Note: This article is based on Japanese laws and materials published by the Immigration Services Agency of Japan (ISA) and the Organization for Technical Intern Training (OTIT) as of October 9, 2026.
The Employment for Skill Development (ESD) Program (育成就労制度) is a program under which foreign nationals are employed for three years in principle in fields with labor shortages and developed to the level of Specified Skilled Worker (i) (特定技能1号). It will begin on April 1, 2027. It replaces the Technical Intern Training Program (技能実習制度), and a new status of residence, "Employment for Skill Development" (育成就労), will be created.
As of October 9, 2026, the 17 eligible fields, the Japanese language and skill standards, and the conditions for change of employer (転籍) (except the standard for the amount the new employer pays) have been decided. Applications for accreditation of the ESD Plan (育成就労計画) filed by accepting companies have also been accepted since September 1. Below, we explain what has been decided and what is yet to be decided separately.
Contents
- What is the Employment for Skill Development Program, and when does it start?
- What has been decided and what is yet to be decided
- What can be done now: application prior to the enforcement date
- Differences from the Technical Intern Training Program
- The 17 eligible fields
- Japanese language and skill standards
- Conditions under which a voluntary change of employer is permitted
- Rules for companies that accept, and companies that send off, workers making a voluntary change of employer
- Requirements for accepting companies
- Limit on the number of workers accepted
- Sending organizations and the upper limit on the costs paid by foreign nationals
- What happens to the technical intern trainees you currently accept?
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Summary
- References
What is the Employment for Skill Development Program, and when does it start?
The Employment for Skill Development Program is a program under which foreign nationals are employed for three years in principle in fields with labor shortages, and are developed into, and secured as, human resources at the level of Specified Skilled Worker (i). It starts on April 1, 2027.
The basis is the amending act promulgated on June 21, 2024 (Act No. 60 of 2024). Under this amendment, the Technical Intern Training Act will be renamed the "Act on Proper Implementation of Employment for Skill Development and Protection of Skill Development Employees" (外国人の育成就労の適正な実施及び育成就労外国人の保護に関する法律; the ESD Act, 育成就労法). As for statuses of residence, "Technical Intern Training" (技能実習) will be abolished and "Employment for Skill Development" will be created.
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Start date | April 1, 2027 |
| Purpose | To develop and secure human resources in fields with labor shortages |
| Period | Three years in principle. If the person fails the tests required for transition to Specified Skilled Worker (i), extended within a range of up to one year |
| Forms of acceptance | Supervising-organization-type ESD (監理型育成就労; a supervising and support organization (監理支援機関) is involved) and individual-enterprise-type ESD (単独型育成就労; accepting employees, etc. of an overseas branch or subsidiary) |
| Plan | An ESD Plan covering three years in total is prepared for each foreign national and accredited by the Employment for Skill Development Organization (ESDO, 外国人育成就労機構) |
| Accompaniment by family members | Not permitted in principle |
The ESDO is an organization that will be established to replace the current Organization for Technical Intern Training (OTIT, 外国人技能実習機構).
After completing the three years of ESD, the path is to pass the tests and move on to Specified Skilled Worker (i) (stay limited to five years in principle), and then to aim for Specified Skilled Worker (ii) (特定技能2号; no upper limit on the period of stay).
Source: Immigration Services Agency of Japan, "Q&A on the Employment for Skill Development Program" (in Japanese), Q1, Q3, Q10, Q11, Q26, Q28 and Q59, "Overview of the Amended Act (Establishment of the Employment for Skill Development Program, etc.)" (in Japanese); e-Gov Laws and Regulations Search, "Act on Proper Implementation of Employment for Skill Development and Protection of Skill Development Employees" (in Japanese; as amended by Act No. 60 of 2024; effective April 1, 2027)
What has been decided and what is yet to be decided
The framework of the program has been decided. What has not been decided includes the operational guidelines for some fields and the standard for the amount to be paid upon a change of employer (as of October 9, 2026).
