Student to Specified Skilled Worker in Japan: When and What to Prepare
Tommy’s Legal ServiceSTUDENT TO SPECIFIED SKILLED WORKER
Plan around graduation, residence expiry and your intended first day at work.
Individual applicants · SSW (i) · Change of statusReviewed: 3 October 2026
日本語で読むYou can start preparing before you pass the tests. First check the current application rules for your intended field. Then put three dates together: expected graduation, residence expiry, and your proposed first day at work.
This guide is for people currently in Japan with Student status who are considering Specified Skilled Worker (i). Requirements depend on the field, duties, employer and residence history. Approval and a decision before a planned start date are not guaranteed.
Official Japanese test requirements and result timing — October 2026
Japanese test information checked: 8 October 2026. Other sections retain their previously stated review dates.
Since August 2026, JFT-Basic assesses scores of 145–174 as A1, 175–199 as A2.1, and 200–250 as A2.2 (A2). Scores below 145 do not establish any of these levels. A1 is used before starting Employment for Skill Development and for admission to Japanese language institutions; A2.1 is mainly used for transfers at the worker’s initiative under that program; A2.2 (A2) is used for SSW(i). Check additional sector requirements, any prescribed course route, the application type and effective dates separately.
JFT-Basic uses CBT and is offered several times each month at 11 locations in Japan. Results appear on screen immediately after the test, and the official assessment notification is available to view and print through the registration website within five business days. JLPT is held twice a year in Japan, with some overseas locations offering it once a year. Distinguish the online result date from the date when submission-ready result documents are available. ISA’s 5 October notice states that applications for the December 2026 JLPT closed for all levels before the announced deadline. Work backwards from the residence expiry and planned employment date: confirm the required level, find an official test and available seat, reserve, obtain the official result, then apply.
For Student applications involving admission to a Japanese language institution, A1-equivalent or higher ability must be checked using a test certificate or an interview; a history of 150 or more study hours alone is insufficient. This applies to COE applications for students entering from October 2026 and change-of-status or extension applications filed from 1 July 2026. Japanese-language preparatory courses (bekka) are also covered. Applicants holding nationality of a country or region listed by ISA who graduated from a foreign higher education institution and submit graduation evidence are exempt from this particular handling. This is not a universal admission rule for all universities or vocational schools, and it does not make JFT-Basic compulsory for everyone. Keep it separate from the requirements for a current student changing to SSW.
For SSW(ii), and SSW(i) bus/taxi work and railway transport operations staff, B1-equivalent or higher Japanese is required for COE applications filed on or after 1 April 2027. ISA states that the start date for change-of-status and extension applications is still under consideration. Do not apply the same date automatically to domestic changes or extensions; check the announcement and sector rules applicable at filing. JFT-Basic assesses up to A2.2 (A2), so it does not prove B1.
JFT-Basic and JLPT are different assessments; A1 is not completely identical to N5, nor A2.2 to N4. A JFT-Basic score of 200 or higher obtained before August 2026 remains usable as A2.2 (A2) evidence, but older scores below 200 must not be reclassified as A1 or A2.1. Our independent mini mock tests do not establish an official level, immigration eligibility or exemption from prescribed Japanese courses.
Japan Foundation: official JFT-Basic FAQ / ISA: 5 October Japanese-test notice / Student Japanese ability verification / B1 verification start dates (ISA sources in Japanese)
JFT-Basic Mini Mock Test / Japanese Test Mini Mock List / Student-to-SSW preparation
Watch the guide
Watch the full English guide to the preparation process.
Visual revision: 20 October 2026. Full-frame images and a navy TLS end card added. Narration is unchanged; the review date shown in the video remains 3 October 2026. Check the official sources below for current field-specific rules before applying.
1. Put three dates on one page
- Graduation or course-completion date: confirm your enrolment and school certificates
- Current residence expiry: check the date and the activities you are currently permitted to undertake
- Proposed work start: coordinate with the employer without assuming that work can begin before permission
Add your intended duties, test bookings or results, and offer status. ISA encourages early applications because graduation-season applications tend to concentrate in March and April. Test schedules and employer paperwork also take time. There is no universal preparation period that guarantees a decision in time.
