Specified Skilled Worker Visa Application (Type 1 & 2)
A residence status covering 19 fields with serious labor shortages. We organize the points companies need to grasp—the two-tier structure of Type 1 (5 years cumulative) and Type 2 (renewable, family eligible), field-specific exams, coordination with registered support organizations. We also handle the new acceptance suspension for the food service field starting April 13, 2026.
What Is Specified Skilled Worker?
Specified Skilled Worker is a relatively new residence status established in 2019, designed to "accept foreign nationals with certain expertise and skills as immediately ready workers in fields with severe labor shortages." Unlike Technical Intern Training, it allows job changes (within the same field), family accompaniment (Type 2 only), and a clear path to long-term employment (effective connection to permanent residence via Type 2).
As of 2026, 19 fields are covered, and operational practices are well-established in fields like construction and nursing care. Meanwhile, the system is being adjusted in detail—for example, the suspension of new acceptance for the food service field starting April 13, 2026.
Differences between Type 1 and Type 2
| Item | Specified Skilled Worker Type 1 | Specified Skilled Worker Type 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Period of stay | 5 years cumulative max (renewed annually) | Renewable, no upper limit |
| Skill level | Certain expertise | Refined skills |
| Japanese requirement | N4 equivalent or higher (varies by field) | Conversation skills as needed for work |
| Family accompaniment | Not allowed | Allowed (spouse, children) |
| Target fields | 19 fields | 11 fields (expanding) |
| Exam | Specified Skilled Worker exam + Japanese exam | Type 2 exam or work experience |
| Connection to permanent residence | Not direct (via Type 1 → Type 2) | Possible |
Basic requirements for Specified Skilled Worker Type 1 (6 points)
Acquisition of Specified Skilled Worker Type 1 has the following 6 basic requirements. Meeting all of them is the standard for landing permission.
18 years or older (at the time of entry)
Good health (submission of personal health examination card required)
Considerable level of skills (exam route or Technical Intern Training route)
Japanese language proficiency level (requirements vary by field)
Cooperative nationality for deportation order (Iranian nationals not eligible)
Cumulative period of stay less than 5 years (up to 6 years for special circumstances)
Exam route
Pass the field-specific Specified Skilled Worker exam and submit the certificate of passing. The content of the skills exam is determined by each field's council.
Technical Intern Training route
Complete Technical Intern Training Type 2 for 2 years and 10 months or more, and pass the practical exam of Skill Test Level 3 (or equivalent specialized level of the Technical Intern evaluation exam). If the practical exam is not passed, an evaluation document prepared by the implementing party may serve as a substitute (with conditions).
Japanese language proficiency level (by field)
- ・Nursing care: N4 level + Japanese for Nursing Care exam (Technical Intern Type 2 successful completers also not exempted)
- ・Automobile transport / Railways: N3 level
- ・Other fields: N4 level as a rule
- ・Technical Intern Type 2 successful completers: generally exempted (additional exams for nursing care/automobile transport/railways are separate)
The 19 fields and key practical points for each
Specified industrial fields defined by the standards ministerial ordinance (per Immigration practice). 4 fields—automobile transport, railways, forestry, wood industry—were added in 2024, and 3 more—linen supply, logistics warehousing, resource recycling—by a Cabinet decision in January 2026. Acceptance in the 3 new fields begins once the ministerial ordinances and related rules are ready.
Both N4 and Japanese for Nursing Care exam
Many acceptance records
Consolidates former materials/industrial machinery/electrical-electronics
Type 2 well established; long-term employment design possible
Concentrated regionally
Connection to Class 2 Mechanic certification
Mainly ground operations
Demand growing with inbound recovery
Added 2024 / Drivers require N3
Added 2024 / Transport staff require N3
Dispatch arrangements partially allowed
Dispatch arrangements partially allowed
Food processing factories
New acceptance suspended from April 13, 2026
Added 2024
Added 2024
Added Jan 2026 / acceptance starts once rules are ready
Added Jan 2026 / acceptance starts once rules are ready
Added Jan 2026 / acceptance starts once rules are ready
April 13, 2026 onwards - Suspension of new acceptance for the Food Service field (Important)
On April 13, 2026, the Specified Skilled Worker "Food service" field's issuance of Certificates of Eligibility was temporarily suspended (because the number of residents was expected to exceed the expected number of acceptance (the upper limit)). Applications accepted on or after that date are handled as follows:
- Certificate of Eligibility application to bring a worker from overseas (Specified Skilled Worker Type 1): not issued
- Status change application from other fields/residence statuses: denied in principle (with some exceptions, such as those who have completed Technical Intern Training)
- Renewal for food service Specified Skilled Worker holders already in Japan, and applications accompanying a job change within food service: examined as usual
The timing of resumption has not been indicated (as of October 2026). For companies considering food service, we propose switching to Training Employment (effective April 2027) or reconsidering other fields (food/beverage manufacturing, etc.).