| What has been decided | Details |
|---|---|
| Eligible fields | 17 fields (field-specific operation policies (分野別運用方針) decided by the Cabinet on January 23, 2026) |
| Japanese language and skill standards; restriction period for change of employer (転籍制限期間) | Decided for each field in the field-specific operation policies |
| Criteria for accepting companies and supervising and support organizations | The orders of the competent ministries (主務省令) and the public notices on additional criteria for the 17 fields (上乗せ基準告示; criteria added for each field) have been posted on the ISA's page |
| Upper limit on the costs paid to the sending organization (送出機関) | Two months of monthly pay |
| Criteria for excellent ESD implementing organizations (優良な育成就労実施者) | Set out, as a point-based system, in the Operational Guidelines for the Employment for Skill Development Program (育成就労制度運用要領) as revised in August 2026 |
| What is yet to be decided | Status as of October 9, 2026 |
|---|---|
| Field-specific operational guidelines (運用要領) | Published for 9 fields (building cleaning management, linen supply, industrial product manufacturing, automobile repair and maintenance, railway, warehousing industry, food service industry, forestry, wood industry). In preparation for the other fields |
| Examination standards (for each main skill) | Published for 5 fields. In preparation for the other fields |
| Procedures for joining the field-specific councils, etc. (分野別協議会等) | Started in 9 fields (long-term care, building cleaning management, linen supply, industrial product manufacturing, shipbuilding and ship machinery industries, automobile repair and maintenance, railway, forestry, wood industry). In preparation for the other fields |
| Criteria for excellent supervising and support organizations | The Operational Guidelines state that the details "will be announced later in these Operational Guidelines" (追って本運用要領にてお知らせします) |
| Standard for the amount the new employer pays in a voluntary change of employer (public notice) | The Q&A states that the public notice is "planned to be established in the future" (今後制定する予定). The flow of procedures and the forms are shown in the Operational Guidelines |
| Memoranda of Cooperation (MOC; 二国間取決め) | Signed with 4 countries. For 12 countries, provisional lists of sending organizations have been issued |
The ISA states that, where an application is filed before the examination standards, etc. are published, the examination will be put on hold until the applicant submits additional materials.
Source: Immigration Services Agency of Japan, "Applications prior to the Enforcement Date under the Employment for Skill Development Program" (in Japanese), "Outline and Related Laws and Regulations of the Employment for Skill Development Program" (in Japanese), "Operational Guidelines" (in Japanese; Operational Guidelines for the Employment for Skill Development Program, revised August 2026, Chapters 4 and 5), "Q&A on the Employment for Skill Development Program" (in Japanese), Q49 and Q55, "Main Items Stated in the Field-specific Operation Policies" (in Japanese); Organization for Technical Intern Training, "List of Sending Organizations Approved by Foreign Governments (Employment for Skill Development Program)" (in Japanese)
What can be done now: application prior to the enforcement date
The procedure an accepting company can take now is the application for accreditation of an ESD Plan prior to the enforcement date (施行日前申請). The application period is from seven months before to five months before the planned start date of ESD. An application prior to the enforcement date means an application filed before April 1, 2027, when the program begins.
| Accreditation of an ESD Plan | License for a supervising and support organization | |
|---|---|---|
| Who applies | A company that intends to have ESD carried out (accepting company) | A corporation that intends to provide supervising and support services |
| Start of acceptance of applications | September 1, 2026 | April 15, 2026 |
| Where to submit | The OTIT regional office or branch office responsible for the applicant's address (for a corporation, its head office) | Annex of the Examination Division, Head Office, OTIT (外国人技能実習機構 本部審査課分室) |
| Application period | From seven months before to five months before the planned start date of ESD | The Organization (機構) strongly recommends applying six months or more before the supervising and support services are to be provided |
| Result | Notified by mail, in order, on or after April 1, 2027 | License certificates (許可証) are planned to be mailed in or after April 2027 (some in March) |
As an example, the Organization (機構) shows that for a start on June 1, 2027, the application is to be filed from November 1, 2026 through January 1, 2027. Counting in the same way, the application for a plan starting on April 1, 2027 is to be filed from September 1 through November 1, 2026 (these dates are our office's calculation). Because November 1 falls on a Sunday, please apply with time to spare.
