This page about Specified Skilled Worker and Registered Support Organization support is also available in Japanese.
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Specified Skilled Worker and RSO Support in Japan
Applications, Support Plan and Notifications
Tommy’s Legal Service supports employers with Specified Skilled Worker applications, employment structure review, support plans, Registered Support Organization services, and post-acceptance notification management in Japan.
The Specified Skilled Worker system is not simply a hiring route. Employers must confirm the eligible field, actual job duties, candidate requirements, employment conditions, support plan, notification obligations, and post-acceptance management before and after filing.
Quick answer: what should be checked first?
In SSW cases, it is not enough for the candidate to pass a test or for the company to decide to hire them. The employer must review the eligible field, actual job duties, employment conditions, support plan, outsourcing to an RSO, and notification management as one consistent structure. Outsourcing support to an RSO does not remove the employer’s responsibility.
- Candidate: skills test, Japanese language test, good completion of Technical Intern Training No. 2, current residence status, work history, nationality, and past application history.
- Accepting organization: eligible field, actual duties, employment contract, wages, social insurance, taxes, support structure, and sector council requirements.
- Support plan: pre-arrival guidance, life orientation, consultation support, regular interviews, public procedure support, and record management.
- Registered Support Organization: outsourcing scope, cost burden, explanation to the worker, interview method, support records, and notification responsibilities.
- After acceptance: regular notifications, ad hoc notifications, support records, resignation, job change, disappearance, and other post-acceptance issues.
- Sector-specific rules: nursing care, food service, food manufacturing, agriculture, accommodation, construction, industrial manufacturing, automobile transportation, and other fields have their own operational rules and additional requirements.
The Specified Skilled Worker system is a status of residence for foreign nationals who have certain skills and Japanese language ability and who work in designated industrial fields facing labor shortages. Eligible fields and practical requirements differ by sector, including nursing care, food service, food manufacturing, agriculture, accommodation, construction, industrial manufacturing, automobile transportation, and other fields.
Employers must maintain a compliant acceptance structure, including proper employment contracts, sector-specific requirements, council-related procedures, support plans, support records, regular interviews, regular notifications, and ad hoc notifications.
SSW acceptance should be designed before filing
In SSW cases, it is not enough for the foreign national to pass a test or for the company to want to hire them. The employer’s business, actual job duties, employment conditions, and support structure must fit the Specified Skilled Worker system.
We check the sector, actual job duties, candidate requirements, employment conditions, council requirements, and support structure.
We organize immigration forms, support plans, employment conditions, company documents, candidate documents, and sector-specific materials.
We support regular interviews, support records, regular notifications, ad hoc notifications, and resignation or job-change situations.
Who this page is for
- Employers accepting Specified Skilled Workers for the first time.
- Companies changing foreign nationals from Student, Technical Intern Training, Designated Activities, or other statuses to SSW.
- Employers inviting SSW candidates from overseas.
- Companies considering outsourcing support to a Registered Support Organization.
- Employers already accepting SSW workers but concerned about notifications, records, or support implementation.
- Companies that need to check sector requirements, skills tests, Japanese language tests, or council-related procedures.
- Recruiters, overseas sending organizations, and business partners involved in SSW hiring.
- Employers in nursing care, food service, food manufacturing, agriculture, accommodation, construction, industrial manufacturing, automobile transportation, and other SSW sectors.
SSW(i), SSW(ii), and Registered Support Organizations
The Specified Skilled Worker status mainly includes SSW(i) and SSW(ii). SSW(i) is for work requiring a considerable degree of knowledge or experience in designated industrial fields and is generally subject to a total period of stay limit. SSW(ii) is for work requiring skilled-level expertise in designated industrial fields.
| Category | Overview | Practical points |
|---|---|---|
| SSW(i) | A status of residence for activities requiring a considerable degree of knowledge or experience in designated industrial fields. | Candidate requirements, sector rules, support plan, employment contract, and employer-side notification management are important. |
| SSW(ii) | A status of residence for activities requiring skilled-level expertise in designated industrial fields. | The eligible field, skill level, renewal, and family-related issues should be checked separately from SSW(i). |
| Registered Support Organization | An organization entrusted by the accepting organization to implement support for SSW(i) workers. | The outsourcing agreement, support structure, support records, regular interviews, and notification responsibilities must be clearly organized. |
What a Registered Support Organization can do
For SSW(i), foreign workers must receive support so that they can work and live in Japan in a stable manner. Support may include pre-arrival guidance, airport pickup and departure support, housing assistance, life orientation, assistance with public procedures, consultation support, Japanese learning opportunities, regular interviews, and other support.
By outsourcing support to a Registered Support Organization, the employer can receive professional assistance with support implementation and record management. However, the scope of outsourcing, cost burden, explanation to the worker, consultation flow, interview method, and record-keeping system should be clarified in advance.
