Lost job - should I tell city hall?

I have a 3 year status of residence (engineer status), but after only 2 months in Japan my company is closing its office here. I don't have another job to go to yet. Should I let my local city hall know straight away that I am unemployed, or can I just ignore the issue until I find a new job (assuming I can do that within 3 years!)?

I read that it is possible I will be asked to leave after three months if I tell them so that is why I am considering keeping quiet. Having said all that, I suppose I will need to sign up to the national health scheme eventually? (Or I could just take the risk of having no insurance).

Actually, my situation is slightly more complicated since the company I came to work for in Japan had severe financial problems and didn't even pay me a single yen for my two months of work . When it comes to the end of the tax year it may look like I've done nothing at all since arriving...not sure if that will also be a problem.

I'm sorry to hear of what happened.
A few other similar (though in their cases mostly they quit the company) threads on the topic:
http://www.japan-guide.com/forum/quereadisplay.html?0+6...

I am assuming that you will try to find another job in Japan in the next few months?

Yes, I will look for a new job, but I had always intended to have a one month vacation in September so that makes it difficult for me to commit to starting work until October.

The other threads were helpful, but they don't specifically mention whether people told city hall about the change to their status or whether they signed up to the national health scheme.

I'd like to do things by the book to avoid future problems, but if it is OK to keep a low profile until you find a new job that would suit me as well.

One of the other posters mentioned that they left Japan for five months before returning so that suggests I can just keep quiet for now.

I wouldn't tell them anything.
Look for another job and go on with life.
GooD LucK!!

If you want to go *strictly* by the book, then you need to go to your city hall to report the change in your circumstances, within a few weeks of the change, I believe. But people have more important things on their mind if they've just lost their jobs :) if you intend to find a job soon in a similar field, I think it is OK to give other things higher priority, if you know what I mean.

I would say if you want to find a new job and stay in Japan, you should get going with the job search first, because, if you stay in Japan AND have no job for an extended period of time (let's say over 2, 3 months or so) you will end up having no basis for your visa status.

Some people say visa is yours to keep until it expires, no matter what change in circumstances, but I do not recommend staying in Japan under a visa sponsored by a company that is no longer your employer for as long as three years. Residence tax and insurance issues do come up after a while.

On the other hand, if you are planning to leave Japan after a month's vacation, I don't know your nationality so I cannot tell exactly what you are eligible for, but you could even apply for a change to Temporary Visitor status (up to 90 days for, for example, US citizens) during which you can travel, but not work.

By the way, are you going to take up the no-pay problem with Labor Standards Office or some help group? If they are folding up their operations in Japan, wouldn't it be better to try to get the pay from them now?

City Hall is not the place to be honest about your visa status. It's the Immigration Office you should go to if you wish to.

But there's no necessity because you have a valid visa. All you need is a new job & guarantor. Related taxes, insurance will be arranged by the employer.

If I were you I would forget about my holidays and concentrate on getting a new job first. Jobs in Japan are not easy to come by. Not even if you are well-qualified and experienced.