Employing foreign nationals: labor matters (care / Employment for Skill Development)
The labor and social-insurance procedures that come with employing foreign nationals — especially in care work and Employment for Skill Development — can be entrusted to a Certified Social Insurance and Labor Consultant. The strength of 四葉社会保険労務士事務所 is that we can explain employment contracts, social insurance, and working conditions in Japanese, English, and Chinese (traditional and simplified). We also support preparation for the Employment for Skill Development system taking effect in April 2027.
How are residence status and labor divided?
The entrance (residence-status application) = administrative scrivener; after joining (labor and social insurance) = Certified Social Insurance and Labor Consultant. At Yotsuba, residence-status application documents are prepared by 四葉行政書士事務所 and post-hiring labor is handled by this office. Housing is arranged by Yotsuba Real Estate Co., Ltd. with multilingual support. The three offices accept engagements under separate contracts, with separate fees and billing. You may engage only the part you need.
→ Residence status & visa applications (四葉行政書士事務所)／Bringing an employee from overseas (四葉行政書士事務所)／Company housing (Yotsuba Real Estate)
* Yotsuba Real Estate Co., Ltd., 四葉行政書士事務所, and 四葉社会保険労務士事務所 are independent business entities and accept engagements separately (no referral fees are paid or received).
Are immigration filings and labor filings different things?
Yes. The destinations, deadlines, and responsible qualifications are all different. Filing one does not cover the other.
| Procedure | Filed with | Responsible qualification | Handled at Yotsuba by |
|---|---|---|---|
| Residence-status application, change, renewal | Immigration Services Agency | Administrative scrivener (application agent) | 四葉行政書士事務所, under a separate contract |
| Notification of employment status of foreign nationals | Hello Work (public employment office) | Certified Social Insurance and Labor Consultant | this office |
| Employment-insurance enrollment report | Hello Work | Certified Social Insurance and Labor Consultant | this office |
| Health-insurance / pension enrollment report | Pension office | Certified Social Insurance and Labor Consultant | this office |
* Deadlines for each filing have not been individually verified as of writing (unverified). Actual deadlines are advised at the consultation.
Can the residence-status application and the insurance filings be asked of the same person?
Because the qualifications differ, they cannot be combined into one contract. Residence-status application services are the work of administrative scriveners; labor and social-insurance procedures are the work of Certified Social Insurance and Labor Consultants. At Yotsuba, the former is handled by 四葉行政書士事務所 and the latter by this office, each under a separate contract. Contracts, invoices, and payment accounts are separate. You may engage only the part you need, and you are free to place the other part elsewhere.
Does social insurance apply to technical-intern and specified-skilled workers too?
As a general rule, social-insurance coverage is judged not by the type of residence status but by how the person works (hours and days) and the workplace's coverage requirements. There is no mechanism excluding coverage on the grounds of nationality or residence status.
However, for nationals of countries that have a social-security agreement with Japan coordinating double coverage, the treatment may differ. The agreement countries and conditions require case-by-case confirmation (unverified).
Do work rules need to be multilingual for foreign employees?
The law does not require work rules to be translated into foreign languages. However, work rules take effect only when made known to employees (Labor Standards Act, Article 106, Paragraph 1), and posting them only in a language employees cannot understand can raise the question of whether that counts as sufficient notification.
This office can explain the content in Japanese, English, and Chinese (traditional and simplified). Because the representative works in Chinese and English, no outside translation agency is involved.
Translation and translation certification are not the exclusive work of administrative scriveners or labor consultants. If you need documents translated for submission to public agencies, please consult us separately.
Sources for this page
- Notification of employment status of foreign nationals = Act on Comprehensive Promotion of Labor Policies (Act No. 132 of 1966)
- Notification of work rules = Labor Standards Act (Act No. 49 of 1947), Article 106, Paragraph 1
- Social-insurance coverage = Health Insurance Act (Act No. 70 of 1922); Employees' Pension Insurance Act (Act No. 115 of 1954)
- Employment-insurance filings = Employment Insurance Act (Act No. 116 of 1974)
- Employment for Skill Development system = scheduled to take effect April 2027
* The latest amendment dates of each act, filing deadlines, and social-security agreement countries have not been individually verified as of writing (unverified).
This page is general information. Individual cases are advised after review by the licensed consultant.