- For the supervising-organization type, the corporation that will provide supervising and support holds a license as a supervising organization (監理団体) and has already filed its application for a supervising and support organization license prior to the enforcement date (a copy of the acceptance slip (受理票) is submitted)
- The company has joined the field-specific council (for the industrial product manufacturing field, membership in JAIM (工業製品製造技能人材機構))
- The documents showing that the additional criteria for the field are met are ready
- When accepting from Indonesia, Cambodia, Kyrgyzstan, Vietnam or Laos, there is a letter of recommendation from a public body of the sending country for each person concerned (except for the individual-enterprise type and for accepting employees of a foreign organization with a close business relationship)
If the supervising and support organization license is not granted, the ESD Plan will not be accredited either.
Our office also provides support for applications relating to acceptance under Employment for Skill Development.
Source: Immigration Services Agency of Japan, "Applications prior to the Enforcement Date under the Employment for Skill Development Program" (in Japanese); Organization for Technical Intern Training, "Application for an ESD Plan accreditation prior to the enforcement date" (in Japanese), "Application for a supervising and support organization license prior to the enforcement date" (in Japanese), and the leaflets posted on each page
Differences from the Technical Intern Training Program
The biggest difference is the purpose. Technical Intern Training aims at international cooperation, while Employment for Skill Development aims at developing and securing human resources in fields with labor shortages. Because of this difference, the treatment of change of employer and of Japanese language has changed.
| Item | Technical Intern Training | Employment for Skill Development |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose | International cooperation through human resource development by means of the acquisition of skills, etc. | Developing and securing human resources in fields with labor shortages |
| Categories and plans | There are categories (i) to (iii), and a plan is accredited at each stage | No categories. A three-year plan is prepared from the start and accredited |
| Scope of acceptance | Occupation and operation (職種・作業) | Field and job category (業務区分) |
| Voluntary change of employer | Was not permitted | Permitted under certain conditions |
| Japanese language | － | Japanese language proficiency has been added to the goals |
| Transition to Specified Skilled Worker (i) | Those who have successfully completed Technical Intern Training (ii) are exempt from the skills test and the Japanese language test | Passing the skills test and the Japanese language test is a requirement |
| Previous-occupation requirement (前職要件) and requirement to engage in the same work after returning home (帰国後従事要件) | Yes | No |
| Supervising body | Supervising organization | Supervising and support organization |
A supervising organization cannot become a supervising and support organization as it is. It needs to newly obtain a supervising and support organization license.
The licensing criteria now additionally include appointing an external auditor (外部監査人), not being insolvent (liabilities exceeding assets), and, in principle, providing supervising and support to two or more accepting companies. The number of full-time officers and employees engaged in the practical work is set at two or more, and there are also staffing criteria according to the number of accepting companies and the number of foreign nationals.
Where employees of an overseas branch or subsidiary are accepted for a short period for training, it is envisaged that the new status of residence "Intra-company Transferee (ii)" (企業内転勤2号) will be used, subject to certain requirements.
Source: Immigration Services Agency of Japan, "Q&A on the Employment for Skill Development Program" (in Japanese), Q9, Q27–Q29, Q33, Q34, Q57 and Q75, "Ministerial Orders, etc. Related to the Employment for Skill Development Program (Schematic Overview)" (in Japanese), p. 2
The 17 eligible fields
There are 17 eligible fields. Of the 19 fields of Specified Skilled Worker, the two fields of automobile transportation business (自動車運送業) and aviation industry (航空) are not covered by Employment for Skill Development. This was decided in the field-specific operation policies decided by the Cabinet on January 23, 2026.
- Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare: long-term care (介護), building cleaning management (ビルクリーニング), linen supply (リネンサプライ)
- Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry: industrial product manufacturing (工業製品製造業)
- Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism: construction industry (建設), shipbuilding and ship machinery industries (造船・舶用工業), automobile repair and maintenance (自動車整備), accommodation industry (宿泊), railway (鉄道), warehousing industry (物流倉庫)
- Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries: agriculture (農業), fishery (漁業), manufacture of food and beverages (飲食料品製造業), food service industry (外食業), forestry (林業), wood industry (木材産業)
- Ministry of the Environment: resource circulation industry (資源循環)
Of the occupations eligible for transition to Technical Intern Training (ii), the following three are not covered.
- Cleaning (laundry) occupation (クリーニング職種; general household laundry operation, 一般家庭用クリーニング作業)
- Airport ground handling occupation (空港グランドハンドリング職種)
- Boiler maintenance occupation (ボイラーメンテナンス職種; boiler maintenance operation, ボイラーメンテナンス作業)
The ISA states that whether these need to be added will continue to be considered by the administrative organs with jurisdiction over the fields (Q&A on the Employment for Skill Development Program, Q30).
Under Employment for Skill Development, it is not possible to work across fields, such as "agriculture in summer, fishery in winter". The fields in which workers can be accepted in the form of worker dispatch (労働者派遣) are the agriculture field and the fishery field, which are seasonal.
The expected number of acceptance (受入れ見込数) for Employment for Skill Development is 426,200 in total for the 17 fields (through the end of March 2029). This number is used as the upper limit of acceptance. The fields and work of Specified Skilled Worker are summarized in our article "Japan Specified Skilled Worker (SSW) Visa: (i) vs (ii), 19 Fields, Employer Requirements and Procedures."
Source: Immigration Services Agency of Japan, "Main Items Stated in the Field-specific Operation Policies" (in Japanese), "Q&A on the Employment for Skill Development Program" (in Japanese), Q12, Q16, Q17, Q19 and Q30
Japanese language and skill standards
The Japanese language and skill standards are set for each of four points in time: before starting to work, after one year, at the change of employer, and at the end. The following table shows the general levels indicated in the field-specific operation policies.
| Point in time | Skills | Japanese language |
|---|---|---|
| Before starting to work | － | Equivalent to A1 or higher, or attendance at a course equivalent to A1 |
| After one year | ESD evaluation exam (Basic) (育成就労評価試験（初級）) | Equivalent to A1 or higher |
| At a voluntary change of employer | ESD evaluation exam (Basic) | Equivalent to A2.1 or higher |
| At the end of ESD (same as Specified Skilled Worker (i)) | SSW (i) evaluation test (特定技能1号評価試験), ESD evaluation exam (Advanced) (育成就労評価試験（専門級）) | Equivalent to A2.2 or higher |
An example of a test equivalent to A1 is N5 of the Japanese-Language Proficiency Test (JLPT), and an example for A2.2 is N4. A2.1 refers to the stage at which A1 has been reached and learning is progressing toward A2.2.
In some fields, higher levels than these are set. For example, for transportation staff (運輸係員) in the railway field, a level equivalent to A2.2 or higher is required from the one-year point.
Accepting companies are obliged to have the worker take the tests in the first year and the third year. Even if the first-year test is not passed, ESD can be continued.
Those who have not passed a test equivalent to A1 before starting to work take 100 hours or more of an A1-equivalent course in the "Employment" course (「就労」課程) of an accredited Japanese language institution (認定日本語教育機関). The total hours of post-entry lectures (入国後講習) are 320 hours or more for those who have not passed and 220 hours or more for those who have passed (shorter where pre-entry lectures (入国前講習) were taken).
Providing the opportunity to take 100 hours or more of a course aiming at A2 during the three years of ESD is also an obligation of the accepting company. The cost is borne by the accepting company or the supervising and support organization.
