Japan SSW1 Quotas and Resident Numbers: Sector Rankings and Pre-Hiring Checks | 2026
Food-service information: ISA publication of October 19, 2026; checked October 21.
Japan SSW1 Quotas and Resident Numbers: Sector Rankings and Pre-Hiring Checks | 2026
Passing the required tests and meeting employer requirements does not remove sector-specific restrictions. Before selecting a candidate, check the sector cap and the current rules for the proposed application route.
Last checked: October 21, 2026. Statistics: end of July 2026, preliminary, updated October 6. Food-service examination status: published October 19.
1. Caps and resident numbers across all 19 sectors
The official table updated October 6 reports 432,016 SSW No. 1 residents as of the end of July 2026. The total cap of 805,700 is not an additional allowance on top of existing residents. Do not add SSW No. 2, Technical Intern Training or transition-preparation Designated Activities figures to this table.
| Sector | Cap | Residents | Arithmetic difference | Utilization |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Caregiving | 126,900 | 81,436 | 45,464 | 64.2% |
| Building cleaning | 32,200 | 10,514 | 21,686 | 32.7% |
| Linen supply | 4,300 | 3 | 4,297 | 0.1% |
| Industrial product manufacturing | 199,500 | 63,032 | 136,468 | 31.6% |
| Construction | 76,000 | 52,366 | 23,634 | 68.9% |
| Shipbuilding and ship machinery | 23,400 | 11,693 | 11,707 | 50.0% |
| Automobile repair and maintenance | 9,400 | 5,332 | 4,068 | 56.7% |
| Aviation | 4,900 | 2,823 | 2,077 | 57.6% |
| Accommodation | 14,800 | 2,771 | 12,029 | 18.7% |
| Road transportation | 22,100 | 703 | 21,397 | 3.2% |
| Railway | 2,900 | 73 | 2,827 | 2.5% |
| Logistics warehousing | 11,400 | — | — | — |
| Agriculture | 73,300 | 44,952 | 28,348 | 61.3% |
| Fishery | 14,800 | 4,988 | 9,812 | 33.7% |
| Food and beverage manufacturing | 133,500 | 101,922 | 31,578 | 76.3% |
| Food service | 50,000 | 49,290 | 710 | 98.6% |
| Forestry | 900 | 19 | 881 | 2.1% |
| Wood industry | 4,500 | 99 | 4,401 | 2.2% |
| Resource recycling | 900 | — | — | — |
| Official total | 805,700 | 432,016 | 373,684 | 53.6% |
Source: ISA official table. Utilization = residents / cap × 100, rounded to one decimal place. The difference is our reference calculation, not the number of new COEs available or a current allocation. Linen supply records three residents. The official cells for logistics warehousing and resource recycling show a dash; we do not substitute zero or calculate differences or percentages for these two sectors. The total difference is also only an arithmetic comparison of the official totals.
2. Resident-number rankings are different from cap utilization
The largest sectors by SSW1 residents are food manufacturing 101,922, caregiving 81,436, industrial product manufacturing 63,032, construction 52,366, food service 49,290 and agriculture 44,952. These are headcounts, not a survey of worker preferences.
The highest utilization rates are food service 98.6%, food manufacturing 76.3%, construction 68.9%, caregiving 64.2% and agriculture 61.3%. Aviation is 57.6% and automobile maintenance 56.7%. These end-July values are neither today’s remaining allocation nor an official suspension forecast. Do not infer a future suspension date or guaranteed COE availability from the arithmetic difference.
3. The acceptance estimate operates as a cap
The government’s basic policy treats acceptance estimates as caps unless major economic changes occur. Management is based on resident numbers by scheme and sector. Unused capacity in the overall total does not override restrictions in a particular sector.
The current figures were decided by Cabinet on January 23, 2026, with an end point in March 2029. Existing SSW1 sectors cover FY2024–FY2028; logistics warehousing covers FY2026–FY2028. These are not annually resetting allowances and are separate from an individual’s five-year SSW1 residence limit.
Nationwide sector caps must also be distinguished from employer- or establishment-level limits in sectors such as caregiving and construction. An available numerical margin does not guarantee that the worker, job, employer, wages or support arrangements meet the requirements.
4. Food service: separate COEs, status changes, job changes and extensions
The end-July figure is 49,290 against 50,000. The arithmetic difference of 710 is not the number of new overseas recruits who can receive COEs. The following reflects the ISA publication dated October 19.
- Pre-suspension COEs: status changes take priority; COEs are issued in receipt-date order only when monthly resident numbers allow. The current processing point is February 6, 2026. Later issuance dates are not guaranteed.
