Highly Skilled Professional Visa – proof of past employment from old employers or when companies no longer exist?

Hi Everyone.

I'm planning to apply for the Highly Skilled Professional (HSP) visa in Japan and need to prove 10+ years of professional experience. I've spoken with both an immigration consultant and the immigration office, and they confirmed that the usual requirement is a letter from each employer containing:

1) my name

2) employment period

3) job title

The challenge is that some of these jobs are 10+ years old, and getting such letters from old employers could be challenging as they may not keep these records anymore. Also, some of the companies I worked for no longer exist or have changed names.

  • Would anyone be willing to share a (redacted) copy of a letter that was accepted? It would help a lot when asking former employers to prepare one.

  • In case the employer no longer exists, would something like a copy of an employment contract + resignation letter typically be accepted as supporting evidence?

  • Alternatively, I may be able to get a document stating all of the above from a labour office in my country. I technically wouldn't be issued by the employer, though, but by the office.

I'd appreciate hearing how others successfully handled this part of the process.

Thanks.

by the-kontra