Source: Immigration Services Agency of Japan, "Main Items Stated in the Field-specific Operation Policies" (in Japanese), p. 2, "Outline of Employment for Skill Development Program (revised July 2026)" (in Japanese), pp. 2–4, "Ministerial Orders, etc. Related to the Employment for Skill Development Program (Schematic Overview)" (in Japanese), pp. 2–4, "Q&A on the Employment for Skill Development Program" (in Japanese), Q56, Q63, Q64 and Q66
Conditions under which a voluntary change of employer is permitted
A voluntary change of employer is permitted only within the same job category, and only where certain requirements are met. It is not a system under which workers can freely change jobs at any time. A change of employer due to unavoidable circumstances, such as violence or harassment, continues to be permitted as under the Technical Intern Training Program.
- The worker has acquired skills and Japanese language proficiency at a certain level set in the field-specific operation policy (the general level is the ESD evaluation exam (Basic) and Japanese equivalent to A2.1 or higher)
- ESD at the current accepting company has exceeded the restriction period for change of employer
- The worker has not received job placement, etc. from a private employment placement business operator for the change of employer
- The new employer is an excellent ESD implementing organization
- At the new employer, the proportion of persons who moved there by voluntary change of employer is within a certain limit
- The new employer is to pay a certain amount to the former employer
The restriction period for change of employer is the period for which ESD needs to be continued at the current accepting company before a change of employer. It is set at one year or two years for each field.
| Restriction period for change of employer | Fields |
|---|---|
| 2 years | Long-term care, construction industry, shipbuilding and ship machinery industries, automobile repair and maintenance, food service industry, industrial product manufacturing, manufacture of food and beverages, resource circulation industry |
| 1 year | Building cleaning management, linen supply, accommodation industry, railway, warehousing industry, agriculture, fishery, forestry, wood industry |
Even in the two-year fields, the accepting company may decide to make it one year. If the period is to be longer than one year, the company needs to improve treatment, such as a pay raise, as set in the field-specific operation policy.
Source: Immigration Services Agency of Japan, "Q&A on the Employment for Skill Development Program" (in Japanese), Q48, Q50 and Q51, "Main Items Stated in the Field-specific Operation Policies" (in Japanese), p. 2
Rules for companies that accept, and companies that send off, workers making a voluntary change of employer
Only excellent ESD implementing organizations can accept workers making a voluntary change of employer. The company that accepts such a worker pays part of the initial costs to the former employer.
At the new employer, the proportion of workers who came by voluntary change of employer to the total number of Skill Development Employees (育成就労外国人; foreign nationals accepted under the ESD Program) is up to one-third. Where the new employer is in a major metropolitan area (outside the designated areas), the proportion of such workers accepted from regional areas (inside the designated areas) is limited to up to one-sixth.
The designated areas (指定区域) are the prefectures other than Tokyo, Kanagawa, Chiba, Saitama, Aichi, Osaka, Kyoto and Hyogo, and some areas within these eight prefectures. This is judged by the location of the accepting company's head office.
The amount the new employer pays to the former employer is calculated by multiplying the amount set by the competent ministers in a public notice by a rate according to the period worked at the former employer. The following table is for a first change of employer.
| Period of ESD carried out at the former employer | Rate applied |
|---|---|
| 1 year or more but less than 1 year and 6 months | Five-sixths |
| 1 year and 6 months or more but less than 2 years | Two-thirds |
| 2 years or more but less than 2 years and 6 months | One-half |
| 2 years and 6 months or more | One-quarter |
The public notice setting the base amount for the calculation is not posted on the ISA's page of related laws and regulations (as of October 9, 2026). The flow of procedures and the forms are shown in Chapter 4 of the Operational Guidelines. The worker submits a written request to change employer (変更希望の申出書), the accepting company and the supervising and support organization make the notifications and give the notices, and the new employer applies to the Organization (機構) for accreditation of a new ESD Plan. Within six months after accreditation, the new employer submits to the Organization (機構) documents proving the payment.
