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Changing jobs in Japan can be a great opportunity—better salary, better working conditions, or a role that fits your career goals more closely.

Pero kung foreign worker ka, hindi lang resignation at bagong contract ang kailangan mong isipin. Kailangan mo ring siguraduhin na ang new job is allowed under your current residence status at nasusunod mo ang required Immigration procedures.

Narito ang practical guide para sa Filipinos who plan to change employers in Japan.

1. Can Foreign Workers Change Employers in Japan?

Yes, in many cases foreign workers can legally change employers.

However, whether you can move directly to a new company depends on your :

• Status of residence

• New job duties

• Industry

• Employment contract

• Immigration requirements

Hindi ibig sabihin na valid pa ang residence card mo ay puwede ka nang magtrabaho sa kahit anong job.

Japan’s residence statuses specify what types of activities you are allowed to perform.

2. Check Your Status of Residence First

Before accepting a new job, check the :

在留資格（Zairyū Shikaku）

Status of Residence

printed on your Residence Card.

Examples include :

• Engineer / Specialist in Humanities / International Services

• Specified Skilled Worker

• Skilled Labor

• Nursing Care

• Instructor

• Highly Skilled Professional

• Technical Intern Training

Each category has its own rules.

For example, Engineer / Specialist in Humanities / International Services covers work requiring specialized technical, humanities, or international knowledge, such as engineering, interpretation, design, language teaching, and marketing.

3. The New Job Must Match Your Residence Status

This is one of the most important rules.

Example :

If your residence status allows you to work as :

• Engineer

• IT professional

• Interpreter

• Marketing professional

you should not automatically assume that you can switch to unrelated work such as :

• Restaurant kitchen work

• Factory line work

• Construction labor

• Delivery work

unless those activities are permitted under your status or you first obtain the appropriate status change.

If the nature of your activities changes to a category covered by another residence status, Immigration requires a Change of Status of Residence application.

4. Review the New Job Before Resigning

Before resigning from your current employer, check the new offer carefully.

Confirm :

• Job title

• Actual duties

• Salary

• Working hours

• Work location

• Contract period

• Overtime conditions

• Social insurance

• Employment insurance

• Transportation allowance

• Probation period

Most importantly :

Does the actual job content fit your residence status?

Don't rely only on the job title.

Immigration looks at the nature of the work itself.

5. Do You Need Immigration Permission Before Changing Companies?

It depends.

If your new job remains within the activities permitted by your current residence status, a full status change may not always be necessary.

However, if the new job falls under a different residence-status category, you need to apply for :

在留資格変更許可申請

Zairyū Shikaku Henkō Kyoka Shinsei

Change of Status of Residence

Immigration states that this procedure is required when you change the activity that is the basis of your stay and begin activities falling under another status.

Do not begin work that falls outside your current permitted activities without confirming the required authorization.

6. Notify Immigration When You Leave Your Employer

For many employment-based statuses, foreign residents have an obligation to notify Immigration when :

• They leave an organization

• Their contract with the employer ends

• They change employers

• They sign a contract with a new organization

Immigration's current guidance specifically includes job changes and resignations among events requiring notification.

The exact notification requirement depends on your residence status.

7. The General Notification Deadline Is 14 Days

For residence statuses subject to the affiliation or contracting-organization notification rules, notification generally needs to be made within 14 days after the relevant event.

For example, this may apply when :

• Your old employment contract ends

• You leave your employer

• You join a new employer

• You sign a new employment contract

Importantly, Immigration guidance says the notification is made after the event occurs, not in advance.

So keep track of your actual :

• Last day with your old company

• Contract-end date

• Start date with your new company

8. Your Old Employer and New Employer Notifications May Be Separate

Depending on your residence status, you may need to report both :

Ending the old relationship

and

Starting the new relationship

Don't assume that telling Immigration only about the new company automatically covers the previous contract termination.

Keep copies or confirmation records of your notifications.

9. How Can You Notify Immigration?

Depending on the applicable procedure, notifications may be submitted through methods provided by the Immigration Services Agency, including its online notification system. 

The required information may include :

• Your name

• Residence Card number

• Status of residence

• Previous employer details

• New employer details

• Date the old contract ended

• Date the new contract began

Always use the official Immigration Services Agency procedure for your residence-status category.

10. Consider a Certificate of Authorized Employment

If you're unsure whether your new job is covered by your current residence status, you may consider asking Immigration about :

就労資格証明書（Shūrō Shikaku Shōmeisho）

Certificate of Authorized Employment

This is a document that can help clarify the types of income-generating activities you are authorized to perform.

It can be especially useful when :

• Changing employers

• Your new duties are somewhat different

• The new company wants confirmation of your work authorization

It does not replace a required change of residence status, but it can provide clarity where the work falls within your existing status.

