Q&A
10. Other Frequently Asked Questions

In principle, the applicant must appear at the Regional Immigration Services Bureau for procedures such as applications for renewal of the period of stay and changes to the details of the residence card, but as an exception, in addition to cases where a legal representative makes an application, the Regional Immigration Services Bureau director can intervene the application of the foreigner himself/herself.

[Immigration Services Agency of Japan website ]
https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/applications/procedures/nyuukokukanri07_00262.html

For administrative procedures other than applying to the Regional Immigration Services Bureau, the Administrative Scrivener Act and the Attorney Act prohibit administrative scriveners or non-lawyers from preparing documents to be submitted to government offices at the request of others and for compensation. This is the same for both paper and electronic applications.

[Administrative Scriveners Act]
https://laws.e-gov.go.jp/law/326AC1000000004

Specified Skills The host project implementation corporation is a corporation that provides education and training for foreigners, conducts skills tests, introduces human resources, and takes measures to ensure an appropriate working environment. It is a unique measure in the construction sector and must be subscribed to by companies that accept Specified Skilled Worker. The "Registered Support Organizations" is a cross-sectoral system established based on the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act, and has been registered by the Minister of Justice as a person who performs administrative work such as providing living support to foreigners after entering Japan and acting on behalf of the host company. Companies that accept Specified Skilled Worker can voluntarily outsource Registered Support Organizations to receive various support.

Membership is optional.

To join, you must commit to all of the following:

① The individual does not fall under any of the grounds for refusal of registration stipulated in Article 19-26, Paragraph 1, Items 1 to 11 of the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act (Cabinet Order No. 319 of 1951).

(2) The foreign national shall not directly or indirectly bear the expenses required for support for Specified Skilled Worker (i).

(3) Regarding support for Specified Skilled Worker (i), the scope of support and the cost of support consignment shall be posted on the Company's website, and the Receiving Company shall not charge the host company for expenses other than the content of the posting.

(Note) Please note that if the support contract fees, etc. cannot be confirmed on the website, your membership in the organization will not be approved.

(4) Understand that paid employment placement is prohibited for construction workers under the Employment Security Act (Showa 22 Law No. 141), and have concluded a support outsourcing contract on Specified Skilled Worker (i) in the construction field Specified Skills Disseminate, promote the utilization, and other cooperation of the employment placement business conducted by the Organization to its affiliated organizations (hereinafter referred to as "contract construction companies").

⑤ Cooperate Foundation for International Transfer of Skills and Knowledge in Construction that is a fair employment supervision organization, in the liaison and coordination work related to on-site visits, surveys and guidance, etc.

⑥ Ensure that any communications from the Agency and FITS are provided to contracted construction companies.

(7) Be aware that if you commit an act that harms the interests of a member of the Institute, violates laws and regulations, violates the human rights of the Specified Skilled Worker (i), damages the credibility of the Organization, or cancels your registration as a Registered Support Organizations, you will be expelled from the Organization or other necessary measures.

If the contractor is a subcontractor, please submit a site entry notification form in accordance with the guidance based on the "Specified Skilled Worker System and Subcontracting Guidance Guidelines for Construction Worker Acceptance Projects" from the contractor (prime contractor) who contracted the construction directly from the client.

In order to achieve the proper and smooth acceptance of Specified Skilled Worker in the construction field, there are many tasks that industry associations must perform, such as conducting skills tests overseas, referring human resources, and making regular visits to host companies. On the other hand, in the construction industry, many types of specialized occupations work together in a divided manner, so industry associations are also divided into many occupations.

Therefore, in order to spread these costs among the host companies and create economies of scale, prime contractors and specialized construction industry organizations have jointly established Japan Association for Construction Human Resources.

The organization is a "non-profit organization by the construction industry for the industry" and does not operate with profits. It is expected to operate efficiently, taking advantage of economies of scale on behalf of numerous specialized construction industry organizations.

