Can Technical Intern Trainees Change Jobs? Conditions and Steps

Having the right information is the first step to protecting yourself

"I said I wanted to change jobs — and they threatened me with visa revocation"

San (29) from Pokhara, Nepal came to a food processing factory in Saitama in April 2023 as a technical intern trainee. He had borrowed ¥2,000,000 from his parents. He was repaying ¥60,000 a month while slowly sending money for his younger brother's school fees.

Around the second year of his training, the team leader changed.

At first it was small things. During work, instead of his name, he was called "Hey, foreigner." When he made the same mistake as others, no one else was told anything — only San was yelled at loudly. More than once, he heard "Why did you come here if you can't even speak Japanese?"

By about six months later, the contents of his locker were being disturbed. Text he had written in his work diary was being altered without his knowledge.

His body became heavy. His appetite dropped. Every morning on the train to the factory, nausea rose from deep in his stomach. But he couldn't take time off — missing work would reduce his monthly allowance and delay his repayment to his parents.

When he consulted a Vietnamese coworker in his dormitory, the coworker lowered their voice: "Don't tell the supervising organization. It's about your visa."

When he finally worked up the courage to consult the supervising organization's representative, the response was: "If you do things on your own, there's a chance your visa could be revoked. You should just try harder at your current job."

That night, San gripped his phone and cried. He thought about the weight of the ¥2,000,000 — everything he had hoped for in coming to Japan, and everything he felt for his family.

But — what the supervising organization's representative said was not accurate.