Visa information
Japan Specified Skilled Worker No. 1
This guide covers the 16 fields under Japan's Specified Skilled Worker No. 1 visa, a total stay of five years, Japanese-language and skills-test requirements, the hiring process from COE to entry, and differences from technical intern training and Korea's E-9.
Japan
At a glance
- Eligible fields
- 16 fields, including nursing care, accommodation, food service, construction, and agriculture; four fields were added in 2024
- Length of stay
- Five years in total, renewable in one-year, six-month, or four-month increments
- Key requirements
- Japanese-language test (JFT-Basic 200/250 or JLPT N4) plus a skills test for the relevant field
- Employment model
- Direct employment by the accepting organization; dispatch is not allowed for nursing care or accommodation
- Family accompaniment
- Not permitted in principle for No. 1; permitted for No. 2
Frequently asked questions
How is Specified Skilled Worker status different from Technical Intern Training?
Technical Intern Training is a training scheme, nominally for technology transfer, that goes through a supervising organization. Specified Skilled Worker No. 1 is an employment status for immediately productive workers in labor-shortage fields, hired directly by companies. Technical Intern Training will transition to the Employment for Skill Development system from April 2027.
How long does hiring take?
The standard processing time for a Certificate of Eligibility (COE) is one to three months. Before that come passing the tests, the employment contract, and preparation of a support plan; afterward come local sending procedures and visa issuance. Planning for at least six months overall is safer.
What are the obligations of the accepting organization (company)?
The organization must perform the 10 mandatory support items itself or outsource them to a registered support organization. These include pre-arrival guidance, airport pickup and drop-off, housing support, and a daily-life orientation. The company bears support costs and cannot pass them on to the worker.
What level of remuneration is required?
Pay equal to or higher than that of Japanese workers performing the same work is a legal requirement. If there is no comparable worker, the assessment is based on wage rules or examples of similar work.
Can a Specified Skilled Worker change jobs?
A job change is possible within the same field (work category). If the field changes, permission to change status of residence must be obtained again, so in practice this is not an unrestricted job-change arrangement.
What happens after five years?
In some fields, workers who are recognized as skilled can move to Specified Skilled Worker No. 2, which permits unlimited renewals and family accompaniment. In nursing care, instead of No. 2, there is a long-term path to the residence status "Care" by passing the national Certified Care Worker examination.
Related visas and systems
Visa schemes and figures may change in line with government notices and Cabinet decisions. This page provides general information as of the date of writing; please contact us to confirm the requirements that apply to your company and the latest criteria.
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