Role allocation with registered support organizations, employment form rules, and field-specific councils
Role allocation with registered support organizations
Specified Skilled Worker Type 1 accepting companies are obligated to develop and implement support plans through registered support organizations (companies meeting standards to provide self-support are exceptions). Registered support organizations handle life support, language support, and emergency response, while administrative scriveners handle document preparation—this role allocation is well established in practice.
The 2026 amendment of the Administrative Scrivener Act made explicit in the text of the law that document preparation related to residence status applications is the exclusive business of administrative scriveners. If your company already has a contracted registered support organization, we proceed with the application service in cooperation with that organization.
Employment form principles (key points for hiring design)
- Full-time direct employment is the rule (direct employment by the Specified Skilled Worker affiliated organization)
- Dispatch arrangements partially allowed by field (agriculture, fishery, etc.)
- Employment with multiple organizations generally not allowed (within-field secondment-style assignment is an exception)
- Disguised contracting is strictly monitored (substantive review when working at other organizations' offices)
Joining the field-specific council (mandatory procedure before application)
Each field has a council established, and Specified Skilled Worker Type 1 accepting companies must join the council of the relevant field. At application, a certificate of being a council member is required to be submitted.
Standard flow for new certification of Specified Skilled Worker Type 1
- 01
Confirm candidate's passing of Specified Skilled Worker exam and Japanese exam
- 02
Prepare employment contract (incorporating field-specific conditions)
- 03
Develop support plan with registered support organization
- 04
Apply for Certificate of Eligibility (COE)
- 05
Review (1-3 months)
- 06
COE issued → visa application overseas → arrival in Japan
- 07
Post-entry notifications, start of support plan implementation
Jeepney's scope: ② ~ ⑤ (document preparation, application service), ⑦ (notification representation). The party-side practical work in ① and ③ is handled by your company / the registered support organization; Jeepney plays an advisory role.
Processing time for Specified Skilled Worker visa (Immigration Services Agency published values)
July 2026 approvals, nationwide average
| Application type | Type 1 | Type 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Certificate of Eligibility (COE) | 64.1 days | 57.6 days |
| Status change | 59.5 days | 51.6 days |
| Period extension | 41.0 days | 38.5 days |
Source: Immigration Services Agency - Residence Examination Processing Time
Fees
For corporate clients, the Standard plan is the main offering.
| Application type (Type 1) | Light | Standard | Full Support |
|---|---|---|---|
| Certificate of Eligibility (COE) | ¥55,000 | ¥99,000 | ¥132,000 |
| Status change (from other visa) | ¥55,000 | ¥99,000 | ¥132,000 |
| Period extension (with job change) | ¥55,000 | ¥99,000 | ¥132,000 |
| Period extension (no job change) | ¥27,500 | ¥44,000 | ¥55,000 |
- ・Tax included. Type 2 documents are more complex; custom quote
- ・Re-application by our office of a case that you or another office filed and had denied: +¥27,500
- ・Out-of-pocket costs (government fees, translation, postage, etc.) charged separately
- ・If an application filed by our office is denied, we re-apply free of charge once per applicant and status of residence (excluding the Light plan)
- * No government fee is payable on a Certificate of Eligibility application
- * For change-of-status and extension applications, a government fee is payable to Immigration separately (see the amounts)
- ・Retainer agreement clients qualify for application fee discounts
Designated Activities for Transition to Specified Skilled Worker
The technical intern training has finished, but council membership or the paperwork is not in place, so the Type 1 application cannot yet be filed. Designated Activities (preparing to transfer to Specified Skilled Worker Type 1) is the bridge for exactly this. We have handled it.
It keeps residence unbroken before the period expires
Where the technical intern training period is running out and the Type 1 requirements are not yet met, you change to Designated Activities to stay lawfully, then apply to change to Type 1 once the requirements are in place.
