[Approved Case] Employee Work Visa Approved After Initial Refusal | Client Voice VOL.18
Employee Work Visa Approval After Initial Refusal
Case Overview | Analyzing the Refusal and Reapplying Before Student Visa Expiry to Obtain a Work Visa
This case involves a shoe manufacturing company employing a foreign national for the first time. The prospective Korean employee applied for a work visa on his own, but the application was refused, causing serious concern before the start of employment. Our office analyzed the reasons for the refusal, reorganized the job description and supporting materials, and reconstructed the explanation strategy. We refiled the application before the student visa expired and successfully obtained approval for the work visa.
- Consultation: The employee’s work visa was refused and guidance was sought for reapplication
- Issue: Shoe manufacturing does not clearly fit visa categories and is difficult due to “Skilled Labor” requirements
- Action: Refusal analysis / document reorganization / explanation restructuring / reapplication handled by our office
- Result: Approval obtained approximately one month after reapplication (before student visa expiry)
Client Experience | Approved Through Reapplication After Refusal — Deeply Grateful
|
Pioneer Co., Ltd. President & CEO Hiroshi Nishimura |
| Request: Employee Work Visa Approval After Initial Refusal |
Our first consultation came from the company president, who asked us to help after the employee’s visa application had been refused.
After analyzing the reasons for the refusal in the initial self-filed application, we proceeded with a reapplication and successfully obtained the visa.
Our company manufactures leather shoes.
This year, we decided to hire a Korean national, Mr. Lee, as a full-time employee. As this was our first time employing a foreign national, and since he told us that he had already applied for the work visa himself, we simply trusted him and waited for approval. After waiting for two months, however, the result was a refusal, leaving both Mr. Lee and myself speechless.
In hindsight, this outcome was due to my own lack of knowledge. Mr. Lee is an indispensable asset to our company’s future, and with a strong desire for him to remain in Japan, we decided to pursue reapplication.
Shoe manufacturing is not categorized as “Technical” work under the law and falls under “Skilled Labor,” which requires over 10 years of experience — an extremely high hurdle.
Mr. Lee had excellent academic performance at shoe school, and with support from the school, we prepared sufficient materials to demonstrate his abilities. Still, there was no guarantee of approval.
Seeking even a slight increase in success probability, we consulted a judicial scrivener introduced by an acquaintance, who recommended ACROSEED Immigration Lawyer's Office due to its extensive experience with similar cases.
ACROSEED accepted our difficult case with the words, “It may not work, but let’s try.” We were already deeply grateful just for taking on such a challenging case.
With their guidance, the reapplication was filed before Mr. Lee’s student visa expired. After waiting just over one month, we received approval. The joy and gratitude we felt toward the ACROSEED staff who handled the process is beyond words.
Looking back, we realized how many people supported Mr. Lee during this time. We will strive to give back through our shoe manufacturing work and contribute to others as much as possible.
Who This Case Is Helpful For
Even if a work visa is refused once, proper identification of the reasons and reorganization of “job duties,” “education and career,” “company acceptance structure,” and “explanatory documents” can lead to approval upon reapplication. This is especially important for cases where industry or job classification is unclear.
- Companies whose employee or job candidate’s work visa was refused
- Those unsure whether job duties align with visa requirements
- Companies hiring foreign nationals for the first time
- Cases with tight deadlines requiring fast yet well-structured reapplication
Related Services
ACROSEED Immigration Lawyer's Office supports not only the new acquisition and renewal of work visas, but also the design of procedures with long-term residence in mind, including future applications for permanent residency and the acquisition of Japanese nationality.
Work Visa Application Support (Engineer / Specialist in Humanities / International Services, etc.)
We organize job duties, educational background and work experience alignment, employment conditions, and the company’s acceptance structure in a way that is clearly conveyed during immigration screening.
Guide to Naturalization from a Work Visa (Engineer / Humanities / International Services)
A detailed guide for foreign employees holding a work visa (Engineer / Humanities / International Services), explaining eligibility requirements, required documents, residence period, and the impact of taxes and job changes on naturalization applications.
Guide to Permanent Residency from a Work Visa
The latest guide for those aiming to obtain permanent residency from a work visa. Administrative scriveners explain the 10-year requirement, shortened requirements for Highly Skilled Professionals, required documents, review periods, and key points to avoid denial.
Since opening our practice in 1986, we have been involved in consulting on visa applications for foreigners for nearly 40 years as an immigration lawyer.
Telephone consultation, email consultation, online consultation, and consultation at our office are available.
