Residence and Disembarakation Card

Hello.

I used to work in Japan for almost two years; I was granted a residence card with the status of Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/Int'l Services that is valid until March 2025. I had to leave Japan for the reason of finishing the last semester of my doctorate degree.

My question is, is it required for me to obtain a COE despite having a working residence card and a Disembarkation Card for Reentrant attached to my passport? I am hoping to visit Japan over the holidays and then after graduation, to find a job in Japan through direct hiring if it's possible and legal.

Thank you very much!

I'm a little confused by your question. You say you have residency allowed in Japan until March of 2025. Are you currently in Japan or are you back home right now?

If you left Japan and you said that you'd be back within 1 year of that that you disembarked, then you can come back to Japan. The only time you'd need to get a COE again is if you were outside of Japan for more than a year or you said that you weren't coming back to Japan when you checked it off on the departure card. You should see 2 boxes with one stating that you'd be back to Japan within a year or the other is saying you're leaving Japan for good and then immigration would then just take your residence card.

If i read your question right, I'm assuming you still have your residence card, so as long as you come back to Japan within a year, you're fine and don't need a COE. Though, you would still have to find some kind of company to prove employment of course.

Hi, Tom! I am currently in my home country now. I checked the box stating that I'd be back to Japan within a year - in 2024. I still have my residence card with me that is valid until 2025.

"Though, you would still have to find some kind of company to prove employment of course." - Does this mean that a COE is still required prior to reentering Japan? I am confused.

residence card shows the term that you can RESIDE in Japan. not shows the permission for RE-ENTRY to Japan.

It sounds like you were here in Japan until recently with work, and you left Japan sometime earlier this year, intending to return. But have you quit your employer that you used to work at? Or did you get a special leave/vacation from them with the purpose of obtaining your degree, and return to the same employer?

The COE just means that you're eligible to come to Japan where you would then get your residence card to work. If you already have your residence card, then you don't need a COE again. The only thing you do need though is a company who will sponsor you, which shouldn't be that hard if you already have your residence card.

Are you still with the company that you originally had when you left Japan? Are you just taking a leave of absence from the job or are you not employed by anyone in Japan now? From my understanding, you would have to find a job within 3 months of coming back to Japan with your current residence card as you'd be "unemployed" and need to prove that you are fulfilling the requirements of the visa that you have. When it comes to immigration in Japan, they give you that time-frame as people do change jobs or get laid off, etc.

If you're not with the same company and don't have a job now, I'd honestly just start applying again, because you're just gonna have to do it anyway when you come back to Japan.

for example,
you have the working resident permission until 2025.
when you left Japan in Oct. 2023 with checking the box of special re-entry permit,
you can re-enter Japan until Oct. 2024 ( within one year). in general, you are requested that you come to Japan for working (seeking for a job) and that you need to find a job within 3 months after arriving. (it does not matter that you return to the previous company or not.) your resident permission is valid until the date of 2025.
if you don't come back within one year, your resident permission becomes INVALID, even though the expiry date on the card is 2025.