Main services we support
| Support area | Typical case | Practical points |
|---|---|---|
| SSW eligibility review | Employers accepting SSW workers for the first time | We check sector eligibility, actual job duties, candidate requirements, and sector-specific rules. |
| Certificate of Eligibility | Inviting an SSW candidate from overseas | We organize the employment contract, support plan, candidate documents, company documents, and sector-specific materials. |
| Change of Status | Changing from Student, Technical Intern Training, Designated Activities, or another status | We check test results, technical intern training completion, current residence status, resignation or job-change history, and filing timing. |
| Extension of Period of Stay | Renewal for current SSW workers | We check support implementation, notifications, employment status, tax, and social insurance. |
| Support plan preparation and review | Employers and Registered Support Organizations | We review support items, language support, consultation structure, regular interviews, and support records. |
| Registered Support Organization services | Employers outsourcing SSW(i) support | We assist with pre-arrival guidance, life support, consultation, regular interviews, and related support implementation. |
| Regular and ad hoc notifications | Post-acceptance employer management | We support deadline management, support records, and changes in employment or support status. |
| Coordination with recruiters and sending partners | Overseas recruitment and SSW hiring | We help clarify contracts, fees, role sharing, and explanations to the worker. |
Points employers should check carefully
Employers should not rely only on the fact that a candidate has passed a skills test or wants to work in Japan. The employer should organize the following points before filing.
- Whether the actual job duties fit the relevant SSW field.
- Whether the employment contract and working conditions are appropriate.
- Whether the wage is equal to or higher than comparable Japanese workers.
- Whether social insurance, labor insurance, and tax matters are properly handled.
- Whether there is a support manager and support staff structure.
- Whether explanations can be provided in a language the worker understands.
- Whether housing, bank account, mobile phone, and public procedure support can be arranged.
- Whether regular interviews and support records can be maintained.
- Whether regular and ad hoc notifications can be filed on time.
- Whether sector-specific council requirements and additional rules have been checked.
Common risk points in SSW cases
- The actual duties fall outside the permitted SSW field.
- The outsourcing scope with the Registered Support Organization is unclear.
- Fees and responsibilities involving recruiters or overseas sending organizations are unclear.
- The worker signs without fully understanding the conditions.
- Support records or regular interview records are not properly kept.
- Required notifications are filed late.
- The response to resignation, job change, or disappearance is delayed.
- Company staff do not sufficiently understand the SSW system.
- Sector council registration or sector-specific requirements are checked too late.
- The transition from Technical Intern Training to SSW is handled without properly checking the corresponding field or job category.
Our strengths
We support COE applications, change of status, renewals, additional document responses, and consistency checks for immigration filings.
We assist with SSW support plans, daily life support, consultation, regular interviews, and related support implementation.
We explain the system and practical risks clearly to both the employer and the foreign worker.
We can communicate in English with foreign workers, recruiters, and overseas partners where necessary.
We help clarify the role sharing among the accepting organization, recruiter, overseas sending partner, and RSO.
We help manage regular notifications, ad hoc notifications, support records, and resignation or job-change issues.
Process from consultation to acceptance
We confirm the field, number of workers, nationality, current residence status, and whether the candidates are in Japan or overseas.
We review the eligible field, candidate requirements, employer requirements, support structure, council requirements, and required documents.
We provide a quotation based on the application type, number of workers, support outsourcing, required documents, and case complexity.
We prepare application forms, employment conditions, support plan, statement of reasons, company documents, and candidate documents.
Depending on the case, we handle filing online or at the immigration office as an authorized immigration application agent.
We continue to support regular interviews, consultation, support records, regular notifications, and ad hoc notifications.
Frequently asked questions
If we outsource support to an RSO, does the company have no responsibility?
No. Even if SSW support is outsourced to a Registered Support Organization, the employer must still manage employment conditions, wages, actual job duties, workplace management, and required notifications.
Can a Technical Intern Trainee move to SSW(i)?
It may be possible. However, the good completion of Technical Intern Training No. 2, the relationship between the training occupation and SSW field, the candidate’s residence status, and the employer’s acceptance structure must be checked.
What should be checked when inviting an SSW candidate from overseas?
Employers should check the candidate’s test results, nationality, recruiter or sending partner relationship, employment conditions, support plan, housing, pre-arrival guidance, and COE application documents.
How long can a person stay under SSW(i)?
SSW(i) is generally limited to a total period of stay of five years. The actual period of stay and renewal strategy must be checked based on the individual permission and the person’s past SSW period.
What happens if the SSW worker resigns or changes jobs?
Resignation, termination of the employment contract, changes to support outsourcing, disappearance, or changes in activity may require ad hoc notifications and further immigration review. The facts should be organized as early as possible.
Related pages
Official references
- Immigration Services Agency of Japan: Specified Skilled Worker System
- Immigration Services Agency of Japan: Status of Residence “Specified Skilled Worker”
- Immigration Services Agency of Japan: SSW Procedures
- Immigration Services Agency of Japan: For Accepting Organizations
- Immigration Services Agency of Japan: Registered Support Organization Registration / Renewal
- Immigration Services Agency of Japan: Application for Registration as an RSO
This page provides general information. The appropriate strategy may differ depending on the sector, candidate requirements, employer situation, council requirements, support structure, and previous residence history.
Need support with SSW hiring or RSO services in Japan?
The Specified Skilled Worker system can be an effective solution for labor shortages, but it requires careful preparation and ongoing compliance. Tommy’s Legal Service supports employers with immigration applications, support plans, Registered Support Organization services, notification management, and clear explanation to foreign workers.
Before accepting an SSW worker, please organize the planned field, candidate’s location and residence status, skills test and Japanese language test status, employment conditions, and whether support will be outsourced.
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