From the differences between Specified Skilled Worker (i) and (ii), through eligible fields and the 10 mandatory support duties, to the move to annual notification, our gyoseishoshi explains it all clearly for hiring managers.
![What Is the Specified Skilled Worker Visa? A Clear Guide to the System from the Ground Up [2026 Edition]](/_next/image?url=%2Fcdn%2Fpost-attachments%2Finsights%2Fwhat-is-specified-skilled-worker%2Fhero.jpg&w=3840&q=75)
As Japanese society faces an ageing population, a declining birth rate and chronic labour shortages, the "Specified Skilled Worker" (特定技能) status of residence was created in April 2019 (Heisei 31). Whereas earlier work-related visas were aimed mainly at professional and technical fields, Specified Skilled Worker status was designed to accept foreign nationals who can work immediately in industries facing serious labour shortages.
However, the system as a whole is complex. There are two categories of Specified Skilled Worker status — (i) and (ii) — and they differ significantly in terms of eligible industries, permitted period of stay, whether family accompaniment is allowed, and how job changes are treated. Accepting organisations are subject to statutory support duties, and the notification rules were also substantially revised in April 2026.
In this article we set out the purpose and background of the Specified Skilled Worker system, the differences between category (i) and (ii), the eligible industrial fields, the routes to qualification, the obligations of accepting organisations, and the latest rules on periodic notification. We hope this proves useful both to company representatives considering hiring foreign nationals and to anyone wanting to understand the overall shape of this status of residence.
For an overview of the hiring process, please also see How to Hire Foreign Workers in Japan. We also explain, in Hiring Foreign Workers Begins Before the Visa Application, why it is important to clarify "what duties this person will actually perform" before considering a status of residence.
When the system was created in April 2019, it was intended for personnel who could work productively from day one. Rather than assuming employers would train workers from scratch through on-the-job training, the stated purpose of the system is to support industries facing serious labour shortages by accepting personnel who already possess a certain level of skill and Japanese-language ability (see: About the Specified Skilled Worker System).
This is in contrast to the "Highly Skilled Professional" status and "Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services" (技人国) status, which are aimed primarily at university-educated white-collar workers and specialist technical staff. Specified Skilled Worker status instead covers a wide range of frontline and service roles. Precisely for this reason, accepting organisations are subject to substantial support obligations — simply signing an employment contract is not the end of the matter.
There are two categories of Specified Skilled Worker status. Put simply, category (i) enables the acceptance of personnel with a certain level of skill, while category (ii) enables longer-term residence for personnel with more advanced, skilled expertise.
We hope the comparison table below is a useful practical reference.
| Item | Specified Skilled Worker (i) | Specified Skilled Worker (ii) |
|---|---|---|
| Skill level | A reasonable degree of knowledge or experience | Skilled expertise |
| Cumulative period of stay | In principle capped at 5 years | No cap (renewable) |
| Family accompaniment | Not permitted, in principle | Permitted (subject to individual confirmation) |
| Eligible fields | Multiple specified industrial fields (see below) | 11 fields (expanded June 2023; excludes nursing care) |
| Period of stay (per grant) | One of: 1 year / 6 months / 4 months | One of: 3 years / 1 year / 6 months |
The period of stay granted at any one time is, for category (i), "a period individually designated by the Minister of Justice not exceeding one year" (in practice, one of 1 year, 6 months or 4 months), and for category (ii), one of 3 years, 1 year or 6 months (see: Operational Guidelines on the Acceptance of Specified Skilled Workers (April 2025)).
Cumulative period of stay (通算在留期間) for category (i): The Immigration Services Agency of Japan (出入国在留管理庁) states explicitly that "the cumulative period of stay must in principle be no more than 5 years" (see: Cumulative Period of Stay for Specified Skilled Worker (i) and (ii)). The same page also notes that an extension to up to 6 years may be permitted, but only where specific circumstances apply, such as failing an examination.
Category (ii) is stated on the same page to have "no cap on the cumulative period of stay", meaning renewal may continue for as long as the requirements continue to be met. Following a Cabinet decision on 9 June 2023 (Reiwa 5), the eligible fields for category (ii) were substantially expanded (see: Addition of Eligible Fields for Specified Skilled Worker (ii)).
The industries in which Specified Skilled Worker status permits the acceptance of foreign nationals are known as "specified industrial fields" (特定産業分野), and are limited to fields recognised as facing a particularly serious labour shortage. Following the Cabinet decision of 9 June 2023, the eligible fields for Specified Skilled Worker (ii) were substantially expanded (see: Addition of Eligible Fields for Specified Skilled Worker (ii)). Category (ii) currently permits acceptance in 11 fields (see: Cumulative Period of Stay page).
| # | Specified Industrial Field | Eligible for (ii) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nursing care | ×(※) |
| 2 | Building cleaning management | ○ |
| 3 | Industrial products manufacturing | ○ |
| 4 | Construction | ○ |
| 5 | Shipbuilding and ship machinery industry | ○ |
| 6 | Automobile maintenance | ○ |
| 7 | Aviation | ○ |
| 8 | Accommodation | ○ |
| 9 | Agriculture | ○ |
| 10 | Fisheries | ○ |
| 11 | Food and beverage manufacturing | ○ |
| 12 | Food service industry | ○ |
※ On the nursing care field: Because a separate professional/technical status of residence, "Nursing Care", already exists, the nursing care field is not included among the eligible fields for Specified Skilled Worker (ii) (see: Addition of Eligible Fields for Specified Skilled Worker (ii)).
