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 October 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.
Video guide: moving from SSW1 to SSW2
Tommy and Miho explain the 11 eligible fields, exams and experience, B1 commencement dates, the conditional six-year exception and family accompaniment. Reviewed on 21 October 2026. The narration and captions incorporate the 19 October revision on temporary shortages of workers to supervise. AI-generated illustrative backgrounds and characters; synthetic voices.
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?
SSW No. 2 residents as of June 30, 2026 (preliminary figures)
The Immigration Services Agency published the June 30, 2026 figures on September 29, 2026. There were 18,295 SSW No. 2 residents. These are resident counts on that reference date, not the number of transitions, immigration approvals or examination passes during the preceding six months.
| SSW No. 2 field | Residents |
|---|---|
| Building cleaning | 24 |
| Industrial product manufacturing | 2,386 |
| Construction | 5,329 |
| Shipbuilding and ship machinery | 644 |
| Automobile repair and maintenance | 670 |
| Aviation | 6 |
| Accommodation | 57 |
| Agriculture | 2,387 |
| Fishery and aquaculture | 43 |
| Food and beverage manufacturing | 4,703 |
| Food service | 2,046 |
| Total | 18,295 |
Source: Immigration Services Agency, SSW No. 2 residents as of June 30, 2026, Table 1 (preliminary figures). SSW No. 2 currently covers the 11 fields listed above. This is different from the 19 fields in the SSW system overall. In industrial product manufacturing, No. 2 is limited to machine and metal processing, electrical/electronic equipment assembly, and metal surface treatment.
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.
Field-specific tests and experience: key differences
The following is a planning summary as of October 8, 2026, not a complete eligibility checklist. Check the linked official annex for the precise trade, tasks, permitted test route and evidence. Japanese-language requirements and their commencement dates are explained in section 5.
| Field / official annex | Main test and experience requirements |
|---|---|
| Building cleaning | No. 2 evaluation test or Grade 1 skills certification, plus at least two years of the prescribed cleaning experience supervising multiple workers and managing a site. |
| Industrial product manufacturing | No. 2 evaluation test plus the designated Grade 3 Business Career certification in production management, or Grade 1 certification in an eligible trade/task; at least three years at a manufacturing site of a company with a base in Japan. |
| Construction | No. 2 evaluation test, an eligible Grade 1 skills certification or a designated single-grade certification; experience as a team leader supervising multiple skilled workers and managing processes. Required workdays vary by trade and are checked through CCUS records or prescribed evidence. |
| Shipbuilding and ship machinery | The No. 2 test or Grade 1 skills certification for the relevant job category; at least two years as a supervisor directing, instructing and managing multiple workers. |
| Automobile repair and maintenance | No. 2 evaluation test plus at least three years of maintenance experience at a certified workshop, or Grade 2 automobile mechanic certification. The latter route does not separately impose that three-year requirement. |
| Aviation | Ground handling: No. 2 evaluation test and the prescribed experience instructing skilled workers and managing operations. Aircraft maintenance: No. 2 evaluation test or an eligible aviation personnel licence, plus at least three years of specialised technical maintenance experience. |
| Accommodation | No. 2 evaluation test; at least two years in front-desk, planning/public relations, customer service, restaurant service or other prescribed hotel services while supervising multiple employees. |
| Agriculture | The corresponding No. 2 agriculture skills test; at least two years supervising multiple workers and managing processes, or at least three years of practical experience in the corresponding crop or livestock operations. |
| Fishery and aquaculture | The corresponding No. 2 fishery skills test and JLPT N3 or higher; at least two years assisting an operations supervisor or instructing workers and managing processes on eligible fishing vessels or at aquaculture sites. |
| Food and beverage manufacturing | No. 2 skills test; at least two years working while supervising multiple employees and managing processes. Transitional rules retain the previous job-category framework, including seafood processing, through March 31, 2027. |
| Food service | No. 2 skills test and JLPT N3 or higher; two years at an eligible restaurant supervising multiple employees, performing duties including customer service and assisting with restaurant management. |
Some fields have transitional rules for experience accrued before the 2023 expansion. For example, building cleaning and fisheries contain provisions concerning people residing under No. 1 in the relevant field on June 9, 2023; food service has a separate calculation for qualifying applicants. These are field-specific rules, not a blanket experience exemption.
Four priority topics for practical planning (checked October 9, 2026)
Construction: team-leader experience, occupation-specific days and CCUS
In addition to passing an eligible examination, the applicant must demonstrate experience working as a team leader, instructing multiple skilled workers while performing work and managing the work process. A job title such as foreman does not establish compliance by itself. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism’s occupation-specific list dated February 27, 2026 gives different thresholds: for example, 108 working days (0.5 year) for building carpentry, 430 days (two years) for scaffolding work (tobi), and 645 days (three years) for reinforcing-bar work. Occupations not specified in the list require at least 645 days (three years). Match the applicant’s occupation and actual team-leader duties to the official list.
