Specified Skilled Worker Visa (Tokutei Ginou): Tests, Fields, Support and Limits

Who this is for

People who want frontline work in fields such as nursing care, food service, manufacturing, construction or agriculture: international students, technical intern trainees finishing their program, people abroad who have passed the tests, and people in Japan on other statuses who meet the requirements. It is also a starting point for employers considering SSW hiring for the first time.

Requirements for SSW (i)

You must be 18 or older and in good health, pass the skills test for the field, and pass a Japanese test: the Japan Foundation Test for Basic Japanese (JFT-Basic) or JLPT N4 or higher. Nursing care also requires the Nursing Care Japanese Language Evaluation Test. Tests are held in Japan and in a number of other countries, and each field's test body announces schedules and venues.

If you completed Technical Intern Training (ii) (技能実習2号) satisfactorily, you are exempt from the Japanese test, and also from the skills test when your intern job category is related to the SSW field you are moving into.

The employer must normally hire you directly (dispatch is allowed only in agriculture and fishery), pay at least what a Japanese worker would receive for the same work, comply with labor, social insurance and tax laws, and meet field-specific conditions such as joining the council set up for that field.

The total time you can spend on SSW (i) is capped at 5 years, and family members generally cannot join you on Dependent status.

Requirements for SSW (ii)

SSW (ii) requires passing a higher-level skills test for the field and, in many fields, practical experience leading a team or supervising work. Some fields also set a Japanese requirement. There is no cap on the number of renewals, and a spouse and children can apply to join you on Dependent status.

SSW (ii) is not available in every field. Nursing care, for example, has its own long-term route through the Nursing Care (介護) status instead. Check which fields currently offer (ii) before planning your career around it.

The 16 fields

Under a 2024 cabinet decision, SSW covers the 16 fields below. The list and the scope of each field are reviewed from time to time, so check the latest version at ssw.go.jp.

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

Support plan and registered support organizations

For SSW (i), the employer must prepare and carry out a support plan covering both work and daily life. It can do this itself or entrust the whole plan to a Registered Support Organization (登録支援機関) registered with the ISA. The cost of this support must not be passed on to the worker. SSW (ii) holders do not need a support plan.

• Guidance before work starts on conditions, duties and life in Japan
• Airport pick-up and drop-off when arriving from and leaving for abroad
• Help finding housing, opening a bank account and getting a phone contract
• Orientation on daily life, local rules and emergency contacts
• Help with administrative procedures when needed
• Opportunities to learn Japanese
• Consultation and complaint handling in a language the worker understands
• Chances to interact with local Japanese people
• Help finding a new job if employment ends for the employer's reasons
• Regular interviews, and reports to the authorities if problems are found

Step by step

Some countries have bilateral arrangements that add steps on their side. For Vietnamese nationals, for example, a recommendation document issued through Vietnam's authorities has been required. The ISA site has country-specific notes, so check before you file.

• 1. Choose a field that matches the work you want, and check test dates and venues.
• 2. Pass the skills test and the Japanese test, or confirm your Technical Intern Training (ii) exemption.
• 3. Find an employer in the same field and sign an SSW employment contract, with the conditions explained in a language you understand.
• 4. The employer prepares the support plan or contracts a registered support organization; you get a health check on the designated form.
• 5. In Japan: apply for a change of status. From abroad: the employer applies for a Certificate of Eligibility, then you apply for the visa.
• 6. On approval of a change, a revenue stamp fee applies (check the ISA site for the current amount). You receive a new residence card and a designation (指定書) attached to your passport that names your employer and field.
• 7. Start work. Keep the contact details of your support staff and follow their orientation.

Documents

The ISA publishes document lists for each field, split into papers about the applicant, the employer and the field. The categories below are typical; they are not a complete list, and preparing them does not guarantee approval.

• Application form and photo; passport and residence card if you are in Japan
• Pass certificates for the skills and Japanese tests, or proof of completing Technical Intern Training (ii)
• Health check report on the designated form
• SSW employment contract and explanation of working conditions in a language you understand
• Support plan, or the contract with a registered support organization
• Employer registration, financial and compliance documents (labor, social insurance, tax)
• Field-specific documents, such as proof of council membership
• If you are in Japan: records showing payment of taxes and social insurance

Timing

Test dates, results, contract paperwork and the support plan all take time, and processing varies by bureau and case, so plan months ahead. Each grant is for a period set by the ISA and must be renewed before it ends; for SSW (i), the combined total is capped at 5 years. File any change or renewal before your current period of stay expires.

Common pitfalls

If you have had problems with a previous employer, a gap in your stay, or unpaid taxes, get individual advice from a certified scrivener or immigration lawyer before filing.

• Passing the test for one field and taking a job in another
• Starting work at a new employer before the change of status is approved
• Paying deposits to brokers or signing penalty agreements. Be wary of anyone who asks for money in exchange for a job or a visa
• Expecting to bring family while on SSW (i)
• Being assigned duties that fall outside the field on your designation
• Letting tax, pension or health insurance payments lapse
• Planning from an out-of-date list of fields