In addition, compared to Technical Intern Training, it is said that the market price of the supervision fee collected by the supervising organization is 30,000 yen ~ 60,000 yen per month (360,000 yen ~ 720,000 yen per year) per trainee. In the first place, Specified Skilled Worker are ready-to-work human resources, and Technical Intern Training students are inexperienced human resources with no work experience, so it is not possible to simply compare, but the level of acceptance contribution paid to the organization is by no means high.

In addition, in the case of other fields, it is expected that various private employment agencies will enter the Specified Skilled Worker recruitment business, and although it varies from company to company, compensation for the service will naturally be required.

Regarding construction work, Article 32-11, Paragraph 1 of the Employment Security Law prohibits fee-paying employment placement businesses, regardless of whether the worker is Japanese or foreign.

It is possible to provide job placement services by obtaining permission to operate a free job placement business.

For foreign construction workers, this can be changed if you go through the necessary procedures.

For Technical Intern Training students, you cannot change your status of residence to Specified Skills in the middle of your Technical Intern Training.

Please apply for the change through the portal site of the Foreign Work Management System. In addition, you will need to upload the following documents to the system when applying.

〔guidance〕

• (Only if you are residing in Japan) Document verifying Construction Career Up System technician ID (copy of card)


• A statement that the remuneration is equal to or greater than that of a Japanese person with equivalent skills


• Wage ledger of a Japanese person with equivalent skills (for the past year, including bonuses)


• Documents verifying the years of work experience of a Japanese person with equivalent skills (such as a resume; format is optional)


• specified skilled worker employment contracts Copies of the document and employment conditions (recommended by the Ministry of Justice Reference Forms No. 1-5, No. 1-6, and No. 1-6) (for all members)


• Important matters concerning employment contracts (Notification Form No. 2) (for all employees)

the portal site of the Foreign Work Management System.Please submit an application for change of planned period along with the acceptance report via

However, if the actual working period is shorter than the planned period by up to 7 days, the employee can be accepted without prior approval of the change application.

Certification may be revoked if the certified Specified Skilled Worker Acceptance Plan in the construction field is not properly implemented, when the certification is obtained through fraudulent means, when it no longer meets the certification requirements, if it fails to properly report to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, or if it makes a false report.

Since continuous compliance with the certification acceptance plan is a constituent requirement for granting status of residence, if the approval of the acceptance plan is revoked by the Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism will report to the Immigration Services Agency of Japan and will be subject to on-site inspection and improvement orders at the Regional Immigration Services Bureau, and may not be renewed when the period of stay is renewed.

Regarding Specified Skilled Worker, it is a requirement for the certification of the acceptance plan to "increase salary according to skill mastery", but this is an additional standard established to ensure a certain degree of treatment for foreign technicians who have less room to change jobs than Japan people even if they are dissatisfied with their salary, and the salary increase of Japan people andIt is not intended to seek balance. Please note that it is usually difficult to think that there is no skill mastery after working for a certain period of time, and if the salary increase is not made in violation of the contents of the certification acceptance plan, even if it is treated in the same way as other Japan people, the certification may be revoked.

Bonuses are, in the first place, additional remuneration and are different in nature from monthly wages and other salaries that form the basis of a worker's life.
For this reason, as long as it does not violate the contents of the certified acceptance plan and the foreign national is treated the same as other Japanese nationals, it is acceptable not to pay a bonus.

The procedures you take when you return to your home country will vary depending on your Specified Skilled Worker 's employment status.
Reference: Departure of Specified Skilled Worker (i) and procedures to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism

■If you are still employed
If all of the following (1)~(3) apply, there is no need to go through procedures such as "retirement report" in the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism's foreign employment management system. After returning to work, please resume working as planned.
(1) Employment contract: ongoing (not retired)
(2) Social insurance, etc.: Enrolled (not withdrawn)
(3) Holding the status of residence under Item 1 Specified Skills (not simply leaving the country)
*Simple departure refers to leaving the country after completing activities in Japan. In that case, return your residence card to Regional Immigration Services Bureau.

Apart from reporting to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, please complete the necessary procedures to the Immigration Services Agency of Japan or social insurance office. For more information on the procedure, please contact the respective competent authority.

JAC has a system to support the temporary return of Specified Skilled Worker (i) after April 1 2023 There are conditions, so please check the "Temporary Return Support "for details.

