SSW1 to SSW2 in Japan (2026 Guide): Eligible Fields, Exams, Work Experience and Employer Checklist
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Eligible Fields, Exams, Work Experience and Employer Checks
Specified Skilled Worker No. 1 has a total period-of-stay limit. Specified Skilled Worker No. 2 is a pathway for skilled foreign workers seeking longer-term employment in Japan. Based on information available in August 2026, this article explains the eligible fields and job categories, No. 2 evaluation exams, work-experience and Japanese-language requirements, family accompaniment, and employer compliance checks.
Key conclusion: A worker does not automatically move to SSW No. 2 after working for five years under SSW No. 1. The worker and employer must confirm that the field and job category are eligible, that all exam, experience, job-duty and Japanese-language requirements are met, and that the accepting organization has no compliance or notification problems.
1. Three points to check first
The total number of SSW fields is not the same as the number of fields and job categories currently open for transition to No. 2. Check the worker’s actual job category, not only the field name.
Field-specific exams may be required together with work, supervisory or management experience. Some fields, including fisheries and food service, also have a Japanese-language requirement for No. 2.
Employment terms, wages, social insurance, taxes, labor-law compliance, immigration notifications, field councils and field-specific standards must also be reviewed.
2. Difference between SSW No. 1 and SSW No. 2
SSW No. 1 is for foreign nationals performing work that requires a considerable degree of knowledge or experience in a specified industrial field. SSW No. 2 is for foreign nationals performing work that requires skilled proficiency in a specified industrial field.
Major features of No. 2 include the possibility of continued long-term employment through renewals, accompaniment by a spouse and children when the requirements are met, and exclusion from the No. 1 support-plan requirement. However, No. 2 does not remove the need for an appropriate employment contract, proper wages, immigration notifications, tax and social-insurance compliance, or field-specific standards.
| Item | SSW No. 1 | SSW No. 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Skill level | Considerable knowledge or experience | Skilled proficiency |
| Period of stay | A total period limit generally applies | Long-term employment may be possible through renewals |
| Family accompaniment | Generally not permitted | Spouse and children may accompany the worker if requirements are met |
| Support plan | A support plan for SSW No. 1 is required | Not subject to the No. 1 support plan |
| Practical role | Work-ready personnel in labor-shortage fields | Skilled or core personnel with an advanced workplace role |
3. The 19 SSW fields in 2026 are not identical to the No. 2 scope
In 2026, Japan’s SSW system is organized into 19 specified industrial fields. This does not mean that every one of the 19 fields is immediately available for transition from SSW No. 1 to No. 2.
For newly added fields or job categories, implementation dates, examination systems, application documents and field-specific operating guidance may still need to be checked. Even within the same field, the eligible job categories, duties, examinations and required work experience for No. 2 may be limited.
Practical caution: A company’s ability to employ SSW workers does not prove that a particular worker can move to No. 2. Check the field-specific policy, job category, No. 2 examination guidance and the worker’s actual duties individually.
- Is the worker’s current field and job category operating under the No. 2 system?
- Have the required No. 2 evaluation exam, skills test or other assessment methods been established?
- Does the worker meet the work-experience or workplace-role requirements for the exam and application?
- Do the worker’s actual duties match the skilled, supervisory or management work expected under No. 2?
- For a newly added field, have the latest application, examination and implementation dates been checked?
4. Passing the No. 2 exam may not be enough
Skilled proficiency for SSW No. 2 is assessed through the No. 2 evaluation exam, a skills test or another method specified for each field. Passing an exam, however, does not necessarily satisfy every requirement for a change to SSW No. 2.
Depending on the field, the worker may need a specified period of work experience or experience supervising workers, managing processes, maintaining quality and safety, or managing a restaurant or other workplace operation. Exam eligibility and immigration application requirements are not always identical, so both the examination rules and field-specific immigration guidance should be checked.
Check the current exam schedule, examination rules, eligibility conditions and validity of the certificate.
Prepare evidence of the required period, duties, supervisory experience and management experience.
Confirm that real workplace duties—not only the job offer or employment conditions—match work eligible for No. 2.
5. Some No. 2 fields have a Japanese-language requirement
It is not accurate to assume that SSW No. 2 never requires a Japanese-language test. Requirements differ by field. Current Immigration Services Agency comparison materials identify JLPT N3 or higher as a requirement for SSW No. 2 in the fisheries and food-service fields.
Japanese-language requirements may change through amendments or updated field-specific examination guidance. Confirm the latest requirement for the worker’s field and job category at the time of the examination and immigration application.
6. Roadmap toward SSW No. 2
Do not wait until the total-period limit under No. 1 is approaching. Work backward from exam schedules, experience requirements and the worker’s residence expiry date.
- Confirm the worker’s current SSW field and job category.
- Check whether No. 2 is operating for that field and category.
- Review the latest No. 2 exam schedule, rules and eligibility conditions.
- Record the required work, supervisory and management experience while the worker is employed.