Evidence may include a Construction Career Up System (CCUS) capability assessment of Level 3 or above, or the prescribed experience declaration together with CCUS screens and other required evidence. For periods not recorded in CCUS, check the official instructions on prescribed career certificates and other supporting documents. MLIT: construction experience and occupation-specific working-day requirements
Industrial product manufacturing: two examination routes and three years of experience
The skills requirement can be met by passing both the relevant Manufacturing SSW No. 2 Evaluation Test and the Business Career Certification Grade 3 in Production Management Planning or Production Management Operations, or by passing the relevant occupation/task’s Grade 1 National Trade Skills Test. Both routes require at least three years of practical experience at manufacturing sites of a company with a base in Japan. Do not automatically count food or beverage manufacturing experience toward this field; confirm the company’s and establishment’s eligibility, the job category and the evidence of experience. ISA: industrial product manufacturing guidance
Food service and fisheries: N3 and different management/supervision duties
Both fields require the relevant No. 2 skills test and JLPT N3 or higher, as well as the field-specific practical experience. Food service generally requires two years at an eligible licensed restaurant, supervising multiple employees while performing duties including customer service and assisting with restaurant management. Fisheries requires at least two years in the corresponding eligible fishing or aquaculture setting, assisting a supervisor or instructing workers and managing the work process. The same two-year duration does not mean the duties or evidence are identical.
Fisheries has provisions concerning experience before June 9, 2023 for qualifying No. 1 residents on that date. Food service has a separate calculation of the required experience period for qualifying applicants based on their No. 1 employment period and other conditions as of that date. Verify the eligible person and period rather than describing these provisions as a general experience exemption. ISA: food-service guidance / fisheries guidance
Agriculture: two years of supervision OR three years of field experience
In addition to the corresponding No. 2 Agriculture Skills Assessment Test for crop farming or livestock farming, the applicant needs at least two years of experience instructing multiple workers while performing agricultural work and managing the work process, or at least three years of practical experience in the corresponding agricultural field. These are alternatives suited to the applicant’s duties, not two years plus another three years. Experience alone does not secure No. 2 permission. Check the experience-confirmation documents required at examination registration and the evidence required for the immigration application separately. ISA: agricultural guidance
These are priority planning points. Passing an examination does not guarantee permission: the employer, employment terms, actual duties and other immigration requirements must also qualify. The announced B1-or-higher Japanese-language requirement applies first to COE applications filed on or after April 1, 2027. The commencement date for domestic changes of status and renewals remains under consideration; do not confuse this with current N3 requirements or the timing of a domestic transition.
Field-specific videos
Check examination and experience requirements for your specific field. These four videos provide general guidance using AI-generated characters and synthetic voices.
The construction, agriculture, food service/fisheries and industrial manufacturing videos were visually updated on 21 October 2026, with key rules rechecked against official sources. Generated backgrounds are illustrative. The original narration was checked on 9 October.
Construction
Manufacturing
Food service and fisheries
Agriculture
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.
The future B1 requirement: commencement depends on the application type
In its September 30, 2026 notice, the Immigration Services Agency states that SSW No. 2 Certificate of Eligibility (COE) applications submitted on or after April 1, 2027 will require Japanese proficiency equivalent to B1 or higher under Japan’s Reference Framework for Japanese-Language Education. However, the commencement dates for change-of-status and extension applications were still under consideration when checked on October 8, 2026. Do not assume that the COE date has also been confirmed for a domestic transition from No. 1 to No. 2.
Revised field-specific annexes may already refer to B1 or higher and JLPT N3 or higher conditional on a CEFR B1-or-higher assessment. Read these provisions together with their effective dates and application types. Distinguish the current N3 requirements for fisheries and food service from the future B1 requirement, and recheck the official commencement notice and accepted evidence before filing.
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.
The exception beyond five years under No. 1 is not an automatic extension
SSW No. 1 normally has a five-year cumulative limit. For certain applicants who fail the No. 2 examinations, an exception may allow a total of up to six years where sufficient grounds for continuing their transition preparation are recognised. Conditions include obtaining at least 80% of the passing threshold in every required examination, the applicant’s commitment to study and retake examinations, and the employer’s willingness to continue employment with a training and support system. The calculation is 80% of the passing threshold, not 80% of the maximum possible score.
Applications under this route are normally accepted from three months before the cumulative five-year limit until that limit is reached. Some examinations and qualifications are excluded; the required score certificates, issue dates and formats vary by examination. Check the official cumulative-period guidance, including re-entry conditions where the applicant is abroad. Failing a test or reaching five years does not automatically provide an additional year.
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.
On 19 October 2026, the handling of temporary shortages of workers to supervise and related circumstances was revised. Where the field-specific number of supervised workers is temporarily unmet, check note 5 of the prescribed SSW2 job-duties declaration (Reference Form 1-32) and explain the reason. See ISA FAQ Q102–Q105 and the latest guidance and declaration for temporary circumstances, the qualified treatment of supervision across workplaces or departments, and when a new declaration is required for applications filed before the revision, including exceptions. This is not a blanket exemption or a guarantee of permission.
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｜Published SSW resident statistics
- Immigration Services Agency of Japan｜General and field-specific operational guidance
- Immigration Services Agency of Japan｜Commencement of B1-or-higher checks
- Immigration Services Agency of Japan｜Cumulative periods and the exception beyond five years
- Immigration Services Agency of Japan｜SSW FAQ and the job-duties pledge
- Immigration Services Agency of Japan｜Latest SSW application document checklists
- 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 October 8, 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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