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Specified Skilled Worker Visa in Japan
The Specified Skilled Worker visa is a status of residence for foreign nationals who have certain skills and Japanese language ability and who work in designated industries facing serious labor shortages in Japan.
The policy framework covers 19 fields. The official end-July SSW1 table records three linen-supply residents; the logistics-warehousing and resource-recycling cells show a dash. Do not describe all three fields as universally awaiting acceptance, or interpret a dash as zero or a suspension. Verify the current ordinances, tests, council conditions, documents and filing arrangements for the particular field.
Overview of the Specified Skilled Worker System
The Specified Skilled Worker visa is not just a “labor shortage visa.” In practice, immigration authorities review the foreign worker’s eligibility, the employer’s acceptance system, job duties, employment conditions, support structure, and ongoing notification duties.
For SSW1, the key issues are usually the skills test, Japanese language requirement, or transition from Technical Intern Training or another eligible route. For SSW2, the focus is on advanced skills, work experience, field-specific tests, and the requirements set for each industry.
Before filing an application, it is important to check not only the applicant’s qualifications, but also the employer, supporting documents, and current examination trends.
The examination status published October 19, 2026 describes pre-suspension overseas SSW1 food-service COEs being issued sequentially by official receipt date only when monthly resident numbers allow. The published processing point is applications received on or before February 6, 2026. This is not a full resumption.
COEs, domestic status changes, same-field job changes and extensions are treated differently. See the latest SSW food-service COE examination status for the current dates and application-type guidance.
The policy framework covers 19 fields. The official end-July SSW1 table records three linen-supply residents; the logistics-warehousing and resource-recycling cells show a dash. Do not describe all three fields as universally awaiting acceptance, or interpret a dash as zero or a suspension. Verify the current ordinances, tests, council conditions, documents and filing arrangements for the particular field.
Difference Between SSW1 and SSW2
| Item | Specified Skilled Worker 1 | Specified Skilled Worker 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Eligible person | A foreign national with skills requiring a considerable degree of knowledge or experience | A foreign national with proficient skills in a designated industrial field |
| Period of stay | Generally limited to a total of 5 years | Renewable with no total period limit |
| Skill level | Confirmed by a skills test or an eligible transition route such as Technical Intern Training | Confirmed by field-specific SSW2 tests, skills certifications, work experience, or other requirements |
| Japanese language ability | Generally required | Generally no Japanese language test is required, but field-specific rules should be checked |
| Family accompaniment | Generally not permitted | Spouse and children may be eligible if the requirements are met |
| Support plan | A support plan for SSW1 workers is required | Not subject to the SSW1 support plan requirement |
| Industrial fields | 19 fields, subject to the start of operation for newly added fields | Available only in the fields approved for SSW2; field-specific confirmation is necessary |
The 19 Specified Industrial Fields
As checked on October 21, 2026, the Specified Skilled Worker system is organized into the following 19 industrial fields. Job scope, tests, councils, documents, intake limits, and start dates differ by field.
SSW is used in practical and labor-intensive fields such as nursing care, construction, manufacturing, accommodation, food service, agriculture, fisheries, and transportation-related fields.
The field name alone is not enough. The actual job duties, test category, transition route, and field-specific operational rules must be checked before filing.
Check the current ordinances, tests, field-specific rules, required documents and filing arrangements for the particular field. A policy decision or a reported resident count alone does not establish individual eligibility.
Food-service information updated October 21, 2026, based on the ISA release of October 19.
Sector caps and current SSW application rules
Checked October 21, 2026. The table updated October 6 contains preliminary figures as of the end of July. Nationwide sector caps are separate from employer- or establishment-level limits and an individual’s cumulative residence period.
For food-service COEs received before the suspension, status-change cases take priority and COEs are issued sequentially when monthly resident numbers allow. The processing point published October 19 is February 6, 2026. No issuance date is announced for pending COEs received February 7–April 12. The April 13 notice states that new COEs received on or after April 13 will not be issued. Same-field SSW1 job changes are examined for all applications, and extensions follow normal examination. Other status changes have different receipt-date rules; see the linked main article for the full table.
All 19 sector caps, resident numbers and pre-hiring checks / Food-service rules by application type and receipt date / April 13 notice / Examination status published October 19
The specified medical/welfare-facility meal-production TITP route and food-service transition-preparation Designated Activities route cover receipts through September 30. Other status changes have different cutoffs. February 6 is the published processing point, not proof that every case has been completed.
The October 19 caregiving reallocation, aviation allocation and catering-transfer proposals are government proposals, distinct from current caps and filing rules. Official meeting materials / End-July resident table.
Four Practical Checks Before Filing
For an SSW application, it is not enough to check only the foreign worker. The employer, supporting documents, and recent examination trends should also be reviewed.
Immigration review often focuses on whether the applicant’s background, the employer’s business, the actual job duties, and the submitted documents are consistent.
If the employment contract, support plan, company documents, field-specific documents, or test certificates do not match the actual job, additional explanation or supporting documents may be requested.
Skills, Japanese ability, and immigration history
Check skills tests, Japanese language tests, completion of Technical Intern Training, past status of residence, deportation history, and previous application records.
Eligibility of the accepting organization
Check employment conditions, remuneration, social insurance, labor insurance, taxes, support structure, field council requirements, and previous acceptance records.
Consistency of field-specific documents
Review the employment contract, support plan, company documents, applicant documents, test certificates, and field-specific documents for consistency.
Intake limits, field rules, and additional requests
Check intake-limit operations, start dates of newly added fields, field-specific standards, and trends in requests for additional documents.
Practical Points for Employers
Equal or better treatment than Japanese workers
Check whether wages, working hours, job duties, workplace, and contract terms are appropriate and not unreasonably different from those of Japanese workers.
Feasibility of the support plan
Employers must be able to implement pre-arrival guidance, life orientation, consultation support, regular interviews, and other required support measures.
Actual job duties must match the field
The applicant’s actual work must fall within the scope of the designated field and the relevant job category.
Typical Application Flow
Confirm the field, job duties, employment conditions, employer’s acceptance system, and the applicant’s tests, work history, and immigration history.
Decide whether support will be provided in-house or outsourced to a Registered Support Organization, and confirm how the support plan will be implemented.
Collect applicant documents, employment contract, company documents, field-specific documents, council-related documents, and test certificates.
For applicants overseas, a Certificate of Eligibility application is usually considered. For applicants already in Japan, a Change of Status of Residence application may be filed.
Continue regular interviews, consultation support, notifications, renewal applications, and support for job change situations where necessary.
For Companies Considering SSW Employment in Japan
The Specified Skilled Worker system does not end with hiring. Employers need to check eligibility before acceptance, prepare immigration applications, design a support system, and manage ongoing notifications, interviews, and renewals after acceptance.
Tommy’s Legal Service provides immigration application support as a Gyoseishoshi lawyer office and also assists with practical consultation related to Registered Support Organization services.
When contacting us, please provide, as far as possible, the planned field, number of workers, workplace location, applicant’s nationality, whether the applicant is overseas or already in Japan, current status of residence if any, and whether support will be handled in-house or outsourced.