- COEs received from April 13: non-issuance in principle. Limited sequential issuance is not a full reopening.
- Change from Technical Intern Training: the specified medical/welfare-facility meal-production route covers applications received through September 30, not all trainees.
- Change from Designated Activities: the food-service SSW1 transition-preparation route covers receipts through September 30.
- Other status changes: receipts through April 12; applications received from April 13 are denied in principle.
- Job changes within SSW1 food service: all applications undergo normal examination, including the new employer’s requirements.
- Extensions: normal examination continues; approval is not automatic.
Requests for corrections or additional documents can still arise during the suspension. Documents and residence expiry may affect processing order. ISA may advise an application-content change to transition-preparation Designated Activities where expiry would otherwise precede processing; the relevant extension is limited to once. Check the individual instructions and status before acting. Trainees cannot work after their training plan ends, and ISA advises applying for a change at least two months before the proposed work start. Read the official examination status and notes.
5. Popular sectors still require an individual fit assessment
Food and beverage manufacturing has a broad range of factory and processing workplaces, and transitions from relevant training backgrounds may be available. Sales- or customer-service-focused work cannot simply be labelled manufacturing. Check food manufacturing versus food service.
Caregiving requires attention to Japanese communication, suitability and the facility’s training system. Construction involves sector-specific work categories and acceptance plans. Industrial manufacturing and agriculture also require matching actual duties with the applicable rules.
Accommodation at 18.7%, industrial manufacturing at 31.6%, road transportation at 3.2% and railway at 2.5% should not be interpreted as easy or guaranteed recruitment. For new sectors, distinguish the policy decision, implementation of ordinances, examinations and actual acceptance arrangements.
6. Fourteen checks before selecting a candidate
- Eligible sector, work category and actual duties
- Current cap and applicable period
- Reference date of resident statistics
- Meaning of utilization and the arithmetic difference
- COE restrictions, limited issuance and receipt dates
- Current residence status, transition route and exceptions
- Extension rules and cumulative period of stay
- Sector council requirements and joining timing
- Skills and Japanese tests, exemptions and test availability
- Pay equal to or higher than comparable Japanese workers, supported by evidence
- Hours, duties, contract terms and legal compliance
- In-house or outsourced support and recordkeeping
- Nationality-specific sending-country procedures
- Residence expiry, arrival and planned employment start
Review the worker, employer, supporting documents and current examination practice together. Meeting substantive requirements does not eliminate the effect of numerical management, and numerical capacity does not guarantee individual permission.
7. Relationship with Employment for Skill Development
The acceptance estimates are 426,200 for Employment for Skill Development and 805,700 for SSW1. They are managed separately by scheme and sector. Their total of 1,231,900 is not an additional allowance above existing residents. Employment for Skill Development covers the period from its April 2027 launch through March 2029. Its unused capacity cannot be freely transferred to SSW1.
For example, logistics warehousing has estimates of 11,400 for SSW1 and 6,900 for Employment for Skill Development. See pre-enforcement applications for the new scheme.
Are the October 19 sector-policy proposals already effective?
The meeting materials present government proposals. Caregiving would shift 20,000 places from Employment for Skill Development to SSW1: 126,900 to 146,900 for SSW1, and 33,800 to 13,800 for skill development, with the 160,700 combined total unchanged. Aviation would change from 4,900 SSW1 places to 4,600 SSW1 plus 300 skill-development places. The current-cap table above has not been replaced with these proposals. The catering transfer proposal concerns new applications from fiscal 2027; formal decisions, effective dates and transitional treatment still require confirmation. Official meeting materials.
8. Frequently asked questions
Does remaining capacity guarantee approval?
No. Individual, employer, job and support requirements, together with current administrative handling, must be checked.
Has overseas food-service recruitment fully reopened?
No. Separate limited issuance for pre-suspension COEs from non-issuance for new COEs received on or after April 13.
Can a worker change status or move between restaurants?
It depends on the current status and official receipt date. Same-sector SSW1 food-service job changes undergo normal examination; changes from other statuses have restrictions and specific exceptions.
Will all extensions be refused if a cap is reached?
No. Extensions do not increase resident numbers and are generally examined normally. Normal examination currently continues for food service.
Which sector will be stopped next?
Without an official announcement, the next sector or date cannot be established. Utilization is a comparison, not a suspension notice.
Do caps reset every year?
No. The relevant sector policy defines the period and review framework.
Official sources
Discuss your SSW hiring plan before recruitment
We review the sector, candidate’s current status, recruitment timeline, employment terms and support system against current numerical management and application rules. Detailed document assessment and individual advice require a paid consultation or formal engagement. An inquiry alone does not confirm eligibility, a fee or a booking.
