Extension of Engineer / Specialist in Humanities / International Services Visa | Certificate of Authorized Employment Is Crucial When Changing Jobs

2. Main Reasons Why an E/H/IS Visa Extension Is Denied [Real Examples]

Cases in which an extension of the Engineer / Specialist in Humanities / International Services visa is denied are by no means rare.

Here, we explain the most common reasons that often lead to denial of an extension based on practical experience, together with concrete examples.

2-1. Job Duties Do Not Match the Status of Residence

The most common reason for denial is when the actual job duties are determined not to fall under “Engineer / Specialist in Humanities / International Services”.

For example, even if the job title listed in the employment contract or application documents is “Engineer,” “Planning Staff,” or “Marketing Specialist,”

• The actual work mainly consists of simple tasks performed according to manuals
• The majority of duties are support tasks that do not involve professional judgment
• On-site work, customer service, or light labor constitutes the main job duties

In such cases, the work may be deemed “not professional or technical in nature,” and therefore incompatible with the status of residence.

In extension reviews, it is important to note that immigration authorities examine the specific duties performed on a daily basis, not merely the job title.

2-2. Insufficient Explanation After Changing Jobs

If you have changed jobs during your period of stay, the extension review will focus on points such as:

• Why you decided to change jobs
• How your job duties differ between your previous and current positions
• How your current duties are connected to your educational and professional background

These factors are given significant weight.

If these points are not sufficiently explained in the submitted documents,

• A lack of consistency in job duties
• An unclear or unreasonable career progression

may be inferred, resulting in a stricter extension review.

In particular, if you have changed jobs multiple times within a short period, or if there has been a major change in industry or occupation, it becomes necessary to carefully explain “why continued employment under the E/H/IS visa remains appropriate.”

2-3. Failure to Submit Required Notifications or Procedural Errors

Foreign nationals holding an E/H/IS visa are required to submit notifications to immigration authorities within a specified period when changing jobs or employers.

If such notifications were not submitted, or were submitted significantly past the deadline,

• Your residence management may be deemed inappropriate
• Your understanding of the immigration system may be considered insufficient

and these issues may be treated as negative factors during the extension review.

While a failure to submit notifications does not automatically result in denial, in many cases you will be asked to provide explanations or additional documents at the time of renewal, which can lead to a longer and more cautious review process.

3. Required Notifications and Procedures When Changing Jobs on an Engineer / Specialist in Humanities / International Services Visa

If you change jobs while holding an Engineer / Specialist in Humanities / International Services visa (E/H/IS visa), even though your status of residence itself does not change, there are notifications that must be submitted to immigration authorities and procedures that should be confirmed in advance.

Failure to properly complete these procedures may not cause immediate problems after changing jobs, but can later lead to unfavorable evaluations during extension applications, future changes of status of residence, or permanent residence applications.

Many people neglect these procedures under assumptions such as “it’s the same E/H/IS visa, so it should be fine” or “the new company is reputable, so there’s no issue.” For this reason, it is important to understand the basic rules that apply when changing jobs.

3-1. Notification Regarding the Affiliated Organization (Within 14 Days After Changing Jobs)

When you change jobs under an E/H/IS visa and start working for a new employer, you are required to submit a “Notification Concerning the Affiliated Organization” to the Immigration Services Agency of Japan within 14 days from the date you start work (date of joining the new company).

This notification is used to report to immigration authorities “which company you are working for and in what capacity,” and is a separate and independent procedure from the extension of period of stay.

Therefore,

• Submitting it together with the extension application later is sufficient
• Listing the company name on the extension application eliminates the need for notification

are not acceptable approaches. Failure to submit the notification may result in an assessment that “residence management has not been properly conducted.”

3-2. Note That a Notification Upon Resignation Is Also Required

When you resign from your previous employer due to a job change, you must submit a “Notification Concerning the Contracting Organization (End of Contract)” within 14 days from the date of resignation.

A very common situation in practice is when:

• You joined the next company immediately after resigning
• There was no gap period between jobs

and as a result, the resignation notification is omitted.

