The person and all the facts below are invented. This sample shows the format and the level of detail of a real Written Answer, which you receive as a PDF. It is not advice for your situation. It reflects the rules and practice as of November 2, 2026.
1. Your questions
- Can I stay in Japan until my new job starts?
- What must I report, and by when?
- Can I work part-time while I wait?
- Could the gap between my jobs cause problems when I extend my period of stay next year? Should I apply for a Certificate of Authorized Employment?
- Can I visit my home country during the gap?
- Does my job change affect my wife, who has a Dependent visa?
- At my next extension, what documents will I need, and could I be given a shorter period of stay?
2. Facts we relied on
- You hold the status of residence “Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services”, with a period of stay of three years that expires on June 15, 2027.
- You worked as a system engineer at Company X in Tokyo from April 2024. You resigned, and your last day of employment was October 31, 2026.
- On November 5, 2026, you signed an employment contract with Company Y in Tokyo as a web application developer, with no fixed end date. Your first day of work is February 1, 2027. Company Y is a small company, and you do not know which of the Agency's four employer categories it belongs to.
- You have a bachelor's degree in computer science.
- Until October 31, your taxes, health insurance and pension contributions were deducted from your salary. You have not worked since then.
- Your wife lives with you in Tokyo with the status “Dependent”. She has permission to work part-time and works about 15 hours a week at a restaurant.
- You plan to visit your home country for about two weeks in December 2026.
- You have no past refusals and no unfiled notifications.
If any of these facts is different, our answer may also be different.
3. Short answers
| Question | Short answer |
|---|---|
| 1. Staying until February | Yes, in principle. Leaving a job does not end your status of residence. The rule that matters here is that a work status can be cancelled if you stay for three months or more without doing the work it covers and without a justifiable reason. Waiting for a new job that you have already agreed is, in our view, a justifiable reason. Keep your contract with Company Y as evidence. |
| 2. What to report | Two notifications to the Immigration Services Agency, each within 14 days: the end of your contract with Company X (by November 14, 2026) and your new contract with Company Y (by November 19, 2026). Also arrange your health insurance and pension for the months without an employer. |
| 3. Part-time work | Not in your situation. Paid work outside your status needs permission in advance, and under the Agency's published requirements, permission is given only to people who are currently doing the work of their status and, for people on a work status, only for professional-level work. Shop or restaurant work during the gap will not be permitted. |
| 4. Next extension | In our experience, a three-month gap with a clear reason is not usually a problem in itself. The main risks are a new job that does not fit your status, and unpaid health insurance, pension or resident tax for the gap months. A Certificate of Authorized Employment is optional; it is worth applying for if you are unsure whether your new duties fit your status. |
| 5. Visiting home | Yes. You can leave and return on your current status using special re-entry permission. Note that the time abroad still counts as part of the gap. |
| 6. Your wife | Her status continues as long as yours does, and she does not need to file a notification. She may keep working within 28 hours a week under her permission. |
| 7. Documents and period | It depends on Company Y's category. If Company Y is in Category 3 or 4, you will need extra documents about Company Y for the first extension after a job change. A job change alone does not mean a shorter period, but a Category 4 employer usually means one year. |
4. Explanation
Question 1: Can I stay in Japan until my new job starts?
Your status of residence remains valid until its expiry date even after you leave your job. However, under Article 22-4, paragraph 1, item 6 of the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act, the Immigration Services Agency may cancel a work-related status if the holder stays in Japan for three months or more without engaging in the activities of that status, unless there is a justifiable reason.
In the Agency's practice, a person on a work-related status who has left a company and is actively looking for a new job, for example by visiting companies, is treated as having a justifiable reason. Your situation is different, but in our view it is a stronger case: you have already signed a contract for a job that you will start on a fixed date. The decision is made case by case, so please keep your contract with Company Y, and any letters or emails about your start date, in case the Agency asks.
From November 1, 2026 to February 1, 2027 is three months. If your start date is postponed, please keep a record of the reason (for example, an email from Company Y).
Question 2: What must I report, and by when?
Under Article 19-16 of the Act, a person with your status must notify the Agency within 14 days when a contract with the organization they work for ends, and again within 14 days when they conclude a contract with a new organization.
| Notification | Event | Deadline |
|---|---|---|
| End of contract with Company X | October 31, 2026 | November 14, 2026 |
| New contract with Company Y | November 5, 2026 | November 19, 2026 |
You can file both notifications online through the Agency's electronic notification system, or at an immigration office or by post. If both events fall within the same 14 days, you can file them together.
Your health insurance and pension through Company X ended with your employment. You have two main choices for health insurance: enroll in National Health Insurance at your city office (generally within 14 days), or continue Company X's health insurance as a voluntary member (you must apply within 20 days after leaving). For pension, enroll in National Pension at your city office. Your wife is also affected if she was covered as your dependent under Company X's insurance. These are not immigration procedures, but they matter for your next extension (see Question 4).
Question 3: Can I work part-time while I wait?
Your status allows only the work it covers. Under Article 19 of the Act, any other paid work requires permission to engage in an activity other than that permitted under your status, obtained before you start.
The Agency publishes the general requirements for this permission. Two of them decide your case:
- you must currently be doing the activities of your status; and
- the work you want to do must itself be work covered by a work status (for example, the work of an engineer, interpreter or teacher).
During the gap you are not doing the work of your status, and shop, restaurant or factory work is not covered by a work status. So permission will not be granted for such work. There is a special arrangement for some people who were dismissed for their employer's reasons and are looking for work, but it does not apply when you resigned yourself.