- Check whether a Japanese-language requirement applies and what level is needed.
- Review the employer’s contract, wages, tax, social insurance, labor-law compliance and immigration notifications.
- If family accompaniment is planned, prepare family documents, income evidence and housing information.
- Set the examination, application and additional-document schedule by working backward from the expiry date.
7. Records to keep during the No. 1 period
For No. 2, the worker should be able to explain the skills, experience and workplace responsibilities developed through daily work. Employers should keep ongoing records instead of attempting to reconstruct the worker’s experience from memory at the end of the No. 1 period.
Record duties, machinery used, work processes, quality control, safety management, training assistance and leadership roles.
Check consistency among the employment contract, schedules, wage ledger, attendance records, social insurance and tax records.
Be ready to explain the supervisor’s evaluation, assigned work, workplace role and future assignment plan.
8. What the employer should prepare
Transition to SSW No. 2 is not only the worker’s responsibility. The accepting organization’s employment management, notifications, legal compliance, wages, social insurance and field-specific compliance are also important.
- The SSW employment contract is appropriate.
- Wages are equal to or higher than those of Japanese workers performing comparable work.
- Social insurance, labor insurance, taxes and labor-law compliance are in order.
- Regular and event-based immigration notifications have been properly filed.
- Field-council requirements, additional standards and field-specific operating policies are satisfied.
- The worker’s actual duties match work eligible for No. 2.
- Evidence of the examination and required work experience is retained.
- If family accompaniment is planned, salary, housing and family-life arrangements are reviewed.
9. Planning for family accompaniment
Under SSW No. 2, a spouse and children may accompany the worker if the requirements are met. Approval of the worker’s change to No. 2 does not automatically grant residence status to the family. Family members will generally need their own Certificate of Eligibility or change-of-status procedures, depending on their location and circumstances.
| Item | Practical check |
|---|---|
| Spouse and child documents | Check marriage certificates, birth certificates, passports and translations early. |
| Income and dependents | Confirm whether the worker’s income can support the family and whether the dependent relationship can be explained. |
| Housing | Review suitable family housing, the lease, address, school and childcare environment. |
| Future planning | Consider long-term employment, renewals, possible permanent residence and the family’s life plan. |
10. Common misunderstandings
Q1. Do I automatically become SSW No. 2 after working under No. 1 for five years?
No. The transition is not automatic. The eligible field and job category, examination, work experience, Japanese-language requirement and employer compliance must all be checked.
Q2. Does passing the No. 2 exam guarantee approval?
No. Exam success is important, but immigration will also consider actual job duties, required work experience, employment conditions, wages, the worker’s residence history and the accepting organization’s compliance.
Q3. Does No. 2 mean that no support is needed?
SSW No. 2 is not subject to the No. 1 support plan. Employers must still manage working conditions, taxes, social insurance, immigration notifications, family-life considerations and long-term retention.
Q4. Does SSW No. 2 automatically lead to permanent residence?
No. SSW No. 2 may support a longer-term residence plan, but permanent residence is a separate application. Income, tax, pension, health insurance, conduct, residence history and family circumstances must be reviewed independently.
Q5. Is a Registered Support Organization required for SSW No. 2?
No. SSW No. 2 is outside the No. 1 support-plan system. However, an employer may still benefit from advice from a Registered Support Organization, Gyoseishoshi or labor and social-security specialist regarding compliance, notifications, family accompaniment and retention.
11. How Tommy’s Legal Service can help
Tommy’s Legal Service assists with SSW No. 1 acceptance and extensions, No. 2 transition reviews, Registered Support Organization services, and employer-side notification and compliance workflows.
- Reviewing whether transition from SSW No. 1 to No. 2 is currently possible.
- Checking field-specific policies, examination systems, job categories and Japanese-language requirements.
- Organizing the worker’s experience, actual duties and residence expiry date.
- Reviewing the employer’s contract, wages, notifications, social insurance and tax records.
- Preparing documents for family accompaniment.
- Building No. 1 support and management systems as a Registered Support Organization.
- Preparing Japanese and English communications with workers, employers and overseas partners.
Consultation on SSW No. 2 and Registered Support Organization services
Moving toward SSW No. 2 requires both the worker’s preparation and the employer’s understanding and record management. Build the roadmap early instead of waiting until the No. 1 expiry date is close.
- Immigration Services Agency of Japan｜Specified Skilled Worker system
- Immigration Services Agency of Japan｜SSW examinations
- Immigration Services Agency of Japan｜Basic and field-specific policies and guidance
- Immigration Services Agency of Japan｜Work covered by SSW No. 2 in each field
- Immigration Services Agency of Japan｜Online SSW applications from April 1, 2026
This article provides general information based on material publicly available as of August 9, 2026. Requirements and documents differ depending on the field, job category, exam system, work experience, Japanese-language requirement, employment terms, employer compliance and the applicant’s individual circumstances. Always confirm the latest official guidance before taking an examination or filing an immigration application.
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