However, immigration authorities also review records to confirm “when you left your previous employer” and “whether there was any gap period,” and a failure to submit a resignation notification may later be pointed out during an extension review.

3-3. Changing Jobs Does Not Automatically Mean You Are Authorized to Work

An E/H/IS visa is granted based on “engaging in specific job duties,” not merely “working for a specific company.”

Therefore, it is necessary to separately confirm whether your post-change job duties:

• Require professional or technical expertise
• Are related to your educational and professional background
• Are not mainly composed of simple or auxiliary tasks

These points must be satisfied, and independent confirmation is required.

Even if you are able to work without issue immediately after changing jobs, there are actual cases in which, at the time of extension review, the authorities determine that “these job duties do not qualify for an E/H/IS visa.”

4. Relationship Between the Certificate of Authorized Employment and Extension of Period of Stay

If you are uncertain whether your post-change job duties qualify under the Engineer / Specialist in Humanities / International Services visa, you can obtain a Certificate of Authorized Employment to confirm in advance with immigration authorities that “you are permitted to work under these job duties.”

While the Certificate of Authorized Employment is not a mandatory document for extension applications,

• You can obtain immigration’s judgment on the suitability of your job duties in advance
• Explanations of job duties at the time of extension tend to become simpler
• You can respond to employers’ requests for confirmation of work authorization

These are practical advantages.

In particular, for the first extension after changing jobs, or occupations where it is difficult to assess job content, it is extremely effective to consider and design the extension application together with the Certificate of Authorized Employment.

At ACROSEED Immigration Lawyer's Office, we do not simply “apply for an extension for now.” Instead, we organize which procedures should be taken with a view toward future extensions, changes of status of residence, and permanent residence applications, and propose the most appropriate application strategy.

5. Required Documents for an Engineer / Specialist in Humanities / International Services Visa Extension Application

1. Documents Generally Required

When extending the period of stay for the Engineer / Specialist in Humanities / International Services visa, the most important review point is whether your current job duties continue to match the requirements of your status of residence.

Since required documents are reviewed from time to time due to legal amendments and operational changes, you should confirm the latest information on the official guidance issued by the Immigration Services Agency of Japan.

If you retain our office, we will build on the official list of required documents and, in addition, design an individualized document package that is more likely to be positively evaluated in the extension review, based on your job duties, job-change history, company size, and other factors.

2. Documents That Are Particularly Important in Extension Applications and Key Checkpoints

In an extension of period of stay, unlike the initial approval, what kind of work you have actually been engaged in is given greater weight.

Main documents to be submitted and key points for organizing them

• Application for Extension of Period of Stay
  Be careful not to describe your job duties too abstractly. If there is a gap between the description and your actual work, it can lead to requests for additional documents.
• Employment Contract / Notice of Working Conditions
  Check the job duties, employment type, remuneration, and contract term. If there have been changes as of the time of extension, submit the latest version.
• Job Description Statement
  This is an extremely important document in extension reviews. It is necessary to describe “daily tasks,” “tasks requiring judgment,” and “deliverables” concretely from a technical and specialized perspective.
• Company Profile Materials
  Certificate of registered matters, company brochure, website materials, organization chart, etc. Especially for SMEs and startups, materials that supplement the relationship between the business and the applicant’s duties are effective.
• Remuneration-Related Materials
  Use pay slips, wage rules, job postings, etc., to enable you to explain with figures that your remuneration is at least equivalent to that of Japanese employees.
• Identity Verification Documents
  Residence card, passport, certificate of residence, photo (4cm × 3cm). If there have been changes of address or workplace, make sure all documents are consistent with the information after the notifications have been completed.

Important notes for extension applications

In extension applications, it is not uncommon for people to be underprepared because they assume, “I’ve been working without issues, so it should be fine.”

Especially when a job change is involved or when job duties have changed, advance organization—including considering obtaining a Certificate of Authorized Employment can significantly affect the stability of the extension outcome.

At ACROSEED Immigration Lawyer's Office, we do not treat the extension application in isolation. We propose a document package and application strategy that takes into account job changes, the Certificate of Authorized Employment, and even future permanent residence applications.