Source: Immigration Services Agency of Japan, "Q&A on the Employment for Skill Development Program" (in Japanese), Q42, Q43, Q49 and Q53–Q55, "Ministerial Orders, etc. Related to the Employment for Skill Development Program (Schematic Overview)" (in Japanese), pp. 10 and 13, "Operational Guidelines" (in Japanese; Operational Guidelines for the Employment for Skill Development Program, revised August 2026, Chapter 4)
Requirements for accepting companies
The requirements for accepting companies (ESD implementing organizations, 育成就労実施者) carry over those of the Technical Intern Training Program, with new requirements added.
- Within the past year, no Skill Development Employee has gone missing (行方不明者) for reasons attributable to the accepting company or the supervising and support organization
- Within the past year, the company has not caused workers engaged in the same kind of work to leave their jobs (excluding those who left voluntarily, etc.)
- The company complies with laws and regulations on labor, social insurance and taxes
- The company has not received from a sending organization, etc. money, entertainment or the like beyond the extent considered reasonable under socially accepted norms
- When concluding the employment contract, the company explains the working conditions and other treatment in person or online
- The company has joined the field-specific council for the field in which it accepts workers
As its system, the company appoints an ESD manager (育成就労責任者), an ESD instructor (育成就労指導員) and a daily-life counselor (生活相談員). All three need to have completed the training course (養成講習) within the past three years.
Source: Immigration Services Agency of Japan, "Q&A on the Employment for Skill Development Program" (in Japanese), Q40 and Q44, "Ministerial Orders, etc. Related to the Employment for Skill Development Program (Schematic Overview)" (in Japanese), p. 6
Limit on the number of workers accepted
The upper limit on the number of workers that can be accepted is determined by the number of the accepting company's full-time employees. Because categories (i) to (iii) of Technical Intern Training no longer exist, it is an upper limit on the total number of Skill Development Employees in their first to third years.
| Total number of full-time employees | Basic quota (基本人数枠) | Excellent ESD implementing organization |
|---|---|---|
| 301 or more | Three-twentieths of the total number of full-time employees | Three-tenths of the total number of full-time employees |
| 201 to 300 | 45 | 90 |
| 101 to 200 | 30 | 60 |
| 51 to 100 | 18 | 36 |
| 41 to 50 | 15 | 30 |
| 31 to 40 | 12 | 24 |
| 9 to 30 | 9 | 18 |
This table shows the quota for the supervising-organization type. Where there are 3 to 8 full-time employees, the basic quota is also 9 (6 for 2 employees, and 3 for 1). The numbers for excellent organizations are set separately for those with 5 or fewer. The individual-enterprise type has a separate quota.
Skill Development Employees and technical intern trainees are not included in the number of full-time employees. Technical intern trainees (i) and (ii) who remain under the transitional measures are counted in the number of Skill Development Employees.
An excellent ESD implementing organization in a regional area (designated area) that receives supervising and support from an excellent supervising and support organization can accept up to three times the basic quota. It is stated that, for recognition as an excellent supervising and support organization, applications prior to the enforcement date and applications immediately after the program comes into effect will not be accepted.
To be recognized as an excellent ESD implementing organization, a company submits a declaration form and materials when applying for accreditation of an ESD Plan and is checked by the Organization (機構). The criteria use a point-based system, and companies with no acceptance record and companies less than one year from their first acceptance need 70% (40 points) or more of the total score of 56 points. There are also criteria for the points in each item.
Source: Immigration Services Agency of Japan, "Q&A on the Employment for Skill Development Program" (in Japanese), Q37 and Q41, "Ministerial Orders, etc. Related to the Employment for Skill Development Program (Schematic Overview)" (in Japanese), pp. 8 and 9, "Operational Guidelines" (in Japanese; Operational Guidelines for the Employment for Skill Development Program, revised August 2026, Chapters 4 and 5)
Sending organizations and the upper limit on the costs paid by foreign nationals
The upper limit on the costs a foreign national pays to the sending organization is two months of monthly pay. Costs exceeding the upper limit are borne by the accepting company or the supervising and support organization.