■ If you resign
If you leave your job and return to Japan to be employed by the same company as before, you will need to apply for a job through the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism's Foreign Work Management System according to your individual circumstances.

Pattern 1: There is at least one item that does not apply to ① through ③, and there is no change in the content of the employment contract.
After resigning, you will need to submit a "re-employment application" through the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism's foreign worker employment management system. Once approved, you will need to submit an acceptance report within one month of resuming work after re-entering the country.

Pattern 2: Any of the items in ① to ③ does not apply, and there has been a change in the content of the employment contract
You will submit a "resignation report" to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism's Foreign Work Management System. In addition, since this is the same as when hiring a new employee, you will need to receive approval from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism before the start date of employment. Please apply for the change as soon as possible.

Please note that until your new plan is approved, you will not be able to work, even if you have gone through the re-entry procedures and are able to re-enter Japan.

If you return to your home country without taking the re-entry procedure, the new certificate will be attached to your application for a Certificate of Eligibility. Please note that you will not be able to enter the country until your new plan is approved.

※Note
If you do not submit an application to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism's Foreign Work Management System, you may be in breach of your reporting obligation and your acceptance plan certification may be revoked pursuant to Article 8, Paragraph 1 of the Notification.

Registered Support Organizations (except in cases where administrative scriveners, administrative scrivener corporations, lawyers, and law firms are Registered Support Organizations) shall, if the Registered Support Organizations is entrusted with the implementation of all of the Conformity No. 1 Specified Skilled Worker Support Plans, act as the application agent on behalf of the applicant and his or her agent in the application for issuance of a certificate of eligibility, an application for permission to change status of residence, an application for permission to renew the period of stay, etc. It is possible to submit an application form to Regional Immigration Services Bureau.

Immigration Services Agency of Japan On the other hand, there is no such provision for the application for "Specified Skilled Worker Acceptance Plan in the construction field Certificate/Due Supervision Plan Certificate" application to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism.

In addition, accounts for the Foreign Workers' Employment Management System should be applied for using a company email address and operated on a designated company device, and inputting information from that device is considered to be equivalent to the creation of "documents to be submitted to government agencies."

If you prepare documents to be submitted to public offices in exchange for a fee, this will be considered as "the business of preparing documents to be submitted to public offices" as stipulated in Article 1-2, Paragraph 1 of the Administrative Scriveners Act, and you may be in violation of Article 19, Paragraph 1 of the Administrative Scriveners Act and subject to penalties under Article 21.

Therefore, even if the Registered Support Organizations applies for an intermediary application for residence applications, it is understood that it is not possible to entrust the preparation of documents related to the Specified Skilled Worker Acceptance Plan in the construction field application, account creation, input, editing, and application of the foreign employment management system as paid work because it is against the Administrative Scrivener Act.​

Punishment for performing administrative scrivener duties without a license:
According to Article 21 of the Administrative Scriveners Act, the offense is punishable by imprisonment of up to one year or a fine of up to 1 million yen.
*Regarding reporting violations of the Administrative Scriveners Act: Anyone who becomes aware of a violation can report it to the police or the public prosecutor's office.

If you don't know where the file is located, check out the link below.

• If you are using the "JAC Members" app
  When you don't know where the files downloaded with the "JAC Members" app are saved (JAC Members)
• If you use "My Page"
  If you don't know where the files you downloaded from "My Page" are saved
• If you know where the file is located but you can't open it by clicking on it, try the methods in the link below.
  When you can't open a downloaded PDF

If you resign, you must submit a resignation report from the foreign employment management system at the host company Specified Skilled Worker your resignation. After that, JAC will be contacted by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism regarding the Specified Skilled Worker 's retirement and will stop claiming the acceptance contribution.

Depending on the timing of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism's confirmation of your resignation report and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism's contact with JAC, we may still request payment of the acceptance contribution even after you have reported your resignation on the Foreign Work Management System.

The claimed contribution will be deducted once, but the payment fee after the month following the month including the retirement date will be offset against the other Specified Skilled Worker contribution from the month following the month to be charged. If the other Specified Skilled Worker is not working, the refund will be processed.

