Hello Work for Foreigners: How Japan's Free Public Job Centre Works

Hello Work (ハローワーク, officially 公共職業安定所) is Japan's public employment service, run by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare. It has offices in every part of the country, its services are free, and foreign residents with permission to work can use it just like Japanese job seekers. Many newcomers never try it because they assume it is only for unemployment benefits — but it is also a large, free job board with staff who will help you apply.

What Hello Work offers

• Job listings: full-time, part-time and contract jobs, many from small and local businesses that do not advertise on the big job sites, because posting at Hello Work is free for employers.
• Consultation: staff help you choose jobs, check whether a job fits your residence status, and prepare your application.
• Introductions: Hello Work contacts the employer for you and gives you an introduction letter (紹介状) to bring to the interview.
• Language support: many offices in areas with large foreign communities have interpreters or multilingual consultation on set days.
• Specialist centres: large cities, including Tokyo, Nagoya, Osaka and Fukuoka, have Foreign Employment Service Centres (外国人雇用サービスセンター) focused on international students and professionals looking for full-time work.

Who can use it

Anyone legally allowed to do the work they are looking for. In practice that means:

• Permanent residents, long-term residents and spouses of Japanese nationals — any job.
• Work-visa holders — jobs within the activities their status allows.
• Students and dependents with a 資格外活動許可 — part-time work within the 28-hour limit.
• Graduating international students looking for their first full-time job, especially at the specialist centres.

How to register, step by step

• Search online first (optional). The Hello Work Internet Service lets you browse listings and, if you want, create a provisional registration so the visit is shorter.
• Visit the office that covers your address. Go on a weekday; mornings are usually quieter.
• Fill in the job-seeker form (求職申込書). It asks for your contact details, education, work history, the job you want, and your preferred hours. Having your rirekisho ready makes this much quicker.
• Show your residence card. Staff confirm what work you are allowed to do.
• Receive your Hello Work card (ハローワーク受付票). Bring it every time you visit.

What to bring

• Your residence card (and passport if you have just arrived).
• A finished rirekisho, or the facts to fill one in: dates of schools and jobs.
• A pen, a notebook, and your phone with the job listings you like saved.
• Your student ID if you are a student.

Applying for a job through Hello Work

When you find a job you like, show the listing number to a staff member. They phone the employer to check the job is still open and to arrange an interview, then print a 紹介状 for you. Bring it to the interview together with your rirekisho — and a 職務経歴書 for mid-career jobs. After the interview, the employer tells both you and Hello Work the result.

Reading a Hello Work listing

• 就業時間 and 時間外: working hours and expected overtime.
• 賃金: pay; for part-time jobs the hourly rate, with allowances listed separately.
• 加入保険等: which insurance the job includes (雇用・労災・健康・厚生).
• 必要な経験・免許: experience or licences required; 不問 means not required.
• 外国人雇用: some listings say whether foreign applicants have been hired before; staff can ask the employer for you.

Unemployment benefits — a separate matter

Hello Work also handles unemployment benefits (基本手当), but only for people who were covered by employment insurance at a previous job and meet the conditions. Most students with part-time jobs are not covered, so this part does not apply to them. If you lost a full-time job, ask at the counter — and if you hold a work visa, remember to notify immigration within 14 days of leaving your employer.

More questions, answered

• Does Hello Work charge any fees? No. Searching, consultation, introductions and seminars are free for job seekers.
• Can I use any Hello Work office? You can visit any office to search, but registration and benefits are handled by the office that covers your address.
• Do I need to speak Japanese? It helps, but many offices in areas with large foreign communities offer interpreters or multilingual consultation on set days. Ask your local office for the schedule.
• Can Hello Work help me with my visa? No. Hello Work can tell you whether a job seems to fit your status, but residence applications are handled by the Immigration Services Agency.
• Are Hello Work jobs worse than those on private sites? Not necessarily. Many are from small local companies with stable work, and every listing must state the pay and conditions.

Seminars and training

Besides job introductions, many Hello Work offices run free seminars on writing a rirekisho, interview practice and Japanese workplace manners, and some have programmes aimed at foreign residents. People who qualify can also apply for public vocational training (ハロートレーニング) in fields such as care work, IT or office skills. Ask at the counter what is available in your area — the schedule changes every month, and places in popular courses fill quickly.

Tips from people who use it

• Be specific about the hours and area you want; staff can then search for you.
• Go back regularly — new listings are added every day.
• Treat the staff as allies: if your Japanese is limited, ask whether an interpreter is available and on which days.
• Pair Hello Work with private sites — see where to find part-time jobs.

A clear, correctly formatted rirekisho makes every step faster, from the registration form to the interview. Build yours on the part-time resume page or in the editor.