The monthly pay here is the monthly amount of remuneration stated in the ESD Plan, and means the monthly amount of regular wages (所定内賃金) set in the employment contract. It does not include overtime pay and the like.
According to an ISA survey, the total amount of costs that technical intern trainees paid to sending organizations or intermediaries before coming to Japan averaged 542,311 yen. This is the average for the 1,369 persons who answered the amount of costs, and the survey was conducted from December 2021 to April 2022.
Countries from which workers can be accepted
Under Employment for Skill Development, in principle, workers can be accepted only from countries that have signed a bilateral arrangement (Memorandum of Cooperation, 協力覚書) with Japan.
| Status (as of October 9, 2026) | Countries |
|---|---|
| MOC signed (a list of Approved Sending Organizations exists) | Thailand, Uzbekistan, Sri Lanka, Laos |
| A provisional list of sending organizations has been published | Indonesia, Cambodia, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Nepal, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Timor-Leste, Bhutan, the Philippines, Vietnam, Myanmar |
A provisional list of sending organizations is a list, issued by a country with which an arrangement is under negotiation, of organizations expected to become sending organizations. An application prior to the enforcement date can be filed with an organization on this list as the sending organization acting as intermediary.
However, for the ESD Plan to be accredited, that organization needs to be on the list of Approved Sending Organizations. If it is not listed, a change of sending organization may become necessary.
Source: Immigration Services Agency of Japan, "Q&A on the Employment for Skill Development Program" (in Japanese), Q70 and Q72–Q74, "Operational Guidelines" (in Japanese; Operational Guidelines for the Employment for Skill Development Program, revised August 2026, Chapter 4), "Results of the Fact-finding Survey on Costs Paid by Technical Intern Trainees" (in Japanese); Organization for Technical Intern Training, "List of Sending Organizations Approved by Foreign Governments (Employment for Skill Development Program)" (in Japanese), and the leaflet posted on "Application for an ESD Plan accreditation prior to the enforcement date" (in Japanese)
What happens to the technical intern trainees you currently accept?
Technical intern trainees who are in Japan as of April 1, 2027 can continue their technical intern training based on their accredited plans. It is not possible to move from Technical Intern Training to Employment for Skill Development. While they continue, the rules of the Technical Intern Training Program apply.
| Stage | Those who can newly start, or move on to the next stage, on or after April 1, 2027 |
|---|---|
| (i) | Those who can start technical intern training on or before June 30, 2027, based on a technical intern training plan for which accreditation was applied for on or before March 31, 2027 |
| (ii) | Those who have started Technical Intern Training (i) on or before June 30, 2027 |
| (iii) | Those who, as of April 1, 2027, have carried out Technical Intern Training (ii) for one year or more |
Applications for accreditation of a Technical Intern Training (i) plan can be filed up to and including March 31, 2027. For those who will newly accept technical intern trainees from now on, the Organization (機構) advises applying by February 2027. This is because, for applications filed in or after March, it may not be possible to receive landing permission on or before June 30.
As a path after completing technical intern training, transition to Specified Skilled Worker (i) remains. Those who have successfully completed Technical Intern Training (ii), and whose work to be engaged in is relevant to the occupation and operation of their technical intern training, can make the transition for the time being.
For new licenses for supervising organizations under the Technical Intern Training Program, the Organization (機構) had asked for applications to be filed on or before September 30, 2026. It is stated that applications filed on or after October 1 are highly likely not to be licensed.
Source: Immigration Services Agency of Japan, "Transitional Measures for Technical Intern Training Accompanying the Enforcement of the Employment for Skill Development Program" (in Japanese), "Outline of Employment for Skill Development Program (revised July 2026)" (in Japanese), p. 7, "Q&A on the Employment for Skill Development Program" (in Japanese), Q47, Q78 and Q80; Organization for Technical Intern Training, leaflets posted on "Employment for Skill Development Program" (in Japanese) ("Information on Technical Intern Training Plans" and "To Those Considering Applying for a Supervising Organization License")
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a worker move to Specified Skilled Worker (i) partway through Employment for Skill Development?
