For Those Preparing to Extend a Work Visa (Comprehensive Guide for Individuals)

2. Key Points for Extension by Status of Residence

When extending a work visa, the points that are most likely to be checked during the review differ depending on the type of status of residence. Here, we do not provide a detailed explanation. Instead, we only organize the minimum decision criteria you should understand at the time of extension. For specific required documents and the review perspective, please refer to each detailed page.

1. Extending with Engineer / Specialist in Humanities / International Services (so-called “E/H/IS”)

This applies when you are employed by a Japanese company and are engaged in work in technical, knowledge-based, or international services fields that relate to your educational and professional background. In the extension review, the following points are emphasized: whether your job duties fall within the scope of the status of residence, and whether there is continuity of professional expertise even if you changed jobs or your job duties changed.

For specific procedures and precautions for extending the Engineer / Specialist in Humanities / International Services visa, we explain them in detail on the page below.

Extension of Engineer / Specialist in Humanities / International Services Visa

We explain, with practical examples, key review points when changing jobs, required notifications (within 14 days), and real cases that are likely to result in denial—written by an administrative scrivener.

2. Extending with Highly Skilled Professional (HSP)

If you are staying in Japan under the “Highly Skilled Professional” status based on the points system, it is assumed at the time of extension that you continue to meet the points requirements and that your activities have not changed substantially from what was approved at the time of application. If there are changes in your position, annual income, or job duties, you will need to organize the facts with consideration of how they affect your points.

For details on HSP visa extension, differences between HSP(i) and HSP(ii), and the relationship with future permanent residency, please see the page below.

Extension of Highly Skilled Professional (HSP) Visa

We explain, from a practical perspective, required documents, key review points, differences between HSP(i) and HSP(ii), and precautions when changing jobs or annual income changes.

3. Extending with Intra-Company Transferee

This applies when you remain employed by an overseas headquarters (or similar entity) and are transferred to a branch office or an affiliated company in Japan. In extension reviews, the following points are especially emphasized: whether the prerequisites for an intra-company transfer (relationship with the home-country company / the assignment arrangement) are being maintained, and whether your duties in Japan are reasonable as a transfer assignment.

For specific review points for intra-company transferee visa extension, and how to think about cases involving a transfer of employment (hired in Japan) or changes to the secondment conditions, we explain them in detail on the page below.

Extension of Intra-Company Transferee Visa

We explain required documents, review points, the period of stay, and precautions when there is a transfer of employment (hired in Japan) or changes to secondment conditions.

3. Checklist of “Changes” to Organize Before Applying (This Is the Most Important Part)

In work visa extension reviews, not only your current situation but also what has changed since the time of your last permission is emphasized. If you prepare with the assumption that “I’ve continued working, so it should be fine,” the points the immigration officer wants to confirm may not be conveyed sufficiently, which can lead to requests for additional documents or a more cautious review.

Before applying, organize whether there have been changes such as the following, and identify in advance which points require explanation. This is the first step toward a smooth extension process.

1. Changes in Employer or Employment Conditions

• Job change, internal transfer, or changes in job duties (your responsibilities or role changed)
• Changes in employment type (full-time → fixed-term contract, changes in renewal conditions, outsourcing/contracting, etc.)
• Changes in the company situation (leave of absence, separation, reassignment due to company circumstances, etc.)

If there are such changes, the review will re-check whether the activities permitted under your status of residence match your current actual work situation. Especially when job duties have changed, it is important to organize “what is the same as before, and what has changed.”

2. Changes in Annual Income or Remuneration

• Your annual income changed significantly (promotion/demotion, switch to commission-based pay, fewer overtime hours, etc.)
• Bonuses were abolished or reduced, or the composition of base salary and allowances changed
• Your number of dependents increased, making it necessary to explain your living plan

In work visa extensions, income is also checked from the perspective of whether you can continue a stable life in Japan. Even if the income decrease is temporary, if the background and outlook are not organized, it can become difficult for the immigration officer to make a clear assessment.

3. Changes in Residence Compliance or Personal/Living Circumstances

• Changes in housing (moving, changes in cohabitants or household composition, etc.)
• Changes related to family structure such as marriage, childbirth, or divorce
• Whether there are any unpaid taxes or social insurance, or payment delays

Residence compliance and living circumstances are often underestimated at extension time, but they are important factors when considering long-term stability in Japan and future permanent residency. Especially for taxes and social insurance, there are cases where it is not enough to say “I can explain it later”, so advance checks are essential.

If there are such changes, rather than simply gathering documents, it is important to organize in a way the immigration officer can understand: why the change occurred and whether the current situation is stable.

4. If You Changed Jobs: Is Extension Enough, or Is a Change of Status Needed?

Among consultations about work visa extensions, the point that individuals most often struggle with is: “I changed jobs—can I proceed with an extension application without issues?” Here, rather than stating a definitive conclusion, we organize the way of thinking that can serve as a guideline for your decision.

1. Examples That Are Often Easier to Organize Through an Extension

• The essence of your job duties has not changed significantly (there is continuity of expertise)
• Your remuneration is stable, and you can explain how you will maintain your life in Japan
• Required notifications (such as change of affiliated institution) have been properly submitted within the deadline

Even if these apply, if your job duties and employment conditions are not sufficiently explained in the application documents, it can be difficult for the immigration officer to understand the actual situation. Even for an extension, organizing the explanation is essential.

2. Examples That Tend to Be Harder to Explain / More Likely to Require “Design”

• Your job duties changed significantly (the connection to your expertise is weak)
• Your income decreased substantially, or became unstable with large fluctuations
• You have changed jobs many times, and short-term resignations have continued
• Your period of stay is nearing expiration, and you have not sufficiently organized the situation

In such cases, it becomes difficult to determine whether you should proceed with an extension or consider a change of status of residence. If you file an extension application in a purely formal manner, the review may become prolonged or lead to an unfavorable result.

Ultimately, whether an “extension” or a “change” is more appropriate depends on the type of status of residence, your current actual work situation, and how the submitted documents are structured. If you have concerns, organizing your situation early can help you make a decision without narrowing your options.

5. Factors That Often Influence the Extension Result (Granted Period of Stay)

In extensions of work-related statuses of residence, it is not only whether the extension is approved, but also which period of stay (1 year, 3 years, 5 years, etc.) is granted that can significantly affect your subsequent residence planning. If the granted period is short, it not only increases the frequency of extensions, but may also be viewed cautiously in a future permanent residency application from the perspective of “stability of residence.”

The granted period is not determined by a uniform standard. In practice, it is decided based on an overall assessment of the circumstances at the time of application, namely “to what extent stable residence can be recognized”. In particular, when the following circumstances exist, there is a tendency for a shorter period of stay to be granted.

• Immediately after a job change, making it difficult to sufficiently evaluate actual employment circumstances and continuity of employment
• Unstable income, or difficulty in assessing whether there is sufficient leeway in the balance with living expenses
• The explanation of job duties is abstract, making it hard to understand compatibility with the status of residence and the level of expertise
• There are delays or unclear points in the fulfillment of taxes and social insurance, leaving concerns about continuous compliance in residence management

Even if you fall under these circumstances, it does not mean the application will be denied immediately. However, if the immigration officer determines that “it is necessary to watch the situation carefully,” a short period of stay may be granted as the result.

Conversely, by organizing your job duties, employment conditions, and income situation according to your circumstances, and by submitting appropriate supporting documents, it becomes easier for the immigration officer to make an assessment, which tends to lead to an extension result that reduces uncertainty factors. The length of the period of stay can be evaluated as the outcome of such “accumulated explanations.”

6. Precautions at the Time of Extension with Future Permanent Residency in Mind

A work visa extension is not a procedure that ends simply because you receive approval at that point in time. If you are considering applying for permanent residency in the future, your past extension history and the accumulation of your residence record become important decision factors in the review. Therefore, there are points you should keep in mind from the extension stage.

