The graduation visa for foreign caregivers in Japan. Built around the 介護福祉士 (Certified Care Worker) national qualification. Unlike SSW1 caregiving, the 介護 visa has no stay cap, allows family members on dependent visas, and opens the path to permanent residence. The career destination after TITP and SSW1.
3 pathways
The 介護 visa is built on top of the 介護福祉士 (Certified Care Worker) national qualification. There are three recognized pathways for foreign candidates to earn that qualification. Each has its own timeline and cost profile.
Typically 2 years
Graduate from a designated Japanese caregiver training school. Usually a 2-year senmon program (some 3 / 4-year university tracks). Graduates of accredited programs are exam-exempt for the 介護福祉士 qualification (subject to transitional rules through the 2020s).
Common for candidates entering Japan on a student visa specifically to qualify as 介護福祉士.
3 years experience + 450-hour course + national exam
Accumulate 3+ years of practical caregiving experience in Japan (typically on TITP and / or SSW1 caregiving), complete a 450-hour 実務者研修 training course, then pass the 介護福祉士 national exam (held annually in late January).
The dominant path for foreign caregivers. The natural progression: TITP → SSW1 介護 → pass exam → 介護 visa.
Defined per bilateral agreement
Specific pathway for candidates from Indonesia, Philippines, and Vietnam under the Economic Partnership Agreements. Candidates work and study in Japan under the EPA framework, then sit for the 介護福祉士 national exam within a defined window.
Lower volume than Path 2; defined intake quotas per country per year.
介護 vs SSW1 caregiving
For foreign caregivers in Japan, the 介護 visa is the long-term destination and SSW1 caregiving is the typical entry point. Understanding the differences helps map the multi-year career path. SSW2 does not offer a caregiving track. Caregivers transition to the 介護 visa instead, which serves the same long-term-stay role.
| Dimension | SSW1 caregiving (特定技能1号 介護) | 介護 visa (this page) |
|---|---|---|
| Qualification gate | Sector skill test + JLPT N4 (+ 介護日本語評価試験) | 介護福祉士 national qualification |
| Stay cap | 5 years (cumulative) | No cap; renewable indefinitely |
| Family | Not allowed | Spouse + children on dependent visa |
| Spouse work | N/A (no family) | Up to 28 hr/week |
| Path to PR | Not directly; SSW1 time doesn't count | Counts toward standard 10-year residency |
| Employer support plan / RSO | Required (¥20-40k / month / worker) | Not required |
| Initial period | 4 mo / 6 mo / 1 yr | 1 / 3 / 5 yr |
| Switching employers | Within sector, with notification | Within certified caregiving employers, with notification |
The career-stage logic: SSW1 lets a caregiver enter Japan with relatively light qualifications and accumulate experience (and Japanese language skill). After 3+ years plus the 450-hour training course, they sit for the 介護福祉士 national exam. Pass it and they upgrade to the 介護 visa, unlocking family rights, indefinite stay, and the PR pathway. For employers, the upgrade also removes the recurring RSO support fee.
Documents
The 介護 visa documentation package is lighter than SSW1 caregiving because the 支援計画 (support plan) is not required. The 介護福祉士 certificate is the single most important document. Its presence determines whether the application can proceed at all.
Timeline
Earn the 介護福祉士 qualification
Path 1 (training school): ~2 years. Path 2 (practical experience + training): 3+ years experience + 450-hour course + national exam. Path 3 (EPA): per bilateral agreement schedule.
Confirm certified-employer match
The Japanese employer must be a certified caregiving facility. SSW1 caregivers usually stay at their existing facility; new arrivals match before filing.
CoE issuance (or status change)
SSW1 / TITP / student-visa holders inside Japan file an in-Japan status change. Outside-Japan candidates file a CoE. Lighter than SSW1 caregiving (no support-plan documents).
Embassy stamp (overseas only)
Outside-Japan applicants apply at the Japanese embassy with the original CoE and enter Japan; in-Japan status changes skip this step.
Address registration + family registration
City office: address registration, MyNumber, pension and health insurance enrollment. Family members on dependent visas register at the same time.
Costs
Estimated cost breakdown
介護 (Care Worker)
CoE application / status change fee
¥0 for overseas CoE; ¥4,000 stamp duty for in-Japan status change (the typical SSW1 → 介護 path)¥0 – ¥4,000
Embassy visa stamp (overseas only)
Single-entry ¥3,000 / multiple-entry ¥6,000¥3,000 – ¥6,000
介護福祉士 national exam fee
One-off cost to earn the qualification (path 2). Plus ~¥10,000 registration after passing¥18,000
450-hour 実務者研修 training course (path 2)
Tuition for the training course. Many employers subsidize part or all of this¥120,000 – ¥200,000
Translation / certification
Foreign documents (birth certificate, prior employment certificates) where needed¥10,000 – ¥30,000
Gyoseishoshi support (optional)
Most SSW1 → 介護 transitions are straightforward; complex prior-status cases benefit from professional support¥80,000 – ¥200,000
Rejection reasons
Per ISA published guidance and gyoseishoshi practice patterns, these are the leading rejection triggers for 介護 filings. Each is preventable with proper preparation.
