How to Report a Change of Employer to Immigration in Japan: 14-Day Rule & 2026 Steps

Start with the exact status of residence printed on your residence card. Japan does not use one universal employer-change form for every foreign resident. The Immigration Services Agency separates covered residents into an activity-organization group and a contract-organization group, and the event wording differs between them.

The contract-organization group includes statuses such as Highly Skilled Professional (i)(a) or (b), relevant Highly Skilled Professional (ii) activities, Researcher, Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services, Nursing Care, certain Entertainer activities, Skilled Labor, and Specified Skilled Worker. The activity-organization group includes Professor, Highly Skilled Professional (i)(c), relevant Highly Skilled Professional (ii) activities, Business Manager, Legal/Accounting Services, Medical Services, Instructor, Intra-company Transferee, Technical Intern Training, Student, and Trainee.

If your status is not listed on either official notification page, do not assume that this employer-change notification applies merely because you changed jobs. Statuses based on personal or family relationships are handled differently, and other immigration duties may still exist.

• Read the status name exactly as shown on your residence card.
• Match it to the Immigration Services Agency’s activity-organization or contract-organization page.
• Do not use an employer-change form simply because another foreign worker used it.

A normal job change often creates two reportable events. For contract-based statuses, one event is the termination of the old contract and another is the conclusion of the new contract. For activity-based statuses, the corresponding events are leaving the old organization and transferring to the new organization.

The two dates may be different. If your old job ends on one date and your new job begins later, calculate each deadline from its own event date. A gap between jobs does not erase the old-employer notification.

Do not use the date you received an offer unless that is also the actual legally relevant start event. The official FAQ states that a future event date cannot be reported in advance.

• Old employer: record the actual contract-end or departure date.
• New employer: record the actual new-contract or transfer date.
• Keep both dates with your resignation and onboarding records.

For covered residents, the notification period is 14 days from the date the relevant event occurs. The deadline applies to the resident’s own notification obligation, even if the employer has separate reporting duties under another system.

If you notice the deadline after it has passed, do not skip the filing. The Immigration Services Agency’s FAQ instructs people who failed to notify on time to submit promptly. The same FAQ warns that failure to notify or a false notification can be subject to penalties and can disadvantage later residence procedures.

The safest workflow is to file soon after the old relationship ends and again soon after the new relationship begins, then keep proof of both submissions.

• Do not wait until your next visa renewal.
• Do not backdate or invent an event date.
• If late, submit the true information as soon as possible.

The key distinction is whether Immigration treats your connection as an activity organization or a contract organization. Using the wrong category can create confusion even when the basic facts are correct.

For a typical Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services job change, the contract-organization procedure is the relevant starting point. By contrast, an Intra-company Transferee is listed on the activity-organization procedure. Specialized statuses can have additional rules, so always confirm the official page for your exact status before filing.

• Contract organization: contract ended, new contract concluded, or organization details changed.
• Activity organization: left, transferred, or organization details changed.
• Specified Skilled Worker and other specialized statuses may involve additional employer-side procedures beyond your personal notice.

For many residents, online filing is the simplest route. The Immigration Services Agency’s electronic notification system is available online and lets registered users submit notifications and review filing history and processing status.

The agency notes that the electronic notification system changed some specifications from January 5, 2026, so use the current portal and current manual rather than an old screenshot or third-party walkthrough.

Before you begin, prepare the employer names, addresses, relevant dates, your residence-card information, and your own contact details. Enter names exactly and review dates carefully before submission.

• Create or use the account required by the current electronic notification portal.
• Select the notification type that matches your status of residence.
• Save the completion screen, receipt information, or filing history after submission.

The official procedure pages also provide non-online filing routes. Depending on the notification, you can submit at a Regional Immigration Services Office or follow the postal instructions stated by the Immigration Services Agency.

For personal affiliation notifications, the official FAQ says supporting materials such as an employment contract are not generally required with the notice itself. When filing by post, include the residence-card copy specified by the official instructions and use the current destination and form.

Postal filing is not a reason to guess about the form or address. Download the current official form and recheck the mailing instructions immediately before sending.

• Use the newest official form.
• Keep a copy of everything you send.
• Use a mailing method that gives you a reliable record when practical.

A clean notification is easier when you collect both the old and new employer details before opening the form. The core purpose is to tell Immigration what relationship ended or began and when.

Keep your residence card, old employer information, new employer information, resignation or contract-end confirmation, new employment agreement, and exact event dates together. You may not have to upload all of these items with the notification, but they help you enter accurate facts and preserve an audit trail for future immigration procedures.

• Residence-card details and your current contact information.
• Official name and address of the old organization.
• Official name and address of the new organization.
• Actual end and start dates.
• A copy of the new job description or employment terms for your separate work-status check.

This is the most important distinction in the process. Reporting the employer change tells Immigration that your affiliation changed; it does not automatically prove that every duty in the new job is permitted under your current status of residence.

The Immigration Services Agency’s FAQ explains that it may check whether activities at the new organization fall within the status you already hold. If the new role belongs to a different residence-status category, a change-of-status application may be required before you perform the new activity.

Before your start date, compare the actual duties—not just the job title—with the scope of your current status. A company calling a role 'manager,' 'engineer,' or 'marketing' does not by itself determine immigration eligibility.

• Review the new job description, not only the offer-letter title.
• Check whether the core duties match the activities permitted by your current status.
• Resolve uncertainty before relying on the notification as proof of authorization.

A Certificate of Authorized Employment is an Immigration Services Agency document that certifies the income-generating or remunerated activities a foreign resident is authorized to perform under the current status of residence.

After a job change, this certificate can be useful when you or the new employer want stronger confirmation that the new work falls within the current status. It is not mandatory for every job change, and filing an employer-change notification does not automatically issue one.

Whether it is worth applying depends on how closely the new duties resemble your previous authorized work, the complexity of the role, and the level of certainty you need before a later renewal.

• Useful when job duties are materially different but may still fit the same status.
• Useful when the employer requests clearer immigration evidence.
• Not a substitute for a change of status when the new activity belongs to another residence category.

If the purpose of your stay or the main activity changes so that the new work falls under another status of residence, the correct procedure is a change-of-status application rather than merely an affiliation notification.

The Immigration Services Agency describes a change of status as the procedure used when a resident changes the activity that forms the basis of residence and wants to perform activities corresponding to a different status. Do not begin work that your current status does not permit while assuming the notification will fix the issue later.

Cases involving broad career changes, self-employment, company management, specialized regulated work, or a move into a category with its own requirements deserve extra checking before the start date.

• Same employer category does not always mean same authorized activity.
• A new job title can hide materially different duties.
• When uncertain, use official Immigration guidance or qualified professional advice before starting.

After filing, keep a simple record that connects your old job, new job, and notification dates. This can make a later period-of-stay extension or other residence procedure easier to explain.

Save the online filing history or submission confirmation, copies of paper forms, postal records, your old employment-end document, and the new employment contract. If there was a late notification, keep a truthful timeline rather than trying to hide the delay.

Your employment and immigration records should tell one consistent story: when the old job ended, when the new job began, what you reported, and what duties you actually perform.

• Old employment-end evidence.
• New employment contract and job description.
• Notification receipt or electronic filing history.
• Any Certificate of Authorized Employment or change-of-status decision.