Specified Skilled Worker i (特定技能1号) Visa

Japan's labor-shortage work visa, created in April 2019. Open to foreign workers across 16 designated sectors. No degree required. Candidates qualify by passing a sector skill test plus JLPT N4 / JFT-Basic, OR by completing Technical Intern Training (技能実習) #2 in the same sector. Maximum stay is 5 years total.

16 sectors as of 2024: caregiving, building cleaning, manufacturing of industrial products, construction, shipbuilding & ship machinery, automobile maintenance, aviation, accommodation, agriculture, fishery, food/beverage manufacturing, food service, plus four added in March 2024. Road transportation, railway, forestry, and the wood industry.

5 years total (cumulative), granted in renewals of 4 months / 6 months / 1 year. The 5-year cap is firm. To stay longer the worker must transition to SSW2 (特定技能2号), which has no cap and allows family members.

No. Family members are NOT permitted on the SSW1 dependent track. This is the single biggest restriction relative to other work visas. SSW2 (after transition) does allow family members on dependent visas.

JLPT N4 or JFT-Basic. The caregiving sector requires an additional 介護日本語評価試験. Both Japanese and skill tests are waived for candidates who completed Technical Intern Training (技能実習) #2 in the same sector.

Candidates who completed TITP #2 (the second of three TITP stages, ~3 years) in a sector matching the SSW1 sector can transition to SSW1 without taking the skill test or the Japanese test. This is the dominant entry path: roughly 70-80% of SSW1 visas are granted via TITP transition.

A licensed third-party that handles SSW1 support obligations on behalf of the employer: pre-arrival orientation, life-in-Japan orientation, Japanese language support, complaint handling, periodic monitoring. Employers can either provide support in-house (rare) or contract an RSO. RSO fees typically run ¥20,000-40,000 per worker per month.

Yes, within the same sector, with a 14-day notification to Immigration. Switching to a different sector is NOT a simple change. It requires passing the new sector's skill test and a fresh CoE / visa application.

No. SSW1 is strictly tied to the contracted employer and contracted role within the registered sector. Side work in unrelated fields is not permitted. Outside-of-status work is grounds for status revocation.

Per Article 2-5 of the Specified Skilled Worker law, compensation must be equal to or higher than what a Japanese national would earn for equivalent work. Below-parity wages are an automatic rejection cause and a frequent compliance issue at periodic monitoring.

After accumulating sector experience under SSW1, workers can sit for the SSW2 skill test. Once passed they apply to upgrade their status. SSW2 removes the 5-year cap, allows family members, and opens the path to permanent residence. As of 2024, all SSW1 sectors except caregiving have an SSW2 track.

Not directly. SSW1 time does NOT count toward the 10-year PR residency requirement. The realistic path is SSW1 → SSW2 → continuous residence → PR application. This is one of the structural constraints of SSW1.

Each of the 16 sectors administers its own test. Tests are offered in Japan and in major source countries (Vietnam, