Specified Skilled Worker (Tokutei Ginou) Jobs: What Job Seekers Need to Know

What Specified Skilled Worker is, and who it suits

SSW was introduced in 2019 so that Japanese employers in hard-to-staff industries could hire foreign workers who can do the job at a practical level from the start. It is a genuine work status, not a training program. You are hired as a full-time employee under a normal employment contract, and your pay must be at least equal to what a Japanese worker would receive for the same job at the same company.

Several kinds of people use it. International students in Japan often move into SSW after graduating or finishing language school, especially in food service, accommodation and nursing care. Former technical intern trainees use it to keep working in the field they trained in. Others pass the tests in their home country and are hired from abroad, and some people already living in Japan on another status switch into it after finding an employer in an eligible field. Whether you personally can switch depends on your current status and your history in Japan, so check your own situation before you resign from a job or leave a school.

The most important thing to understand is that SSW is not a general work permit. It is tied to one field and one employer, and your work must fall within the job categories defined for that field. That structure shapes almost everything else in this guide, particularly job changes.

The eligible fields

Under the cabinet decision revised in 2024, SSW covers 16 fields. The list is set by the government and is revised from time to time, and each field has its own job categories, tests and employer rules. Always check the latest list on the official SSW portal before you plan your career around a particular field.

Inside each field, the work you are allowed to do is divided into job categories. In food service, for example, the work covers cooking, serving customers and running a store, while industrial product manufacturing is split into categories tied to specific processes. The skills test you pass determines which categories you are qualified for, and a job offer should match them.

Some fields add their own conditions on the employer side. Construction, for instance, has extra approval and registration steps for companies before they can hire SSW workers. Dispatch employment, where a staffing agency sends you to work at another company, is only permitted in a small number of fields such as agriculture and fishery. In other fields you must be employed directly by the company you actually work for.

• Nursing care
• Building cleaning
• Industrial product manufacturing
• Construction
• Shipbuilding and marine industry
• Automobile repair and maintenance
• Aviation
• Accommodation
• Agriculture
• Fishery and aquaculture
• Food and beverage manufacturing
• Food service
• Automobile transportation
• Railway
• Forestry
• Wood industry

The tests: skills plus Japanese

For SSW (i), you normally need to pass two things: a skills test for your field and a Japanese language test. The skills test is organized separately for each field, usually by an industry body or a designated testing organization, and checks whether you can do the work at a practical level. Tests are held in Japan and in a number of other countries, and schedules differ by field, so check the SSW portal and the organizer's official site for dates and application windows.

For Japanese, the usual route is either the Japan Foundation Test for Basic Japanese (JFT-Basic) or the Japanese-Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) at N4 or above. JFT-Basic is computer-based and, in many countries, offered more often than the JLPT, which is why many candidates choose it. Nursing care adds a separate care Japanese test on top of the general requirement, because the job involves constant conversation with residents and colleagues about health and daily routines.

If you completed Technical Intern Training (ii) in good standing, you are generally exempt from the Japanese test when moving into SSW (i), and also from the skills test if your training job is related to the SSW field. The link between your training category and the SSW job category matters, so confirm how they match before you rely on the exemption. The technical intern program itself is scheduled to be replaced by a new system called Employment for Skill Development (育成就労), with the law expected to take effect in 2027. Details of the transition are still being worked out, so treat confident claims about how it will affect you with caution.

Keep in mind that passing a test does not give you a residence status. It is a requirement you bring to a job application. You still need a job offer from an eligible employer and a successful application to immigration.

SSW (i) and SSW (ii): what changes

SSW (i) is the entry level. In principle you can stay for a total of five years, with your period of stay renewed within that limit. Family members generally cannot join you in Japan as dependents while you are on SSW (i). Your employer, or a registered support organization working on its behalf, must provide a defined set of support services to help you settle in and work safely.

SSW (ii) is for workers with more advanced skills, typically people who have gained experience leading a team or supervising work on site. It requires passing a higher-level test in your field, and some fields also ask for proof of practical experience or a higher Japanese level than for (i). There is no fixed limit on renewals, and your spouse and children can generally join you in Japan on the Dependent status, subject to immigration's review.

SSW (ii) is available in many fields, but not all. Nursing care follows a different path, because care workers can move to the separate Nursing Care status after qualifying as a certified care worker, and fields added more recently may only offer (i) for now. The SSW portal shows the current position for each field.

