Apply for change of status of residence from "College Student" to "Work" as soon as possible!

 ◆Immigration Service Agency appeals

 For companies planning to hire foreign students from next April, it is recommended to apply for change of status of residence as early as possible. The Immigration Service Agency is calling for applications to be submitted between December 1 and the end of January, as applications by foreign students who plan to join a company in April are concentrated between January and March every year, and there is a possibility that the screening process will not be completed by the desired date if there are insufficient or late documents submitted. Before applying, please refer to the list of documents to be submitted on the Immigration Service  Agency's website and carefully check that all the necessary documents are in order. Insufficient documents may delay the date of the result and affect the procedure for joining the company.

◆New cases where required documents can be omitted

 From December 1, 2025, when applying for permission to change status of residence from "College Student" to "Engineer/Humanities/International Services" or "Research," it will be possible to omit some of the required documents if any of the following apply (temporary employment is not applicable). It is advisable to confirm whether or not you are eligible before submitting the application.

 1) Graduates (or prospective graduates) of Japanese universities (including graduates of graduate and junior colleges)

 2) Graduates of excellent universities abroad: Foreign universities ranked in the top 300 in two or more of the three world university rankings are eligible.

 3) When working at an institution that currently accepts individuals who have received permission to change their status of residence from “Student” to a work-eligible status: This applies when a foreign national holding the desired status of residence (limited to those who have received permission to change from the “Student” status) is currently employed by the institution and has received at least one extension of stay while working at that institution.

The Immigration Service Agency

To those who are planning to apply for a change of status from "College Student" to "Worker" 

https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/10_00240.html

One Year after the Enforcement of the Freelance Law, Current Status of Guidance on Violations

 

◆445 cases of violations

November 1 marked one year since the enforcement of the Freelance Business Transactions Law (hereinafter referred to as the "Freelance Law"), and the Fair Trade Commission, Small and Medium Enterprise Agency, and Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, which are the ministries and agencies under the jurisdiction of the Law, announced the results of a survey (November 2024 to September 2025) conducted among 30,000 ordering businesses regarding their transactions with freelance workers. The results of the survey are now publicly available.

According to the results, the Fair Trade Commission issued 4 "recommendations" and 441 "instructions" for violations of the Freelance Law. The recommendations were made to major publishing companies, music schools, and others for violations of Article 3, Paragraph 1 (obligation to clearly state business terms), Article 4, Paragraph 5 (obligation to pay remuneration on time), and Article 5, Paragraph 2, Item 1 (prohibition of requests to provide unfair economic benefits) of the Act.

In addition, in March of this year, the Committee intensively investigated businesses in the game software industry, animation production work, and relaxation industry, and instructed 45 companies to correct the descriptions in contracts and purchase orders, the method of placing orders, and the method of setting payment due dates.

 ◆Attention should also be paid to anti-harassment measures and recruitment.

According to prefectural labor bureaus, there have been many cases of guidance, etc. concerning violations of the obligation to establish a system for anti-harassment measures (Article 14 of the Freelance Law) and the obligation to accurately display recruitment information (Article 14 of the same law).

The ordering business must take measures such as establishing a system for consultation to prevent harassment from harming the working environment of freelancers.

When recruiting freelancers through advertisements, etc., the information must not be false or misleading, and must be kept accurate and up-to-date.

When outsourcing work to freelancers, it is necessary to reconfirm the items regulated by the Freelance Law.

Record of the regular press conference of the Director-General dated November 5, 2025, Fair Trade Commission of Japan.
https://www.jftc.go.jp/houdou/teirei/2025/251105.html

Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare "One year has passed since the enforcement of the Act on the Proper Treatment of Transactions between Freelancers and Business Operators!
https://www.mhlw.go.jp/stf/seisakunitsuite/bunya/bunya/freelance_00006.html

Support Tools for Explaining HR and Labor Matters to Foreign Workers

Japanese legal systems and employment practices are often unfamiliar to foreign workers. For this reason, the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare (MHLW) has issued support tools to help explain workplace rules, including the reasons and background, to deepen understanding.

 ◆"Key Points and Examples for Labor Management in Workplaces with Foreign Employees"

The book covers nine themes such as recruitment, wages, working hours, etc., and provides for each actual situation that can be assumed in employment management: 

(1) Points that should be read and understood before explaining to non-Japanese employees

(2) Examples of explanations in "easy Japanese" that can actually be spoken and shown to foreign nationals as they are.

