Job Discussion Forums

[basilbrush]

Hi

Can anybody give me their personal experiences with visa renewals.

Somebody told me that if a company sets you up with a visa (Spec in Hum) if you change company (get a new job), and then go to get a visa renewal you have to get a letter of release or something from the company that got you your first visa.

If this is true couldn't it cause real problems if you quit your first job for a better job somewhere else then want to renew your visa with the new company. What would happen if your first company refused?

Thanks

[Apsara]

It is illegal for your first company to refuse to provide the letter of release, although some try it.

I actually renewed a working visa without the letter of release about 6 years ago because after weeks of trying to get it out of them, Nova still hadn't sent it to me 3 days before my visa was due to expire (I had left two years before that). I went to Immigration (extremely stressed by this point) and explained the situation, and the official told me that it was "probably ok" even without it. I got my renewal no problems.

[Glenski]

You don't need a new sponsor if you change jobs, but it only makes sense. And Aspara is right in saying that the original company is required by law to give you the letter of release.

(Certificate when Retirement)
Article 22. When a worker on the occasion of
retirement requests a certificate stating the period of
employment, the kind of occupation, the position in the
enterprise, the wages or the reason for retirement (if the
reason for retirement is dismissal, including its reason), the
employer shall issue one without delay.
2. The employer shall, where a worker has, in the
period between being given the advance notice in Article 20,
paragraph 1 and the day of retirement, requested a
certificate in relation to the reason for the said dismissal,
issue the certificate without delay; provided, however,
where the worker retires after the day of the advance notice
on grounds other than those for the said dismissal, it is not
necessary, after the said day of retirement, for the employer
to issue the certificate.
http://www.jil.go.jp/english/laborinfo/library/documents/llj_law1-rev.pdf

What is put into the letter of release is up to you to decide and tell the employer.