• SSW (i): total stay of up to five years in principle; family generally cannot accompany; mandatory support from the employer or a registered support organization; skills test plus Japanese test, or an exemption through technical intern training.
• SSW (ii): renewable with no set upper limit; spouse and children can generally accompany; the mandatory support plan does not apply; higher-level skills test and, in some fields, experience or Japanese requirements.
• Both: full-time work for a specific employer in a specific field, with pay at least equal to that of a Japanese worker doing the same job.

Your employer and your registered support organization

The company that hires you is called the receiving organization (受入れ機関, also known as 特定技能所属機関). It must meet legal conditions: following labor, social insurance and tax rules; offering a proper employment contract with pay at least equal to that of Japanese workers in the same role; not having recently let go of workers in the same kind of job for its own convenience; and not charging you, or allowing anyone else to charge you, a deposit or a penalty connected to your employment. It must also report to immigration about your employment and support.

For SSW (i), the employer must carry out a support plan in a language you can understand. Many employers entrust the whole plan to a registered support organization (登録支援機関), a company or group registered with the Immigration Services Agency to provide this support. You have every right to know who your support organization is and how to contact them. The support typically includes the items below.

The cost of this support is the employer's responsibility and must not be passed on to you, directly or indirectly. Costs you do pay, such as dormitory rent or utilities, should be reasonable and explained to you in advance. If your payslip or working conditions do not match what you were told, you can raise it with your support organization, the regional immigration office, or a Labour Standards Inspection Office.

• Guidance before you start, covering your working conditions, duties and life in Japan
• Pick-up and drop-off at the airport when you arrive in and leave Japan
• Help securing housing and signing up for essentials such as a bank account and a phone
• An orientation on daily life, local rules and where to get help
• Going with you to public procedures such as resident registration, when needed
• Opportunities to study Japanese
• Consultations and complaint handling in a language you understand
• Encouraging exchange with local people
• Help finding a new job if your contract ends for reasons on the employer's side
• Regular interviews, with problems reported to the authorities when necessary

Changing jobs on SSW

SSW allows job changes, which is one of its key differences from technical intern training. However, your status is linked to a specific employer: the designation (指定書) attached to your passport names the company you work for. Changing employers therefore means filing an application for change of status of residence, even though you stay on SSW, and you cannot start working at the new company until immigration grants permission.

You can generally move to another employer in the same field, or to a different field if you have passed that field's skills test and meet its Japanese requirement. Being wanted by a new employer is not enough on its own; if you have not passed the test for the new field, the move is not possible.

After you leave an employer, you must notify immigration within 14 days. Plan the timing carefully. Resigning before you have a written offer and a clear plan for the application can leave you without income for weeks while the application is examined. If your contract ended for reasons on the employer's side, such as restructuring, your support organization is expected to help you look for a new job, and Hello Work can also help with job searching.

Because a job-change application needs documents from both the old and the new employer, ask the new company early who will prepare the paperwork and whether they work with a registered support organization or an administrative scrivener. For advice on your specific case, consult a certified administrative scrivener (行政書士) or an immigration lawyer.

How to read an SSW job ad

SSW job ads can look like any other listing, but a few details tell you far more than the headline salary. Read the ad, and then the written conditions you receive before signing, with the questions below in mind. On OlaJob, SSW roles are tagged by field, and the visa filter highlights roles that are potentially compatible with your current status, which makes it easier to compare ads side by side.

Be wary of any request for a deposit or fee before you are hired, of anyone who wants to hold your passport or residence card, of penalties for quitting, and of any promise about the outcome of the immigration review. Employers can offer visa support, but only the Immigration Services Agency decides whether an application is granted.

• Field and job category: does the work match the SSW field and category you are qualified for? A vague job description is a reason to ask questions.
• Test status: does the ad require tests you have already passed, or will the employer hire someone still preparing and support them through the test?
• Employment type: SSW is full-time, direct employment in most fields. A role offered through a staffing agency outside agriculture or fishery deserves a careful second look.
• Pay: is it monthly or hourly, and what are the base pay, allowances, overtime rules and bonuses? Pay must be at least equal to that of a Japanese worker in the same job.
• Deductions: dormitory rent, utilities, meals and transport should be listed, reasonable and explained in advance.
• Support: who carries out SSW (i) support, the employer itself or a named registered support organization?
• Visa handling: does the company offer visa support for your application, and who covers the cost of preparing it?
• Location and shifts: especially important in nursing care, accommodation and food service, where night shifts and split shifts are common.