The ISA states that its policy is to permit this subject to conditions (Q&A on the Employment for Skill Development Program, Q76). The conditions are that the person has passed the skills test and the Japanese language test, and that the period of work at the current accepting company has exceeded a certain period.
Is income tax imposed on the salary of a Skill Development Employee?
In principle, yes. Unlike in the case of technical intern trainees, they are not covered by the tax-exemption provisions of tax treaties and are subject to income tax. Resident tax is treated in the same way (Q&A on the Employment for Skill Development Program, Q81).
What happens if the expected number of acceptance is about to be exceeded?
Accreditation of ESD Plans in that field is temporarily stopped. Even after an employment contract has been concluded, in principle accreditation cannot be obtained and the person cannot newly enter Japan as a Skill Development Employee. Extension of the period of stay is, in principle, examined as usual (Q&A on the Employment for Skill Development Program, Q22 and Q23).
Summary
The Employment for Skill Development Program will begin on April 1, 2027. It is a program under which foreign nationals are employed for three years in principle in 17 fields with labor shortages and developed to the level of Specified Skilled Worker (i). The Japanese language and skill standards, the conditions for a voluntary change of employer (except the standard for the amount the new employer pays), the limit on the number of workers accepted, and the upper limit on the costs paid to the sending organization have been decided.
What an accepting company can do now is to file an application for accreditation of an ESD Plan prior to the enforcement date. The application is filed from seven months before to five months before the planned start date of ESD. First, please check whether your supervising organization has applied for a supervising and support organization license, whether the operational guidelines and the council procedures for the field in which you will accept workers have been issued, and what stage the sending country is at.
References
- Immigration Services Agency of Japan, "Q&A on the Employment for Skill Development Program" (in Japanese; updated May 28, 2026)
- Immigration Services Agency of Japan, "Applications prior to the Enforcement Date under the Employment for Skill Development Program" (in Japanese)
- Immigration Services Agency of Japan, "Outline of Employment for Skill Development Program (revised July 2026)" (in Japanese; July 2026)
- Immigration Services Agency of Japan, "Ministerial Orders, etc. Related to the Employment for Skill Development Program (Schematic Overview)" (in Japanese; December 2025)
- Immigration Services Agency of Japan, "Main Items Stated in the Field-specific Operation Policies" (in Japanese; field-specific operation policies decided by the Cabinet on January 23, 2026)
- Immigration Services Agency of Japan, "Overview of the Amended Act (Establishment of the Employment for Skill Development Program, etc.)" (in Japanese)
- Immigration Services Agency of Japan, "Outline and Related Laws and Regulations of the Employment for Skill Development Program" (in Japanese)
- Immigration Services Agency of Japan, "Operational Guidelines" (in Japanese; Operational Guidelines for the Employment for Skill Development Program, revised August 5, 2026)
- Immigration Services Agency of Japan, "Transitional Measures for Technical Intern Training Accompanying the Enforcement of the Employment for Skill Development Program" (in Japanese)
- Immigration Services Agency of Japan, "Results of the Fact-finding Survey on Costs Paid by Technical Intern Trainees" (in Japanese)
- Organization for Technical Intern Training, "Employment for Skill Development Program" (in Japanese)
- Organization for Technical Intern Training, "Application for an ESD Plan accreditation prior to the enforcement date" (in Japanese; updated September 8, 2026)
- Organization for Technical Intern Training, "Application for a supervising and support organization license prior to the enforcement date" (in Japanese; updated October 8, 2026)
- Organization for Technical Intern Training, "List of Sending Organizations Approved by Foreign Governments (Employment for Skill Development Program)" (in Japanese)
- Act on Proper Implementation of Employment for Skill Development and Protection of Skill Development Employees (Act No. 89 of 2016; as amended by Act No. 60 of 2024; effective April 1, 2027. Until the enforcement date, it is displayed on e-Gov under the title of the Technical Intern Training Act), Articles 1, 2, 8 and 9-2