Working without permission can lead to a refusal of your next extension, and in serious cases to deportation. If you need income before February, the realistic option is to ask Company Y whether you can start earlier.
Question 4: Could the gap cause problems at my next extension?
When you extend your period of stay, the Agency looks at your activities during your current period of stay as well as your new job. The Agency's published guidelines for extension of period of stay list, among other factors, that the activities fit the status, that the applicant has paid taxes, and that the applicant has filed the notifications required by the Act.
- The gap itself. In our experience, a gap of about three months between jobs, with a contract signed in advance, is not usually a problem. It helps if the reason is clear from the dates.
- Your new job. Web application development generally fits your status, and your degree in computer science is related to it. The Agency will check this based on your actual duties at Company Y.
- Payments for the gap months. Unpaid National Health Insurance, National Pension or resident tax for November to January is a common reason for problems at an extension. Please pay them on time and keep the receipts.
- Notifications. Filing the two notifications in Question 2 on time is part of what the Agency checks.
Certificate of Authorized Employment. Under Article 19-2 of the Act, you can apply for a certificate confirming the work you are permitted to do. It is optional, and a fee applies (see the Agency's website for the current fee). It is most useful when it is unclear whether the new duties fit the status. In your case, if your duties at Company Y are mainly web application development, the certificate is not essential, but it can give you and Company Y certainty before your extension.
Question 5: Can I visit my home country during the gap?
Yes. With a valid passport and residence card, you can leave Japan and return within one year (and before your period of stay expires) without a separate re-entry permit. This is called special re-entry permission (Article 26-2 of the Act). When you leave, tick the box for special re-entry permission on the embarkation card.
Two points to keep in mind:
- The time you spend abroad counts as part of the three months in Question 1. A two-week visit does not change our answer, but please do not extend your stay abroad in a way that delays your start at Company Y.
- File the two notifications in Question 2 before you leave, and keep paying your health insurance and pension while you are away.
Question 6: Does my job change affect my wife, who has a Dependent visa?
Your wife's status is based on being supported by you as a person with your status. As long as your status continues, hers continues too. A job change by you does not require any notification from her. (She would need to notify the Agency only in cases such as divorce.)
Her permission to work part-time (up to 28 hours a week) remains valid, so she may continue her restaurant work within that limit. Please note:
- Her status depends on yours. If your status were cancelled (see Question 1), her status would also be at risk.
- When she next extends her period of stay, the Agency will look at your ability to support her, mainly through your income and tax records. Your income for 2026 will be lower because of the gap, but your contract with Company Y shows that the gap is temporary.
- She should not go over 28 hours a week, even though you have no salary for now.
Question 7: At my next extension, what documents will I need, and could I be given a shorter period of stay?
Documents. The Agency divides employers into four categories (Category 1 for listed companies and similar organizations, Category 2 and 3 based on the employer's annual tax filings for salaries, and Category 4 for the rest). The documents you submit depend on Company Y's category, so please ask Company Y which category it is.
- Category 1 or 2: in principle, only the application form, a photo, your passport and residence card, and proof of the category.
- Category 3 or 4: in addition, your resident tax certificates and a declaration about the employer's representative. For the first extension after a job change, you also need documents about your new job and Company Y, such as your written working conditions, Company Y's certificate of registered matters, a company profile, and its latest financial statements. Category 4 requires further documents.
Period of stay. A job change by itself does not mean a shorter period. In practice, the period granted depends mainly on your employer's category, whether you have filed the notifications required by the Act, and how long you are expected to work. If Company Y is in Category 4, a period of one year is common. If you file your notifications on time and Company Y is in Category 1, 2 or 3, a period of three years (or, for some Category 1 or 2 employers, five years) is often granted. We cannot predict the exact period.
5. Options and risks
| Option | Advantages | Risks |
|---|---|---|
| A. Wait without working until February 1 | Simplest. No permission needed. | No income for three months. Keep paying insurance, pension and resident tax. |
| B. Ask Company Y to start earlier | Shortens the gap and restarts your income and insurance. | Depends on Company Y. If the start date changes, report the actual date in your notification. |
Working part-time during the gap is not a realistic option (see Question 3).
6. Next steps
- By November 14, 2026: file the notification on the end of your contract with Company X (online is easiest).
- By November 19, 2026: file the notification on your new contract with Company Y.
- As soon as possible: arrange your health insurance (National Health Insurance, or voluntary continuation within 20 days of leaving) and National Pension, for you and, if needed, your wife. Pay the contributions for the gap months.
- Before your December trip: make sure both notifications are filed, and tick the special re-entry box when you leave.
- Keep your contract with Company Y and any messages about your start date.
- Ask Company Y which employer category it belongs to, so that you can prepare the right documents.
- After you start at Company Y: if you are unsure whether your duties fit your status, apply for a Certificate of Authorized Employment.
- From about March 2027: prepare your extension application (you can apply up to three months before June 15, 2027).
7. Limits
- This answer is based only on the facts listed in section 2.
- The Immigration Services Agency decides each case at its discretion. We cannot guarantee the result of any application, or the period of stay you will be given.
- This answer does not include a review of your documents or of your contract with Company Y.
- Health insurance, pension and tax are explained only as far as they affect your immigration procedures.
- This answer reflects the laws, regulations, Agency materials and practice as of the date of the answer.
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Disclaimer: This page is a fictional sample provided for general information only and is not legal advice on any individual case. The information is based on sources available as of November 2, 2026. Immigration procedures, requirements and documents may change without notice. TKG Immigration Consulting Office accepts no liability for any loss or damage arising from the use of this information.