Source: ISA guidance for students wishing to move to SSW
2. Prepare in the right order
- Check the field and tests
Confirm the relevant skills and Japanese-language requirements, test dates, result dates and any applicable exemption. JFT-Basic A2.2 (A2) or JLPT N4 or above is the usual starting point in many SSW(i) fields. Taxi and bus work, railway train operation staff, and nursing care have additional or different requirements. - Confirm the job and employment terms
Understand the duties, location, salary, hours, holidays, accommodation costs and deductions in a language you understand well. The employer should check its eligibility and field-specific procedures in parallel. - Understand the contract; complete guidance before applying
Receive guidance from the employer or its registered support organization before the change-of-status application. Arrange the explanation early enough to understand the employment terms before signing the contract. Ask about working conditions, activities, procedures and costs, and check that the explanation matches the contract documents. - Complete personal, employer and support documents
Use the current official list to check medical, school, test, tax and social-insurance evidence. The employer prepares its own evidence, support plan, any support contract, and field-specific council membership or approvals. - Cross-check the application and permission
Names, duties, workplace, pay and dates should be consistent across the documents. Acceptance of an application does not authorize SSW employment.
Sources: ISA: the steps to working in Japan / Support plans and registered support organizations
3. Decide who will obtain each document, and when
The applicant
Typical preparation includes your passport and residence card, test evidence, relevant school certificates, medical examination documents and the applicant’s declaration, and tax, insurance and pension records. This is not a complete checklist for every applicant. Check the current official document lists for the applicant, employer and field.
A medical examination taken for school or another job is not automatically sufficient. Check its date, medical institution, examination items and the doctor’s assessment of fitness for the work. The applicant’s declaration confirms that medical, hospital, surgical and medication history was disclosed to the doctor; it is completed after the examination.
If you have several part-time jobs, gather withholding statements and check your filing and payment position. Keep evidence of any approved student pension payment postponement. Approved postponement and unpaid obligations should not be confused.
The employer and support provider
Check employer eligibility, company evidence, the SSW (i) support plan, the scope of any support contract, and field-specific requirements. Required support costs must not be passed on to the worker.
Also check the cooperation-confirmation requirements for the municipalities of the workplace and residence, and reflect local coexistence measures in the support plan. Where an earlier submission already covers the situation, another submission may not be necessary.
Sources: SSW operational guidelines / Japan Pension Service / Employment safeguards / Cooperation with municipalities
4. Be careful after graduation and while an application is pending
Passing a test, receiving an offer, submitting an application and obtaining residence permission are separate stages. Before beginning the new job, confirm permission for that work and the activities covered.
After graduation, if you are no longer enrolled at any educational institution, you cannot continue part-time work under the permission linked to Student status simply because your residence card has not expired. If preparation is running late, consult your school, employer, a qualified professional or Immigration before graduation and your residence expiry.
A Designated Activities route for SSW transition preparation may be considered if its conditions are met. It is not an automatic extension or a route available to everyone. Withdrawal, expulsion and other residence-history issues also need individual review.
Sources: Immigration and residence examination Q&A / Designated Activities for SSW transition preparation
5. A useful first step today
Write down your intended field, the three dates, tests, offer and outstanding documents. Assign each document to you, the employer, school or support provider. This makes the next action much clearer.
Ask about preparing to move from Student to SSW status
Individual applicants can tell us their intended field, expected graduation, residence expiry, offer and test situation. We will clarify the scope of assistance and what needs checking. Detailed assessment and document preparation are subject to agreed scope and fees.
Individual applicants: immigration inquiryDo not post personal documents or health information in public social-media comments.
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Reviewed 3 October 2026. Rules, forms and field-specific handling may change. This is general preparation information, not a guarantee of approval or processing time.
