.
I am planing on moving to the Kansai region.
Once I do, do I need to change my visa and will I need a new Alien Registration Card?

thanks,

Brooks

cabbagehead · Joined: 22 Sep 2003 Posts: 46 Location: Japan

As far as I know, no and no.

What you will need to do when you arrive is go to your local city hall or ward office and re-register. They will amend or possibly replace your registration card. Your visa they will probably need to see but as long as it is valid you need do nothing about that.

Now I may be wrong about this Confused

and I also have no idea what you should do, if anything, at your local government office when you leave Tokyo so I would advise you to get some firmer advice. Take mine as a general guide though Wink

homersimpson · Joined: 14 Feb 2003 Posts: 569 Location: Kagoshima

The visa is stamped in your passport (1 year, 3 years) and is good for the duration of your stay in Japan (regardless of whether you change prefectures) provided you don't leave Japan without obtaining a re-entry permit or break the law. Regarding the alien (gaijin) registration card, you are required to inform you new city hall/ward office when you move to a new city. They will write your new residential address (provided there's is space) on the back of your card. I suppose if you've moved 10 or more times and the back of your card is full, you may have to bring a picture with you and obtain a new card. I've moved a couple of times and they simply crossed of my previous address and wrote the new one just below it.

cafebleu · Joined: 10 Feb 2003 Posts: 404

This is for Lazjar - Glenski (as is the case 99 percent of the time) is Absolutely Correct about the need for a letter of release from a previous employer and their Legal Obligation to give it to you.

You Must Get That Letter of Relase from Interac. I have heard and read too many bad things about that so called English teaching `company` to think that the complainers are making things up about Interac. Such `companies` disgust me and this is clearly a case of Interac being incompetent, difficult or plain illegal.

It is your previous employer`s legal obligation to give it to you. The letter is so easy to write and it will take about 5 minutes for them to do - if that. Your previous employer is not co-operating? Do what I did. I worked for a school and the contract finished. I wasn`t interested in staying and I asked my boss for a letter of release. I didn`t get it - my boss put off giving it to me, typical lazy behavior from that person.

So 2 months after I had finished there and had waited for the letter I had requested but didn`t get, I rang up my boss. I got the answering machine and said very nicely that I needed the letter of release as soon as possible and if my boss had any questions about legal obligations I would go to Immigration and tell them about the situation and ask their opinion.
I said I would go to Immigration by the end of that week if I didn`t get the letter. This was all said politely and reasonably.

I got the letter in the post two days later. Don`t be suckered by lazy, incompetent or plain bad bosses or companies. Tell Interac you will tell Immigration and ask Immigration to contact them. You`ll get the letter.

Wolf · Joined: 10 May 2003 Posts: 1245 Location: Middle Earth

fion · Joined: 03 Feb 2003 Posts: 69 Location: tokyo

This is a late reply (sorry) for Glenski who asked if I had to provide evidence of my current income. Surprisingly, no. The only income information on the form was from the 'main' (ahem) employer who provided corporate details. They pay me 70,000yen/month (averaged out over the year; it's a university job and I only get paid in term-time.) I was ready to get salary details from other employers if necessary but it turned out not to be necessary.

I suppose that the tax details I submitted would serve as evidence that at least I was earning a living wage in the tax year 2002.

Fion

rickman · Joined: 17 Jun 2003 Posts: 28

How long can I wait to get a letter of release from my previous employer?