The Immigration Services Agency (ISA) has posted the operational guidelines (運用要領) for the new Employment for Skill Development (育成就労, Ikusei Shuro) system, the successor to the long-criticised Technical Intern Training programme. The page was last updated on 6 April 2026 (Reiwa 8).
- Materials are organised into three sections: main guidelines (10 chapters plus appendices), reference forms, and ministerial-ordinance forms
- Coverage includes plan certification, supervising-and-support organisations, worker protections, and penalties
- ISA notes that some items — including the standards for "excellent" (優良) status and certain reference forms — "will be announced once preparation is complete" (準備ができ次第)
- Reference Form No. 5 is flagged with "will be posted when ready"
Operators should monitor the page for incremental updates rather than treating the current release as final.
Source: Immigration Services Agency — Employment for Skill Development Operational Guidelines