From managing periods of stay to the statutory support and notification duties for Specified Skilled Workers, we set out the company's role that continues after onboarding.
Accepting a foreign employee does not end once the onboarding paperwork is complete. A status of residence has a fixed period of validity, and continued employment requires ongoing management of its renewal. Where an employee has been accepted under the "Specified Skilled Worker" status of residence, the accepting organisation is also required to implement a statutory support plan and to submit periodic and ad-hoc notifications.
In addition to fulfilling these legal obligations, an important role for companies is to build an environment in which foreign employees can overcome cultural and linguistic barriers, settle into the workplace, and thrive over the long term.
Of the seven steps introduced in The Process of Hiring Foreign Employees, Step 7, "Retention Support," is the stage that continues on an ongoing basis after hiring. Please see that article for an overview of all the steps.
The expiry date of a foreign employee's period of stay varies according to the type of status of residence granted and the progress of any application under review. Continuing to work after the period of stay has expired can create legal risks for both the employee and the employer.
The application for extension of period of stay is filed by the employee or an authorised intermediary, and the standard processing period is said to take around 2 weeks to 1 month. As a rule of thumb for preparation, it is generally considered advisable to begin the process around 3 months before the period of stay expires.
Companies are encouraged to maintain a list of the periods of stay of all foreign employees on their payroll and to put in place a system for contacting employees in good time as their renewal date approaches. The renewal application may require documents prepared or certified by the employer (such as an employment contract, payslips, or a certificate of registered matters). In practice, it is common for the employer to prepare these documents and gather the necessary materials. We recommend that the person responsible confirms the required documents in advance and puts in place a system that can respond promptly.
Companies that accept foreign nationals under the "Specified Skilled Worker (i)" status of residence (the accepting organisation) are obliged to prepare and implement a statutory support plan. The support may be provided by the accepting organisation itself, or all or part of it may be outsourced to a government-registered Registered Support Organisation. Where the entire support function is outsourced, the accepting organisation is deemed to have fulfilled this obligation, but this does not remove its responsibility as the accepting organisation.
The 10 mandatory support items set out by the Immigration Services Agency of Japan (ISA) are as follows (reference: Operational Guidelines on Support for Specified Skilled Workers (Immigration Services Agency of Japan)).
This support goes beyond simple service provision — it is a legal obligation placed on the accepting organisation. Records of its implementation must also be kept and retained.
📋 Advice on Selecting a Registered Support Organisation or on the Content of Your Support Plan
We are also happy to advise on preparing a support plan for Specified Skilled Workers and on choosing an outsourcing partner. Please feel free to get in touch to start the conversation.
Organisations that accept Specified Skilled Workers are required to submit notifications to the Immigration Services Agency of Japan. There are two types of notification: "periodic notification" and "ad-hoc notification" (reference: Notification Forms Concerning the Status of Acceptance, Activities, and Support (Immigration Services Agency of Japan)).
Periodic notification reports the status of acceptance, activities, and support once a year (covering the period from 1 April to 31 March of the following year, with a submission deadline of 31 May of the following year. From submissions made from April 2026 onwards, the revised form (Form No. 3-6) applies. Reference: Guidance on Preparing Notifications Concerning the Status of Acceptance, Activities, and Support (Immigration Services Agency of Japan)).
Ad-hoc notification is submitted each time a specific triggering event occurs. Common examples include cases where it becomes difficult to implement the support plan (Form No. 3-7), where a notable issue arises during the provision of support (Form No. 4-3), where the foreign national has not engaged in any activity for one month or more (Form No. 5-14), and where the employee goes missing (Form No. 5-15).
Failure to submit these notifications may result in penalties under the system. It is important to work with the person responsible for support, or with the outsourced Registered Support Organisation, to put in place a system for managing the notification schedule and keeping implementation records.
When a foreign employee changes jobs or leaves employment, they are personally required to notify the Immigration Services Agency of Japan, regardless of the type of status of residence held. Under the Immigration Control Act, notification is required within 14 days of the triggering event (reference: Notification Concerning the Contracting Organisation (Immigration Services Agency of Japan)).
The main events that require notification are as follows.
There are three ways to submit the notification: online, in person at an immigration counter, or by post. Note that when notifying online, submission of supporting documents is not required.
As part of the resignation process, companies are encouraged to check whether the employee is aware of this notification obligation and to explain the notification methods where necessary. Failure to notify may affect matters such as the next renewal of the period of stay.
In addition, notifying Hello Work of the employment status of foreign nationals (on separation) is a separate obligation on the employer (reference: Notification of Employment Status of Foreign Nationals (Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare)). As with the procedures at onboarding (Step 6), this must not be forgotten at the time of separation either.
Alongside fulfilling these legal obligations, it is also an important role for companies to work towards creating an environment in which foreign employees can settle into the workplace and thrive over the long term. Below we introduce a few practical perspectives.
Retention support for foreign employees is an ongoing effort that continues after onboarding. Managing the period of stay; for Specified Skilled Workers, implementing the statutory support plan and complying with periodic and ad-hoc notifications; guiding the employee on their notification obligations when changing jobs or leaving; and building the right workplace environment — addressing these systematically as an organisation forms the foundation of a long-term employment relationship.
In particular, it is expected that improving Japanese language ability will become increasingly relevant across all statuses of residence going forward. We would therefore encourage you to regard Japanese language education as one of the important elements of retention support.
For an overview of the entire foreign hiring process, from recruitment through to applying for, renewing, and changing the status of residence, please see The Process of Hiring Foreign Employees. For the thinking behind hiring, please also see Hiring Foreign Employees Starts Before the Visa Application.
🧭 Talk to Us About Accepting and Retaining Foreign Employees — From Building the Right Structure
Our foreign talent recruitment service also offers advice on post-hiring support structures. Please also make use of our self-check on acceptance readiness.
