Column / 2023.10.03

Specified Skilled Worker (SSW) Visa in Japan: Your Guide to Long-Term Employment

Do you know about 特定技能（とくていぎのう）ーthe "Specified Skilled Worker" status of residence? Many people usually answered "I've heard about it, but what kind of visa is it?" Let's learn about the specified skilled worker as an option to stay for a long term in Japan.
For those who want to learn more about How to Change Your Visa to a Specified Skilled Worker Visa, please check here.

1) What is the Specified Skilled Worker (SSW) Visa?

It is a residence permit to work in Japan that was issued in 2019.
Until then, the previous working visa (Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services) was difficult to get without graduating from university or vocational school in Japan.
However, specified skilled worker do not require any educational background and can be obtained by passing a test.

2) 12 fields of Specified Skilled Worker (SSW) Visa

There are 12 fields of specified skilled worker

・Nursing care （介護）
・Machine parts and tooling, industrial machinery, electrical and electric, electronics and information industries（素形材・産業機械・電気電子情報関連製造業）
・Building cleaning management（ビルクリーニング）
・Construction（建設）
・Shipbuilding and marine industry（造船・舶用工業）
・Automobile repair and maintenance（自動車整備）
・Aviation industry（航空）
・Accommodation industry（宿泊）
・Agriculture（農業）
・Fishery and aquaculture（漁業）
・Manufacture of foods and beverages（飲食料品製造業）
・Food service industry（外食業）

◆New Industries added in April 2024:
・Motor Vehicle Transport
・Railway
・Forestry
・Timber

3) Specified Skilled Worker (i) and (ii)

There are two types of specific skills, (i) and (ii)
The differences between the two are summarized in the table below.

	Specified skilled worker (i)	Specified skilled worker (ii)
Renewal period	1 year, 6 months, and 4 months	3 years, 1 year, and 6 months
Maximum period to stay in Japan	5 years	Unlimited
Age	17 years old or older	17 years old or older
Skill level test	Yes ※For those who have Technical Intern Training Visa ✖	Yes
Japanese level test	Yes (N4 level or higher) ※For those who have Technical Intern Training Visa ✖	none
Can I bring my family?	No	Yes
Support from host institutions	Necessary	Not Necessary
Job Types	12 types	11 types other than nursing care

4) The differences of Technical Intern Training, and Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services

	Specified skilled worker	Technical intern training ※Scheduled to end in 2027	Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services
Available type of fields	12 types	88 types	3 types
Educational background	✖	✖	〇
Skill test	〇	〇	✖
Japanese test	(i) : 〇 (ii) : ✖	✖ ※Only nursing care 〇	✖
Changing job	〇	✖	〇
Part-time job	✖	✖	△ ※Possible only within the scope of residence status
Maximum period to stay in Japan	(i) : 5 years (ii) : unlimited	5 years	5 years, 3 years, 1 year, 3 months
Salary	Same as Japanese	Same as Japanese	Same as Japanese
Can I bring my family?	(i) : ✖ (ii) : 〇	✖	〇

If you have a specific skill or want to get one, why don't you try to get it through YOLO JAPAN?
▼You can search for jobs that suit your field from this Featured Jobs.
Featured Jobs that suits the status of residence

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