(1) Stability of Residence (How Job Changes and Career History Are Viewed)

In permanent residency review, it is not only whether you are currently employed, but also whether you have continued stable employment over a certain period that is assessed comprehensively. A job change itself does not immediately become a disadvantage, but if you cannot explain the reasons for the job change and the consistency of your job duties, the authorities may make a cautious determination regarding “whether stable residence can be expected going forward.”

If there is a job change or a change in job duties at the time of extension, organizing why you made that choice and how your current role connects to your past experience will help you build a residence record that is easier to explain at the time of a permanent residency application.

(2) Income and Continuity of Daily Life

For permanent residency permission, income status is checked from the perspective of whether you can continue a stable life in Japan going forward. Rather than the increase or decrease in annual income itself, what matters is whether your household as a whole can maintain a reasonable and sustainable lifestyle.

Even if your annual income temporarily decreases or your number of dependents increases, if you can explain the balance among income, expenses, and savings, it does not necessarily become immediately disadvantageous. By organizing your living plan with awareness from the extension stage, it becomes easier to connect this to a future permanent residency review.

(3) Fulfillment of Taxes and Social Insurance (Delays or Nonpayment Require Caution)

In a permanent residency application, the fulfillment status of taxes and social insurance becomes a very important checkpoint. Even if such issues are less likely to surface during a work visa extension, permanent residency review may confirm past compliance history as well.

Before filing your extension application, it is important to confirm whether there are any unpaid amounts or payment delays regarding resident tax, income tax, pension, health insurance, etc., and to address any issues as early as possible if there are problems. Whether or not you have taken such steps may also affect the evaluation in future reviews.

*If you aim for permanent residency, organizing your work visa extension on the assumption that it will be reviewed in a future permanent residency examination can reduce the risk of being pressed later to explain past circumstances.

7. Overview of Our Work Visa Extension Support Services (For Individuals)

1. Service Overview

An extension of period of stay for a work visa is not merely a formal procedure carried out because the expiration date is approaching. In the extension review, it is comprehensively confirmed whether you continue to stably engage in the activities permitted under your current status of residence, and whether you are in a situation where you can continue the same activities going forward.

In particular, if during your period of stay there have been job changes, departmental transfers, or changes in job duties, or changes in annual income or employment conditions, many people struggle with whether “extension is sufficient” or “a change of status should be considered.” If you file an extension application in a purely formal manner, the review may become more cautious, and in some cases it can affect your future residence.

At ACROSEED Immigration Lawyer's Office, regardless of the type of your current status of residence, we organize the changes since the time of your last permission, visualize what should be explained in a work visa extension, and design an application policy that is more likely to lead to approval.

In addition, a work visa extension is an important step toward future goals such as obtaining a longer period of stay (3 years, 5 years) and applying for permanent residency. Our office places importance on designing extensions not only for this renewal, but also with mid- to long-term stability of residence in mind.

Who This Service Is For (Individuals)

• Those who are approaching an extension of period of stay for a work visa
• Those who had a job change, departmental transfer, or changes in job duties during their period of stay
• Those whose annual income or employment conditions changed and are concerned whether extension will be fine
• Those who were previously granted a short period of stay and are worried about this extension
• Those who want to stabilize their residence with an eye toward applying for permanent residency in the future

2. What Is Included in the Service

1. Organizing your current status of residence (E/H/IS, Highly Skilled Professional, Intra-Company Transferee, etc.) and confirming the extension policy
2. Inventorying changes since the time of the last permission (job change, job duties, annual income, employment conditions, etc.)
3. Organizing work content, expertise, and role, and designing the explanation policy
4. Reviewing and supplementing employment contracts, working conditions notices, company materials, etc.
5. Comparative consideration and policy proposal between extension and change of status of residence
6. Preparation and review of the full set of extension application documents
7. Filing/handling the extension of period of stay application with the Immigration Services Agency
8. Responding to requests for additional documents during review and providing supplemental explanations
9. Residence management advice with future extensions, changes of status, and permanent residency in mind

3. Benefits of Requesting Support from ACROSEED Immigration Lawyer's Office