Visa

So your situation in Japan has changed. New job type, got married, starting a business — whatever it is, your current visa might not cover it anymore. Here’s what you actually need to do. Do You Even Need to Change? You need to apply for a Change of Status of Residence (在留資格変更許可申請) when your life situation shifts in a way your current visa doesn’t cover: Situation Change needed New job is a different category from your current visa e.g., Factory → Office work Getting married to a Japanese national To spouse visa Starting your own company To business manager visa Graduating and starting work From student visa to work visa Switching from technical intern to Tokutei Gino Visa category change If you’re not sure whether your situation requires a change, the safest move is to ask an immigration lawyer. Better to ask now than figure it out after you’ve already started the wrong job. ...

Permanent residency (永住者) is the holy grail for long-term residents here. No more renewals, no job restrictions, no depending on your employer to keep you in the country. Once you have it, you have it. Here’s how to get there. What PR Actually Gets You Permanent residency means you can: Live in Japan indefinitely without renewing your visa Work in any job without restriction Start your own business freely Stay in Japan even if you lose your job You still need to renew your residence card every 7 years — that part doesn’t go away. But your status itself is permanent. ...

Japan has a lot of different work visa categories. Each one covers a specific type of work — and working outside your visa’s scope is a serious problem, so it’s worth understanding exactly which one you’re on and what it covers. Here’s a plain-English breakdown of every major type. The Most Common Work Visas 1. Engineer / Specialist in Humanities / International Services (技術・人文知識・国際業務) Commonly called: “Gijinkoku” (技人国) This is the visa most foreigners working office jobs in Japan are on. If you’re in tech, business, finance, marketing, or similar fields, this is probably yours. ...

Changing jobs in Japan as a foreigner feels scary. Will you lose your visa? Do you need to tell immigration? Can your new employer sponsor you? The short answer: yes, you can change jobs — but there are rules you need to follow. Miss them and you’ve got a real problem. So Can You Actually Change Jobs? Yes. Most work visas in Japan — like the Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services (Gijinkoku) — are not tied to a specific employer. ...

Your work visa expiry date is printed on your residence card. Don’t miss it — working after your visa expires is illegal in Japan, full stop. The good news is that renewing is pretty straightforward once you know what you’re doing. Here’s exactly how it works. When Should You Apply? Apply 3 months before your visa expires. Immigration actually recommends this because processing can take anywhere from 1 to 3 months. Apply early and you won’t be sweating the deadline. If you wait until the last few weeks, you’re asking for stress you don’t need. ...