 For example, regarding documents to be submitted by workers after being hired, it is explained with rubi annotations that "In Japan, the company will calculate taxes and insurance on your behalf. Please provide the company with the necessary information so that we can do this for you.” 

 ◆Multilingual Glossary for Employment Management

This glossary provides definitions and example sentences for approximately 420 labor- and social insurance-related terms commonly used in hr and labor management situations. In addition to easy Japanese, 9 languages (English, Korean, Chinese (simplified and traditional), Tagalog, Vietnamese, Nepali, Portuguese, Spanish, Indonesian, Cambodian, Thai, Myanmarese, and Mongolian) are supported.

 When explaining employment regulations, etc. to foreign workers, it is expected to search for terms that may be difficult to understand and provide translations, or to be used by the foreign employees themselves as a dictionary and for pre-employment learning of hr and labor-related terms.

 ◆Model Employment Regulations, etc.

The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare's Model Employment Regulations are also available in foreign languages. In addition, there is a "Working Conditions Handbook" for foreign nationals working in Japan, as well as educational materials and resources useful for preventing work-related accidents involving foreign workers.

[Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, "Are you having trouble explaining hr and labor issues to foreign nationals?"]

https://www.mhlw.go.jp/stf/seisakunitsuite/bunya/koyou_roudou/koyou/jigyounushi/tagengoyougosyu.html

[Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, "Safety and Health Management for Foreign Workers"]

https://www.mhlw.go.jp/stf/seisakunitsuite/bunya/0000186714.html

National Tax Agency has released "How to Make Year-End Adjustment”

The National Tax Agency has released a 64-page pamphlet entitled "How to Make Year-End Adjustment for 2025.” There are several changes in this year's year-end adjustment. It is important for companies to check and prepare for the changes as early as possible. The pamphlet lists the following three points as "changes compared to last year.”

 ◆Revised items for year-end adjustment

 1 Revision of basic deduction for income tax, etc.

 (1) Revision of basic deduction: The amount of basic deduction ranges from 580,000 yen to 950,000 yen depending on total income.

 (2) Revision of deduction for employment income: The minimum amount to be guaranteed is 650,000 yen.

 (3) Establishment of special deduction for specified relatives: For relatives between 19 and 23 years of age who share the same livelihood with the income earner and whose total income exceeds 580,000 yen and does not exceed 1,230,000 yen (specified relatives), the deduction ranges from 30,000 yen to 630,000 yen depending on the total income amount.

 (4) Revision of income requirements for dependents: Total income requirement for spouse and dependents earning the same livelihood is 580,000 yen or less.

 2 Special deduction for housing loans based on the method using the year-end balance statement (statement method).

 3 Key points to consider regarding payroll tax withholding procedures for salaries in Fiscal Year 2026 and beyond.

 Employee understanding of the system is essential for error-free year-end adjustments. For this reason, please check the pamphlet published this time and the "Page for Understanding the Year-end Adjustment" (National Tax Agency) scheduled to be released in October, and make sure that your employees are aware of the revised points.

 National Tax Agency, "How to make year-end adjustments for 2025."

 https://www.nta.go.jp/publication/pamph/gensen/nencho2025/pdf/nencho_all.pdf

Myna Insurance Card will be available on smartphones from September

Currently, My number card holders can use the functions of their My number card on their smartphones by downloading an application, but from September, the functions of the Myna Insurance Card will be available at medical institutions and other facilities where the equipment is ready.

 ◆How can I use mynumber insurance card with my smartphone?

In order to use your my number card with a smartphone, you need to download the mynaportal application. And you must prepare the following

 The actual my number card

 PIN number (4-digit number) for entering the card   *only for iPhone

 Password for the digital certificate for signing the My Number Card (6 to 16 alphanumeric digits set at the municipal office)

From the Myna Portal application, hold up your My Number card to your smartphone and scan it to complete the login. After logging in, register your My Number Card for health insurance card use.

Next, the functions of your My Number Card will be installed in your smartphone. For details, please refer to the following website of the Digital Agency.

 Digital Agency "My Number Card on Smartphone

 https://www.digital.go.jp/policies/mynumber/smartphone-certification

 ◆Operation at reception

The reception procedure at medical institutions, etc., uses a card reader with face recognition, in the same way as when accepting a medical application with a mina-number insurance card. Select the appropriate terminal on the reception screen, authenticate yourself at the terminal, and proceed to enter consent information when you hold your smartphone-equipped mina-insurance card over the general-purpose card reader for smartphones.