Application filed before the candidate has the 介護福祉士 registration certificate in hand. The single most common 介護 rejection. Many SSW1 caregivers apply to the visa change too early. Wait until the registration certificate is issued.
Employer is a non-certified care provider, informal home help, or a facility that doesn't hold the relevant 介護保険 certification. The 介護 visa requires placement at a certified caregiving facility.
Salary set near minimum wage rather than at the rate paid to Japanese 介護福祉士 at the same facility. Statutory violation, automatic rejection.
Role described as primarily administrative, kitchen, or laundry duties rather than caregiving. The 介護 visa is restricted to caregiving work; ancillary tasks must be incidental, not the core.
Path 2 applicants without a clean 3-year practical-experience record, or without the 実務者研修 completion certificate. Path 1 applicants from non-designated training schools.
SSW1 → 介護 status changes are tightly checked against tax and social-insurance compliance during the SSW1 period. Unpaid pension contributions are a frequent friction point.
Renewal & PR
The 介護 visa follows the standard 1 / 3 / 5 year pattern. Renewals can continue indefinitely as long as the worker maintains 介護福祉士 status and remains at a certified caregiving facility (or moves to another certified one). Most established workers reach 5-year renewal periods after a clean first-cycle review.
Allowed within certified caregiving facilities with a 14-day notification to Immigration. Moving to a non-certified employer is not permitted under the 介護 visa.
Standard PR application requires 10 years of continuous residence (5 working). 介護 time counts toward both. Workers who built up time on TITP and SSW1 caregiving first should note that the SSW1 portion typically does NOT count toward PR. Only 介護 time onward typically counts. The 介護福祉士 national qualification itself is a positive factor in the PR review and is sometimes referenced by ISA as a long-term-contribution indicator.
Spouse and children apply for the standard dependent visa (家族滞在). Spouse can work up to 28 hours per week with 資格外活動 permission. This is one of the biggest advantages over SSW1 caregiving and one of the central reasons foreign caregivers push to qualify as 介護福祉士.
Frequently asked
Japan's residence status for foreign caregivers who hold the 介護福祉士 (Certified Care Worker) national qualification. Created in September 2017 to formalize the long-term career path for foreign caregivers. Unlike SSW1 caregiving, the 介護 visa has no stay cap, allows family members on dependent visas, and opens the path to permanent residence.
Three pathways: (1) graduate from a designated Japanese caregiver training school (養成施設). Typically a 2-year senmon program; (2) accumulate 3+ years of practical caregiving experience in Japan plus complete a 450-hour 実務者研修 training course, then pass the national exam; (3) the EPA pathway for candidates from Indonesia, Philippines, and Vietnam under bilateral agreements. Most foreign caregivers reach 介護福祉士 via path 2 after time on TITP and SSW1 caregiving.
SSW1 介護 has a 5-year stay cap, does not allow family members, and only requires the sector skill test plus JLPT N4 / JFT-Basic. The 介護 visa requires the full 介護福祉士 national qualification but in exchange has no stay cap, allows family on the dependent visa (家族滞在), and counts toward permanent residence. The 介護 visa is the career destination; SSW1 is typically the entry path.
Certified caregiving facilities: 介護老人福祉施設 (special nursing homes), 介護老人保健施設 (geriatric health-services facilities), 訪問介護事業所 (home-care service providers), デイサービス (day-care service centers), and similar designated facilities. Hospitals are accepted when the role is caregiving (not nursing). Non-certified care providers and informal home help do not qualify.
Yes. Spouse and children can apply for the standard dependent visa (家族滞在). Spouse can work up to 28 hours per week with 資格外活動 permission. This is one of the biggest advantages over SSW1 caregiving, which does NOT allow family.
1, 3, or 5 years. Most first-time applicants from established caregiving facilities receive 3 years. Renewals can extend to 5 years once the worker has a clean track record. Unlike SSW1, there is no cumulative cap. Renewals can continue indefinitely.
Standard work-visa rule: compensation must be no less than what a Japanese 介護福祉士 would receive at the same facility for equivalent work. Caregiving wages have been a focus of policy reform; market rates have risen substantially over the last few years.
Yes, and this is the most common transition path. Once an SSW1 caregiver passes the 介護福祉士 national exam (typically after the 3-year practical-experience + training-course path), they file an in-Japan status change. The 介護 visa unlocks indefinite stay and family rights that SSW1 doesn't have.
Yes. Time on 介護 counts toward the standard 10-year PR residency requirement (5 working years). Time previously held on SSW1 generally does NOT count toward PR (only 介護 time onward typically counts), but the 介護福祉士 qualification itself is a positive factor in the PR review.
Most 介護 rejections trace to (1) candidate not yet holding the 介護福祉士 qualification (the most common; many applicants apply too early), (2) employer not being a certified caregiving facility, or (3) salary below Japanese parity. There is no formal appeal: fix the gap and re-file. For SSW1 holders preparing for transition, a 行政書士 specializing in caregiving filings can help time the application correctly.
Important. This page provides general information based on Immigration Services Agency published guidance for the 介護 program. It does not constitute legal advice. The qualification pathways and exam-exemption transitional rules continue to evolve through the 2020s. For complex cases (early-application timing for SSW1 holders, EPA pathway specifics, employer certification edge cases), retain a licensed gyoseishoshi (行政書士) familiar with caregiving filings.