11. Specified Skilled Worker Has Different Procedures

If your residence status is :

特定技能（Tokutei Ginō）

Specified Skilled Worker

changing employers can involve additional requirements.

The new employer generally needs to be eligible to accept Specified Skilled Workers, and depending on the situation, immigration-related procedures may be required before you begin working there.

Immigration guidance also places specific notification responsibilities on organizations accepting Specified Skilled Workers when employment contracts change or end.

So don't treat a Specified Skilled Worker job change exactly the same as an ordinary professional work-visa transfer.

12. Technical Interns Have Special Restrictions

If you are under :

技能実習（Ginō Jisshū）

Technical Intern Training

you generally cannot freely switch employers in the same way as workers under many ordinary employment-based statuses.

Transfers may be possible only under specific circumstances and procedures.

If you are a Technical Intern and want to leave your current workplace, seek advice from :

• Supervising organization

• Organization for Technical Intern Training

• Immigration

• Appropriate labor authority

before simply moving to another employer.

13. Permanent Residents Have More Flexibility

If your residence status is based on status or position, such as :

• Permanent Resident

• Spouse or Child of Japanese National

• Spouse or Child of Permanent Resident

• Long-Term Resident

you generally have broader employment flexibility than workers whose status is tied to a particular type of professional activity.

Japan's Immigration Services Agency separates these residence statuses from activity-based work statuses.

Even so, normal employment, tax, insurance, and resignation rules still apply.

14. Resign Properly From Your Current Employer

Before moving to the next company, follow your resignation procedure.

Check :

• Employment contract

• Company rules

• Required notice period

• Unused paid leave

• Return of company property

• Final salary

• Expense reimbursement

• Social-insurance procedures

Avoid simply stopping work without notice.

Even if you're unhappy with the workplace, an organized resignation can prevent unnecessary disputes.

15. Ask for Important Employment Documents

When leaving, keep or request documents such as :

源泉徴収票（Gensen Chōshūhyō）

Withholding Tax Certificate

Your new employer may need this for year-end tax adjustment.

雇用保険被保険者証

Employment Insurance Insured Person Certificate

退職証明書（Taishoku Shōmeisho）

Certificate of separation, if needed

離職票（Rishokuhyō）

Separation notice, especially if there will be a period of unemployment and you may apply for benefits

Also keep :

• Final payslip

• Employment contract

• Records of working hours

• Resignation correspondence 

16. Check Your Final Salary

Before leaving, review :

• Basic salary

• Overtime pay

• Allowances

• Remaining reimbursements

• Deductions

• Resident Tax

• Social insurance

If something doesn't match your records, ask HR or payroll for a breakdown.

17. What Happens to Your Health Insurance?

If you leave your employer before joining the new company, your employee health-insurance coverage under the old employer generally ends.

Depending on the gap, you may need to :

• Join National Health Insurance

• Use an eligible continuation arrangement

• Become a dependent under a qualifying family member's insurance

• Join the new employer's health insurance

Don't continue using old insurance eligibility after it has ended.

18. What Happens to Your Pension?

Your pension enrollment also needs to transition correctly.

If your new company immediately enrolls you in Employees’ Pension Insurance, the employer generally handles the procedure.

If there is a period when you are no longer covered by Employees’ Pension and you remain in Japan, you may need to handle National Pension procedures.

Don't ignore pension notices during the gap between jobs.

19. Resident Tax Can Follow You

Changing employers does not erase :

住民税（Jūminzei）

Resident Tax

Depending on timing, the remaining tax may :

• Continue through salary deduction at the new employer

• Be deducted from your final salary

• Be billed directly by the municipality

Ask the old and new payroll departments how your Resident Tax will be handled.

20. Don't Start the New Job Too Early

Before your first day, make sure :

• Your new duties are legally permitted.

• Any necessary status-change application has been handled.

• The employment contract is finalized.

• Required Immigration procedures are understood.

Starting unauthorized work can create immigration problems even if the employer says :

“It's okay, you still have a valid Residence Card.”

The Residence Card's expiry date does not by itself mean every type of employment is permitted.

21. What If Your New Job Requires a Different Residence Status?

You need to apply for a status appropriate to the new activity.

Immigration states that foreigners changing their intended activity to one covered by another residence status must apply for permission to change status before engaging in that new activity.

Examples might include moving from :

• Office-based specialist work to another separately regulated work category

• Student status into full-time employment

• Certain professional activities into business management

Required documents differ by status and employer category.

22. Don't Assume the Same Job Title Means the Same Immigration Category

For example :

“Sales,” “marketing,” “customer service,” and “operations” can involve very different actual duties.

Immigration may consider :

• Daily responsibilities

• Required education

• Professional knowledge

• Relationship between your background and the job

• Employer's business

• Salary and employment conditions

So focus on the actual job description, not only the title printed on the offer.