6. Engineer / Specialist in Humanities / International Services Visa Extension | Procedure and Timeline

Extending the period of stay for the Engineer / Specialist in Humanities / International Services visa is not merely a procedure to “apply because the expiration date is approaching.” In the extension review, the authorities comprehensively confirm matters such as whether your current job duties continue to match the status of residence and whether there are any issues with your actual employment situation, remuneration, or the continuity of the company.

In particular, if there are a job change, changes in job duties, or changes in employment conditions during the extension period, in some cases it may be necessary to consider not only an “extension,” but also obtaining a Certificate of Authorized Employment or changing your status of residence.

In this section, we provide a concrete explanation of the standard flow of an Engineer / Specialist in Humanities / International Services visa extension application at ACROSEED Immigration Lawyer's Office, as well as an approximate review timeline.

In general, the period from application to decision is typically approximately 1 to 2 months, but reviews tend to take longer around the year-end/New Year period and in March, so it is important to begin preparing 2 to 3 months before your period of stay expires.

1. Process for Extending the Engineer / Specialist in Humanities / International Services Visa

In extension applications, it is not uncommon for people to be underprepared because they assume, “it’s the same company and the same occupation as last time, so there’s no problem.”

In particular, the first extension after changing jobs, jobs with abstractly described duties, and small company sizes may be reviewed in a manner that is effectively close to a new application review.

At ACROSEED Immigration Lawyer's Office, we provide support not as a mere extension procedure, but with the goal of an extension application that enhances the stability of your work authorization.

2. Review Period for an Engineer / Specialist in Humanities / International Services Visa Extension

The review period for an application for permission to extend the period of stay is published monthly by the Immigration Services Agency of Japan.

The average processing time is several weeks to about one month, but depending on the application content and the time of year, it may take more than two months in some cases.

Applying at the last minute can leave you in an unstable situation while waiting for the result, so we recommend an application schedule with ample time.

7. Q&A on Extending the Engineer / Specialist in Humanities / International Services Visa

Changing jobs in itself is not immediately evaluated negatively in an application for extension of period of stay.
However, whether your job duties after changing jobs still match the status of residence “Engineer / Specialist in Humanities / International Services”, and how the consistency with your past job duties is explained, are important checkpoints in the extension review.

In particular, even if the job title is the same, if the actual job duties have changed, or if it is difficult to understand the specialized nature of the work, insufficient explanation tends to lead to a more cautious review. For the first extension after changing jobs, it is important to apply after concretely organizing your job duties.

Even if you did not submit the required notification after changing jobs, that alone does not automatically result in a denial of the extension.
However, during the extension application, you will often be asked to explain the circumstances of the missing notification and your employment situation, and depending on the content, you may need to submit additional documents.

If you realize you missed a notification, do not leave it unaddressed. By responding promptly, you may be able to avoid an unfavorable evaluation in some cases. If you are concerned, we recommend consulting a professional in advance regarding how to address this together with your extension application.

Having obtained a Certificate of Authorized Employment does not guarantee that your extension of period of stay will be approved.
However, because a Certificate of Authorized Employment reflects immigration’s prior confirmation that “your current job duties match the requirements of your status of residence”, it tends to be evaluated as a highly important supplementary document in the extension review.

In particular, for extensions that involve a job change, or for occupations where the job duties are difficult to assess, obtaining a Certificate of Authorized Employment in advance often helps the extension review proceed more smoothly.

Depending on your situation, it is possible to consider and design the extension of period of stay and the acquisition of a Certificate of Authorized Employment in parallel.
However, if you make mistakes in the application order or in how you explain the situation, the review may become more complicated, and you may be asked for many additional documents.

It is important to organize, based on the timing of your job change, the extension deadline, and changes in job duties, which procedure should be handled first, and then file your applications accordingly.

The greatest benefit of hiring a professional is that we do not look only at the extension application itself, but can provide a consistent application design that takes into account your job change, notification status, job duties, and even future changes of status of residence and permanent residence applications.