For Specified Skilled Worker (i), in addition to the 12 fields above, recent Cabinet decisions have also added fields such as motor truck transportation, railways, forestry, logistics warehousing and linen supply. Please check the Specified Skilled Worker system's eligible fields page for the latest list of eligible fields.
To obtain Specified Skilled Worker status of residence, the foreign national concerned must meet one of the following sets of requirements.
A. Skills examination + Japanese-language examination route
Pass the "Specified Skills Evaluation Test" set for the relevant field, and pass either the "Japan Foundation Test for Basic Japanese" (JFT-Basic) or the "Japanese-Language Proficiency Test" (JLPT) at N4 level or above. For the nursing care field, a separate "Japanese Language Proficiency Test for Nursing Care" must also be passed.
B. Satisfactory completion of Technical Intern Training (ii) route
Where a foreign national has completed Technical Intern Training (技能実習) (ii) "satisfactorily", the skills and Japanese-language examinations above may be waived, provided the work category and duties are the same. When considering a transition from Technical Intern Training to Specified Skilled Worker status, it is important to check the correspondence between job types and duties on a case-by-case basis.
Please note that examination names, administering bodies and applicable fields differ by field and are updated from time to time. For the latest examination information by field, please refer to the official information published by the relevant competent ministry or body for each industry.
A company or business that employs a Specified Skilled Worker is referred to as an "organisation to which a Specified Skilled Worker belongs" (特定技能所属機関). In addition to complying with general employment regulations, such an organisation bears special statutory support duties.
Where a Specified Skilled Worker (i) is accepted, the accepting organisation must draw up a support plan (支援計画) and carry out the following 10 items of mandatory support (義務的支援) (see: Support for Specified Skilled Workers).
These support measures may be carried out by the accepting organisation itself, or their implementation may be outsourced to a Registered Support Organisation (登録支援機関).
A "Registered Support Organisation" (登録支援機関) is a specialist body, registered with the Immigration Services Agency of Japan, that may carry out all or part of the above support plan on behalf of an accepting organisation (see: Register of Registered Support Organisations). As of 25 June 2026, 11,456 organisations were registered.
Where the entirety of the support plan is outsourced to a Registered Support Organisation, the accepting organisation is deemed to have "ensured the proper implementation of the support plan", and may thereby satisfy the requirements for a support framework. However, a Registered Support Organisation may not further subcontract the outsourced work to a third party.
As a partner supporting the hiring of foreign nationals, our firm is also able to introduce you to our group company's Registered Support Organisation.
📋 Struggling to put a support framework in place?
Drawing up and implementing a support plan can place a considerable administrative burden on an accepting organisation. Our firm offers support in preparing a support plan and can introduce you to a Registered Support Organisation. Please feel free to get in touch for a first consultation.
An organisation to which a Specified Skilled Worker belongs is required to periodically notify the relevant authorities of the status of its acceptance of foreign personnel. The rules on this "periodic notification" (定期届出) were substantially changed with effect from 1 April 2026 (Reiwa 8) (see: Notification by Organisations to Which a Specified Skilled Worker Belongs).
Summary of the change:
The final round of quarterly notification ended with the submission due on 15 April 2025, and the next notification, from April 2026 onwards, will be the annual notification under the new rule.
Separately from periodic notification, ad-hoc notification (随時届出) is also mandatory. Where a prescribed event occurs — such as a change to or termination of the employment contract, a change to the support plan, or a change of the party to which support has been outsourced — notification must be made within 14 days of the event. Failure to comply properly with these notification requirements may result in the organisation being unable to continue accepting Specified Skilled Workers.
On changing employer
Under Specified Skilled Worker status, a change of employer is permitted provided it is within the same specified industrial field. This applies both where a foreign national wishes to change employer of their own accord, and where continued employment becomes difficult for reasons attributable to the accepting organisation (see mandatory support item 10, "support in finding new employment") — in either case, the worker may seek new employment within the same field.
Managing the cumulative period of stay
Because category (i) is subject to a cap on the cumulative period of stay (in principle, 5 years), managing this carefully is important wherever continued employment is planned. Should the 5-year cap be reached, a change to a different status of residence will be required.
Points on permanent residence and family accompaniment
Specified Skilled Worker (ii) has no cap on the cumulative period of stay, and residence may continue for as long as the requirements are met. Permission for permanent residence in Japan may potentially be applied for where requirements such as "continuous residence of 10 years or more" are satisfied (the details depend on the individual case).
There are also statutory provisions concerning family accompaniment (spouse and children) under category (ii); please consult our firm's gyoseishoshi (immigration lawyer) for the specific requirements and procedures.
The Specified Skilled Worker system is used by many companies as a rapid solution to labour shortages. At the same time, the responsibilities borne by accepting organisations — support duties, notification duties, and management of the period of stay — are by no means light.
It would not be an exaggeration to say that correctly understanding the system, and creating an environment in which foreign personnel can work with peace of mind over the long term, is what determines whether a hiring effort succeeds. For a comparison of Specified Skilled Worker status with other statuses of residence, please also see Specified Skilled Worker vs. Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services: What Is the Difference? (coming soon).
Our firm provides one-stop support, from assistance with Specified Skilled Worker status of residence applications and the preparation of support plans, through to introductions to a Registered Support Organisation. If you have any questions about the details of the system, or whether it applies to your company, please do get in touch for a consultation.
For more detail, please see the 7 steps of the overall hiring process in How to Hire Foreign Workers in Japan, and our approach to designing a hiring plan in Hiring Foreign Workers Begins Before the Visa Application.
🧭 Considering hiring foreign personnel?
Our foreign personnel recruitment service supports hiring across Specified Skilled Worker and other statuses of residence. Please also make use of our self-check on eligibility to accept foreign personnel.