23. Keep Copies of Everything

Keep digital or paper copies of :

• Old employment contract

• Resignation letter

• New employment contract

• Job description

• Immigration notifications

• Residence-status applications

• Payslips

• Tax documents

• Employment insurance records

If questions arise later during your residence-period renewal, having complete records makes things much easier.

24. Your Next Residence Renewal May Require New Employer Documents

Even if you changed companies legally without changing residence status, Immigration may review your current employment when your residence period is renewed.

For example, current guidance for Engineer / Specialist in Humanities / International Services includes employer and job-related documentation during extension or change procedures.

Make sure your new employer understands that foreign employees may need company documents for immigration procedures.

25. What If You Become Unemployed Between Jobs?

If there is a gap :

• Keep actively searching for suitable work.

• Save job applications and interview records.

• Complete required Immigration notifications.

• Handle health insurance and pension.

• Register with Hello Work if appropriate.

Don't ignore your residence-status situation during a long period without employment.

26. Be Careful With Employers Who Say Immigration Doesn't Matter

Red flags include an employer saying :

• “Just start first; we'll fix the visa later.”

• “Any job is okay as long as your Residence Card is valid.”

• “Don't tell Immigration about the job change.”

• “We'll put a different job title on the contract.”

• “Work outside your authorized activity and nobody will know.”

These are serious warning signs.

Your residence status is ultimately your legal responsibility too.

Useful Japanese Words

転職（Tenshoku） – Changing jobs

退職（Taishoku） – Leaving a job / resignation

入社（Nyūsha） – Joining a company

在留資格（Zairyū Shikaku） – Status of residence

在留カード（Zairyū Kādo） – Residence Card

所属機関（Sho zoku Kikan） – Affiliated organization

契約機関（Keiyaku Kikan） – Contracting organization

在留資格変更許可申請 – Application for Change of Status of Residence

就労資格証明書 – Certificate of Authorized Employment

雇用契約書（Koyō Keiyakusho） – Employment contract

退職証明書（Taishoku Shōmeisho） – Certificate of separation

Useful Japanese Phrases

転職を考えています。

Tenshoku o kangaete imasu.

I'm considering changing jobs.

この仕事は私の在留資格でできますか？

Kono shigoto wa watashi no zairyū shikaku de dekimasu ka?

Can I do this job under my current status of residence?

入管への届出は必要ですか？

Nyūkan e no todokede wa hitsuyō desu ka?

Do I need to notify Immigration?

退職証明書をいただけますか？

Taishoku shōmeisho o itadakemasu ka?

Could I receive a certificate of separation?

Changing Employers Checklist

 Before changing companies :

• Check your current status of residence.

• Confirm that the new job duties are permitted.

• Review the new employment contract carefully.

• Check whether a Change of Status of Residence is necessary.

• Resign according to your current company's procedures.

• Collect employment and tax documents.

• Notify Immigration when required.

• Remember the applicable 14-day notification deadline.

• Handle health insurance and pension during any gap.

• Check how Resident Tax will be paid.

• Keep copies of Immigration notifications.

• Don't begin unauthorized work.

• Keep records for your next residence-period renewal.

Tips for Filipinos in Japan

•  Don't resign solely based on a verbal job offer—get the new employment conditions in writing.

• Show Immigration the actual job description if you're unsure whether it fits your residence status.

• Keep evidence that you completed required notifications.

• Don't rely only on your employer's understanding of immigration law.

• If the new work is very different from your current job, verify your status before starting.

• Keep your Gensen Chōshūhyō because your new employer may need it for tax adjustment.

• If you're under Specified Skilled Worker or Technical Intern status, get specific guidance because the rules differ significantly from ordinary professional work statuses.

Changing employers in Japan is possible for many foreign workers, but changing companies does not automatically mean you are legally allowed to perform any new type of work.

The safest approach is simple :

Check your residence status, compare it with the actual duties of the new job, complete any required Immigration procedure, notify Immigration when required, and keep your employment records.

Taking care of these steps before and immediately after your job change can help prevent problems with future residence renewals and keep your employment history in Japan properly documented.

Sa PhilMoney, nais naming suportahan ang mga Pilipino sa Japan hindi lamang sa mabilis at ligtas na remittance, kundi pati na rin sa pagbibigay ng practical guides para mas maging informed, prepared, at confident sa kanilang work and everyday life in Japan.

(Immigration requirements vary by residence status and individual circumstances. For a specific job change, confirm the latest requirements directly with the Immigration Services Agency before beginning work.)

Note : This article is intended for general information only. Regulations and procedures in Japan and the Philippines may change. Please verify the latest information with the appropriate government agency or official institution before taking action.