 ◆How long can I use the conventional health insurance card?

Conventional health insurance cards will expire sequentially (the longest expiration date is December 1 of this year) as a result of the transition to the myna insurance card. Therefore, for those who do not have a Myna insurance card or have not registered to use the Myna insurance card, a "certificate of eligibility" will be issued by the health insurance association or local government (for those who are enrolled in the late-stage medical care system for the elderly or those who are newly enrolled in the system, a certificate of eligibility will be issued as a provisional measure until the end of July 2026 regardless of whether they have a Myna insurance card or not. (This is a provisional measure until the end of July 2026 for those enrolled in the Late-Stage Senior Citizen's Health Care System and new enrollees, etc., regardless of their Myna insurance card status.) If you present this card at the counter of a medical institution, you will be able to receive insured medical treatment as before.

Satisfaction Points of Generation Z and Measures to Prevent Turnover in Small Businesses

Generation Z (roughly defined as the younger generation under the age of 25) young employees are not as satisfied with the current situation at their companies as they thought they were. According to a survey by Leverages Corporation, 51.5% of Gen Z are satisfied with the way they work. On the other hand, 68.0% of HR and managers believe that "employees are satisfied with the way they work now," showing a gap of about 17 points between the two. There seems to be a surprising gap between the real voices of the frontline and the perceptions of management.

 ◆Satisfaction Points of Generation Z

 Generation Z is the generation most likely to feel particularly satisfied with "short overtime hours" and "personal relationships with superiors. Many of them have also experienced "emotional support" and "suggestions for transfer" that made them feel that the company and their bosses cared about them, which stopped them from leaving their jobs.

 ◆Measures that small and medium-sized companies can take

 What kind of measures can small and medium-sized companies take to prevent employee turnover? The key word is "communication.

Create a place where employees feel free to talk about their problems and questions.

 ⇒Catch small daily changes through regular 1-on-1s, daily reports, chats and frequent pulse surveys.

Create a system for young employees to share information and learnings they gain every day at morning meetings, meetings, and chats.

 ⇒Make it a rule to add your own opinion, even if it is just one word, so that changes in thoughts and feelings can be easily seen.

Send out interviews and success stories of young employees.

 ⇒Elevate self-efficacy by recognizing growth and efforts together.

Convey an attitude of "I care about you.

 ⇒Management and managers should also proactively talk to each other and value small conversations.

Paying attention to small daily changes and feelings will lead to reassurance among younger employees.

Mandatory Heat Stroke Prevention in the Workplace

 ◆Summary of Amendment

In response to the recent heat wave and the increasing number of deaths and injuries caused by heat stroke in the workplace, heat stroke countermeasures in the workplace have been strengthened as a legal obligation. Specifically, on June 1, 2025, the revised Occupational Safety and Health Regulations came into effect, making heat stroke countermeasures in the workplace mandatory.

The regulation applies to work that is expected to be "performed in an environment with a Wet Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT) of 28°C or higher or a temperature of 31°C or higher for more than one hour or more than four hours per day. In order to prevent serious heat stroke, businesses are now obliged to "establish a system," "create procedures," and "inform all concerned parties.

◆Main obligations

Establishment and dissemination of a reporting system: Establishment of a system for "workers who have subjective symptoms of heat stroke" or "workers who find workers who may suffer from heat stroke" to report the fact and dissemination of the system to the workers concerned.

*In addition to receiving reports, efforts should be made to proactively identify workers with serious symptoms of heat stroke by adopting an optimal temperature control buddy system in which employees are assigned in pairs and talk to each other and mutually check each other, utilizing wearable devices, etc. and cooling devices in the work environment.

Preparation and dissemination of measures to prevent serious illness: To enable prompt and accurate decisions when workers who may suffer from heat stroke are identified, 

(1)Emergency contact network at the workplace, contact information and location of the emergency transport center, etc., 

(2)Implementation of measures necessary to prevent serious illness due to heat stroke, such as work release, physical cooling, transport to a medical institution, etc. 

(3)Preparation of procedures and dissemination of these procedures to the workers concerned.

Failure to take these measures may result in imprisonment for up to six months or a fine of up to 500,000 yen. In order to protect the lives of employees and to ensure compliance with laws and regulations, it will become even more important to review the work environment and provide education and training to employees.