Receiving advice from a medium- to long-term perspective—such as “What happens next time, even if this extension is approved?” and “Will my status remain stable even if I change jobs multiple times?”— helps you avoid future risks.

8. For Those Who Feel Anxious About Extending the Engineer / Specialist in Humanities / International Services Visa

An extension of period of stay for the Engineer / Specialist in Humanities / International Services visa is not a procedure that is always approved simply by preparing and submitting documents.

In the extension review, based on your current job duties, employment situation, and your past compliance with residence management, immigration authorities re-confirm whether “you will be able to continue residing and working in Japan under this status of residence going forward.”

In particular, if you have changed jobs during your period of stay, or if your job duties or employment conditions have changed,

• Whether the required notifications at the time of your job change were properly submitted
• Whether your current job duties match the E/H/IS visa requirements
• Whether an extension application alone is sufficient, or whether you should also obtain a Certificate of Authorized Employment

Comprehensive judgment and advance preparation, including these points, become extremely important.

Some people proceed with preparation thinking, “I can work at my current company without any issues, so it will be fine,” or “I was able to extend last time, so I can do the same this time,” only to face many requests for additional documents at renewal, or to experience a prolonged review.

In addition, even if your extension is approved this time, if unstable elements accumulate in your residence status through repeated job changes and renewals, they may affect future changes of status of residence or permanent residence applications.

At ACROSEED Immigration Lawyer's Office, we do not simply act as an agent for an extension of period of stay. Rather, we provide application design that organizes your job change, notification status, and job duties, with a view toward future renewals and permanent residence as well.

We can also consult with you at an early stage, such as: “I’m worried whether I can get an extension,” “I changed jobs—can I confirm whether things are okay as they are?” and “I’m unsure whether I should obtain a Certificate of Authorized Employment.”

By organizing things before your situation becomes more complex, you can improve not only your renewal procedure, but also the stability of your status of residence going forward.

If you have any concerns or questions about extending the Engineer / Specialist in Humanities / International Services visa, please feel free to contact us.

9. Overview of Our Support Services for Engineer / Specialist in Humanities / International Services Visa Extension Applications

1. Service Overview

Extending the period of stay for the Engineer / Specialist in Humanities / International Services visa is not a formality carried out simply because the expiration date is approaching, but rather an important examination in which it is re-confirmed whether your current job duties, employment conditions, and your past residence status continue to match the requirements of your status of residence.

In particular, if you have changed jobs during your period of stay, or if there have been changes in your job duties, position, or remuneration conditions, the extension review tends to become more cautious.

At ACROSEED Immigration Lawyer's Office, after organizing your current job duties, employment conditions, reasons for job change, and notification status, we visualize in advance the points that are likely to become issues in the extension review, and design an extension application that is more likely to lead to approval.

Rather than providing mere extension filing services, our support is characterized by the fact that we assist you from a perspective that looks ahead to the stability of your future period of stay and even permanent residence applications.

Who This Service Is For (Individuals and Companies)

• Those who are approaching the extension of their Engineer / Specialist in Humanities / International Services visa
• Those who have changed jobs during their period of stay / have multiple job changes
• Those who are concerned whether their job duties qualify under the E/H/IS visa
• Those who are considering obtaining a Certificate of Authorized Employment together with the extension
• Companies and HR personnel who are unsure how to assess an extension for foreign employees

2. What Is Included in the Service

1. Eligibility check of current job duties and employment conditions against the status of residence requirements
2. If there is a job change, organizing the background and designing an explanation policy
3. Confirmation of notification status regarding job changes and contracting organizations
4. Drafting/checking job description statements and statement of reasons, etc.
5. Review and supplementary design of company profile materials and employment contracts
6. As needed, combined design together with a Certificate of Authorized Employment
7. Filing the application for permission to extend the period of stay with the Immigration Services Agency of Japan
8. Responding to requests for additional documents during the review and providing supplementary explanations
9. Advice with a view toward future renewals, job changes, and permanent residence

3. Advantages of Retaining ACROSEED Immigration Lawyer's Office