Japan’s Specified Skilled Worker status (特定技能, tokutei ginou) is the main door for non-graduate workers into Japan’s labour-shortage industries — care homes, construction sites, factories, farms, hotels and restaurants. It is a genuinely different route from the Engineer/Humanities visa: you qualify by passing tests, not by holding a degree. This guide explains how it works in 2026, using the Immigration Services Agency (ISA) and the government’s official SSW portal as the reference points, and flags three recent changes most older guides miss.
SSW (i) vs SSW (ii) at a glance
| Specified Skilled Worker (i) | Specified Skilled Worker (ii) | |
|---|---|---|
| Skill level | Considerable knowledge or experience in the field | Proficient, supervisory-level skill |
| Fields | 19 designated fields (new 3 still launching) | 11 fields |
| Length of each grant | Set individually, up to 3 years | Renewable periods, up to 3 years each |
| Total stay limit | Generally 5 years cumulative | No upper limit |
| Family | Cannot accompany you | Spouse and children can join |
| Japanese test | Required (JFT-Basic or JLPT N4, plus field tests where set) | Higher-level skills test; some fields also set a Japanese requirement |
The five-year cumulative cap on SSW (i) comes straight from ISA’s status page, which notes that the total period of stay as SSW (i) must generally remain within five years (ISA — Specified Skilled Worker). The official SSW portal summarises the practical difference simply: on (i) “you cannot bring your family to Japan”, on (ii) “there is no upper limit to the length you can stay” (SSW portal — about the visa).
The fields: 16 established, 3 new
The long-standing SSW (i) fields are: nursing care, building cleaning, industrial manufacturing, construction, shipbuilding and marine industry, automobile maintenance, aviation, accommodation, automobile transport, railway, agriculture, fisheries, food and beverage manufacturing, food service, forestry, and the timber industry.
A January 2026 Cabinet decision added three more — logistics warehousing, linen supply and resource recycling — taking the total to 19. Actual hiring in the three new fields depends on their skills tests and operating rules being finalised, and is widely expected to start around 2027, so treat them as “coming” rather than “open” until test dates are published on the SSW portal.
SSW (ii) is available in 11 of the fields. Nursing care is the notable exclusion — care workers who want a long-term, family-accompanied status usually aim for the separate Nursing Care status via the national caregiver qualification instead.
Food service: new intake paused since April 2026
This is the change that catches applicants out. New SSW (i) acceptance in the food service field has been suspended in principle since April 13, 2026, because the field was approaching its acceptance cap of 50,000 workers (about 46,000 were already in the field by end-February 2026). People already working in food service on SSW can still renew; what stopped is new entry into the field. No reopening date has been announced, so if a recruiter is selling you a “restaurant SSW job” today, ask exactly how they expect the COE to be approved (YOLO JAPAN — 2026 caps and food service suspension).
How you qualify: two tests (or a training exemption)
For most fields you need to pass both:
- A field-specific skills evaluation test, run by the industry body for that field, held in Japan and in a number of partner countries.
- A Japanese language test — either the JFT-Basic or JLPT N4 or higher.
The Japan Foundation describes JFT-Basic as a computer-based test measuring roughly CEFR A2 Japanese for daily life, held “once a month in principle”, with results shown immediately after the test (Japan Foundation — JFT-Basic). That scheduling advantage is why most SSW candidates sit JFT-Basic rather than waiting for a JLPT session. Nursing care adds a separate care-Japanese evaluation on top.
Technical Intern Training graduates who completed TITP (ii) in good standing can generally move into SSW (i) in a related field without retaking the tests — ISA publishes a table mapping each TITP occupation to its corresponding SSW field. If your TITP job and your SSW job are in different fields, expect to sit the new field’s skills test.
The application path, step by step
- Pass your tests (or confirm your TITP exemption).
- Secure a job offer from a Japanese employer (an “accepting organisation”) in the field you tested in. Pay must be at least equal to what a Japanese worker in the same role receives.
- The employer prepares a support plan — airport pickup, housing help, Japanese study, regular consultations — either itself or through a Registered Support Organisation.
- The employer applies for your Certificate of Eligibility (COE) at its Regional Immigration Services Bureau.
- You apply for the visa at the Japanese embassy or consulate in your country with the COE. Since July 1, 2026 the single-entry visa fee is ¥15,000 — see our Japan visa fees breakdown.
- Enter Japan and receive your residence card at the airport, then register your address at the municipal office.
Several sending countries — Vietnam, the Philippines, Indonesia and Nepal among them — have bilateral cooperation arrangements with Japan and add their own pre-departure procedures. Check your own labour ministry’s requirements as well as Japan’s; an approved COE does not override a home-country exit clearance.
What changes in 2027
From April 2027, Technical Intern Training is replaced by a new Employment for Skill Development (育成就労) system. It is designed as a roughly three-year on-ramp whose graduates reach SSW (i) level, and — unlike TITP — permits changing employer within the same field under set conditions. The January 2026 decision set planned ceilings of 805,700 for SSW (i) and 426,200 for Employment for Skill Development. If you are deciding between an intern-style programme now and waiting, the practical point is that SSW (i) itself continues; it becomes the destination of the new system rather than a separate side door.
Common mistakes
- Paying a broker for a “guaranteed” SSW job. The COE is decided by ISA on your employer’s application; no agency can guarantee it. Large upfront fees are the single biggest risk in this route.
- Testing in one field and applying in another. Your skills test pass is field-specific.
- Planning a family move on SSW (i). It is not allowed; plan around SSW (ii) or another status.
- Ignoring the five-year clock. Time on SSW (i) accumulates across employers.
FAQ
Do I need a university degree for the Specified Skilled Worker visa? No. SSW is designed for workers in labour-shortage fields and is qualified by passing a field-specific skills test and a basic Japanese test, not by a degree. That is the main difference from the Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services status, which normally requires a degree or long professional experience.
Can I bring my family on SSW (i)? No. Specified Skilled Worker (i) does not allow family members to accompany you. Specified Skilled Worker (ii) does allow a spouse and children, and has no cumulative limit on how long you can stay.
Is JLPT N4 or JFT-Basic better for SSW? Either is accepted as the general Japanese requirement for most fields. JFT-Basic is a computer-based test held roughly monthly with results shown immediately, so many applicants find it easier to schedule. JLPT is offered far less often. Nursing care also requires an additional care-specific Japanese test.
Can I apply for SSW in food service right now? New Specified Skilled Worker (i) acceptance in the food service field has been suspended in principle since April 13, 2026, because the field neared its acceptance cap of 50,000 workers. Renewals for people already working in food service are not affected. Check the Immigration Services Agency for any reopening before planning around this field.
How long can I stay on SSW (i)? Each grant is for a period set by the Minister of Justice of up to three years, and your total time on SSW (i) is generally capped at five years. To stay beyond that, you would need to move to SSW (ii) in an eligible field or to a different status of residence.
Next steps
Compare SSW with the degree-based routes in our Japan work visa overview and the Highly Skilled Professional guide, and read up on the Certificate of Eligibility your employer will file. This guide is preparation guidance, not legal advice — rules, caps and test schedules change, so confirm with the ISA and the official SSW portal before you sign a contract or pay any fee. Join the VisaMet waitlist for tools that check your documents and timeline before your employer files.