What is the Specified Skills System?
The Specified Skilled Worker System is a system for accepting foreign workers who have specific expertise and skills that can be immediately utilized in business operations and who can contribute immediately to the workforce.
It was established in 2019 against the following background:
- Increasing labor shortage, including among small and medium-sized businesses
- Concerns about the sustainability of economic and social infrastructure
- Insufficient efforts to improve productivity and secure domestic human resources
- Demand for accepting foreign workers who can work immediately
Purpose
The Specified Skills System is
- Accepting foreign workers with certain expertise and skills,
- allowing companies to respond flexibly and effectively to labor shortages
is a main purpose.
Features
Two types of residence status
The Specified Skills System has two types of residence status: "Specified Skills No. 1" and "Specified Skills No. 2."
"Specified Skills No. 1" is for foreigner who has "skills that require a considerable degree of knowledge or experience" and is recognized as able to work immediately, while "Specified Skills No. 2" is for foreigner who require "skills that belong to a specific industrial field."
Former technical intern trainees who have successfully completed technical intern training No. 2 can transition to "Specified Skills No. 1" without taking an exam.
"Specified Skills No. 2" is primarily set up as the next stage for those who have completed Specified Skills No. 1.
Simple labor can be engaged incidentally.
Before this system was established, foreign workers were not generally permitted to engage in simple labor, but now they can engage in it on an incidental basis .
Foreign workers with specific skills cannot only do work that do not require specialized knowledge or skills (simple labor), but they can work related tasks that are normally performed by Japanese staff working in the same job as ancillary tasks.
Recruiting Country
There are no restrictions on the nationalities of foreign nationals who can be employed as specified skilled workers. However, in order to ensure proper and smooth acceptance of human resources, there are bilateral agreements (MOCs), which are employment arrangements concluded between the sending countries of specified skilled workers and Japan, and many specified skilled workers are employed from these agreement countries.
As of April 2024, bilateral agreements for specific skills have been concluded with 17 countries: the Philippines, Cambodia, Nepal, Myanmar, Mongolia, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Vietnam, Bangladesh, Uzbekistan, Pakistan, Thailand, India, Malaysia, Laos, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan.
Reference: Immigration Services Agency "Memorandum of Cooperation between the two countries regarding specific skills"
Period
Specific Skills No. 1 allows a person to stay in Japan for up to five years.
It can be renewed every 4 months, 6 months or yearly.
Specified Skilled Worker No. 2 can stay in Japan indefinitely if they can continue to renew their period of stay.
| Specified Skills No. 1 | Specific Skills No. 2 | |
|---|---|---|
| Period of stay | Total limit: 5 years Renewal every year, six months, or four months |
No renewal limit Renewal every 3 years, 1 year, or 6 months |
| Acquiring permanent residence | Not possible | May meet the requirements |
| Japanese level | Japanese language skills necessary for daily life and work Check with the test ※Those who have completed Technical Intern Training No. 2 are exempt from exams, etc. |
No testing required |
| Skill Level |
Passed the specific skills No. 1 evaluation test ※Those who have completed Technical Intern Training No. 2 are exempt from exams, etc. |
Did you pass the specific skills No. 1 evaluation test? A certain amount of work experience as a supervisor is required |
| Support for foreigners | Required By accepting organizations or registered support organizations Support plans need to be developed and implemented |
Not required |
| Bringing family members along | No | Possible (spouse, children) |
Differences from the Technical Intern Training Program
| Specified Skills System | Technical Intern Training Program | |
| the purpose | Eliminate labor shortages Securing foreign workers who can contribute immediately |
International Contribution Skills transfer to developing countries |
| Target industries/occupations | 16 fields More details > |
91 jobs, 167 tasks (As of October 31, 2024) |
| Work content | Simple labor allowed | Simple labor not allowed |
| Period of stay | No. 1: Up to 5 years No. 2: Indefinite |
No. 1: Within 1 year No. 2: Within 2 years No. 3: Within 2 years (Total 5 years) |
| Possibility of changing jobs | Yes *Conditions apply, including within the same field |
In principle, not allowed |
| Acceptance Method | No restrictions Direct hiring by companies possible Entrusted to a registration support organization |
Overseas sending organizations or Only introductions from supervisory organizations |
| Acceptance limit | No restrictions except for nursing care and construction | Limited depending on the number of full-time employees |
| Quality of human resources (test) |
Pass the Japanese Language Proficiency Test Skill test passed |
none *Only for care workers at the time of entry Japanese Language Proficiency Test N4 level |
| Whether family members can accompany | Only size 2 is available *Exceptions apply |
No |
| Time to hire | For domestic recruitment, it will take about 3 months. From overseas: about 5 months |
6 months or more |
| treatment | Treatment as a worker | Treatment as an intern |