If a person who does not have Japanese nationality loses his/her status as an insured person (member, etc.) under the National Pension Insurance or Employees' Pension Insurance (including Mutual Aid Association Insurance) and leaves Japan, he/she can apply for a lump-sum withdrawal payment within two years from the date on which he/she no longer has an address in Japan.
For details, please check the Japan Pension Service website.

[Japan Pension Service Lump-sum Withdrawal Payment System]
https://www.nenkin.go.jp/service/jukyu/sonota-kyufu/dattai-ichiji/20150406.html

To claim a lump-sum pension withdrawal payment, you will need to go through the process of withdrawing from the pension scheme (retirement).
If you resign, you must report this to the Foreign Workers' Employment Management System.
If you plan to re-enter Japan and work for the same company, you will need to apply for re-employment or, after notifying your resignation, apply as a new foreign national.

If you meet the following requirements, you can apply for reemployment through the employment management system.
・The residence card is valid both when you leave Japan and when you return to Japan. (This is a departure for deemed re-entry.)
- You will be employed by the same company after returning to Japan.
- There will be no changes to the contents of your current employment contract (salary, various allowances, salary increases, etc.).
*Please be careful not to report your resignation.

The result of your reemployment application will be announced within one month. If approved, you will be issued a new certificate.
Please see below for more detailed information.

Reference: Specified Skilled Worker (i) departure and procedures to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism

If the employment contract is terminated before the contract expires, procedures are required.
Please contact Immigration Services Agency of Japan for more information on the required procedures.

[Immigration Services Agency of Japan Specified Skills Notification by the Affiliated Organization and Registered Support Organizations
https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/applications/ssw/nyuukokukanri10_00002.html

Due to the system specifications, the "retirement date" cannot be entered after the application date. Please apply as soon as possible after the foreign national actually retires.
There is no need to notify us of your resignation in advance. Please note that once you have notified us of your resignation, you will not be able to apply for re-employment.

When a foreigner returns to Japan, unless their re-employment application has been approved, they will not be able to work.
Once your re-employment application has been approved and the foreign national has returned to Japan, please promptly submit a report of acceptance.

If you re-employ someone who has left the company to change jobs, you will need to apply for a change of status and then add a foreign employee, just as you would if you were a new foreign employee.

Please see below for how to apply for changes.

Reference Manual: Required Documents for Adding Foreign Nationals
Change application procedure

Businesses that use Specified Skilled Worker System in the construction sector will incur the following costs:
For Specified Skilled Worker (ii), you do not need to pay a fee and 10 support.
Some people think of foreigners as cheap labor, but using Specified Skilled Worker System comes at a variety of costs, not to mention paying the same wages as Japan.

Further costs may be incurred depending on the company's circumstances.

When entrusting the creation of Support Plan for Specified Skilled Worker (i) or 10 mandatory support to Registered Support Organizations *Not required in the case of No. 2 Specified Skills

Support fee

* Please check the Ministry of Justice's website for Support Plan for Specified Skilled Worker (i) and 10 mandatory support

If you do not have a construction business license

Construction business license acquisition costs

If you have not yet obtained Construction Career Up System business ID

Business registration fees and
Administrator ID usage fee

*For details, please check Construction Career Up System website.​

When entrusting an application for Specified Skilled Worker Acceptance Plan in the construction field certification to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism to an administrative scrivener or lawyer

Application fee

Some countries of nationality of Specified Skilled Worker have created bilateral arrangements that require repatriation procedures based on their national regulations. Before applying for residency, please check the necessary procedures and fees in the country of origin.

Specified Skills Country-specific information (Immigration Services Agency of Japan Homepage

Bilateral Memorandum of Cooperation on Specified Skills (Immigration Services Agency of Japan Homepage )

JAC provides support to companies that are accepting Specified Skilled Worker.
For details, please check "Acceptance Support Service".

Specified Skills Acceptance Support Service

*The Acceptance Support Service is available to companies that have started hiring Specified Skilled Worker and have confirmed the collection of the acceptance levy.