Six months, renewable once only
One renewal is allowed where there are unavoidable circumstances, and that is all. Filed at the last moment there is nowhere left to go, so starting early is the whole game.
Time on Designated Activities counts towards the five-year total
This is the part people lose money on. The transition period consumes the five-year allowance for Type 1, so the longer the change is delayed, the less working time remains afterwards. The earlier you file, the more of the five years survives.
The designation letter is the substance
Designated Activities is a status where the Minister designates the activity for the individual, and that designation is recorded in a letter affixed to the passport. A copy is needed again at the next application, so keep it safe.
The reason you give for the transition application carries into the Type 1 application that follows. If the stated reason — waiting on council membership, waiting on a document — does not match the actual bottleneck, the next application becomes hard to explain. We design the transition stage with the next filing already in view.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. Do we need to arrange the candidate's Japanese and Specified Skilled Worker exams?+
A. As a rule, candidates take the exams themselves and obtain certificates of passing. Your company gets involved from the post-exam employment contract and application stages. There are also services to introduce overseas exam organizations (within the scope of registered support organizations).
Q. Can Jeepney introduce a registered support organization?+
A. We can introduce multiple candidates. Jeepney Co., Ltd. (a registered support organization), a group company operated as a separate corporation by the representative, is one of the candidates we can introduce, but we recommend comparing with other organizations.
Q. How difficult is changing from Type 1 to Type 2?+
A. It requires passing the Type 2 exam and, depending on the field, meeting work experience requirements. It is important to prepare systematically during the 5 years on Type 1. With a retainer agreement, we propose a Type 2 transition exam preparation schedule.
Q. When will food service acceptance resume?+
A. The timing of resumption has not been indicated (as of October 2026). Switching to Training Employment (effective April 2027) is also being considered as an alternative.
Q. What about fees when hiring multiple people simultaneously?+
A. There are progressive discounts for 5 or more people simultaneously. For large-scale hiring of 10 or more people, please consult on unit prices.
Q. I heard Specified Skilled Worker Type 1 is 5 years cumulative—does this include leave periods?+
A. Leave periods due to pregnancy, childbirth, childcare, illness, or injury (including work-related) are not included in cumulative period of stay (per Immigration practice). However, periods of temporary departure under re-entry permit and periods of unemployment when not actually working are generally included in cumulative calculation.
Q. Can a single foreign worker be assigned tasks across multiple fields?+
A. It is possible. By stating the primary and secondary fields in the application, the worker can engage in multiple field tasks. However, the skill level and Japanese language proficiency must meet the criteria of each field, and designation by the Minister of Justice is required.
Q. Can we accept Specified Skilled Worker foreigners from a dispatch company?+
A. As a rule, direct employment is required (full-time is basic). However, dispatch arrangements are recognized in some fields like agriculture and fishery. Employment contracts with multiple organizations are generally not recognized; within-field secondment-style assignment is permitted as an exception under certain requirements.
Latest updates: Specified Skilled Worker articles
2026.08.02
Viet Nam "Labor Supply Contract" for Specified Skilled Workers: Employer Costs (Sending Fee, Training, Airfare)
A labor supply contract is a contract that a company newly accepting a specified skilled worker from Viet Nam concludes with an approved sending organization. We check the rules on the sending fee, the training cost and the air ticket against Viet Nam's current Circular.
2026.07.29
Recommendation List for Vietnamese Specified Skilled Workers: Who Needs It, Where to Apply, Forms and Documents
The Recommendation List is a document by which the Government of Viet Nam certifies that the procedures on the Vietnamese side have been completed. We summarize which applications need it and which do not, the procedures with DOLAB and the Embassy of Viet Nam in Japan, and the required documents.
2026.05.04
Japan Immigration Act Amendments 2026–2027: List of Changes to the Residence System and Enforcement Dates
We list the 2026–2027 amendments to Japan's Immigration Act and the changes to how statuses of residence are handled, in order of the date they come into effect or start to apply. We summarize who is affected, the status as of October 9, 2026, and where to find the detailed articles.
Hiring Specified Skilled Workers? Let's discuss
We will hear about the field, candidate profile, and existing registered support organization contract status, then propose how to proceed with the application. Please consult even if you do not yet have a contract with a registered support organization.
Jeepney Immigration Services - Weekdays 9:00 - 18:00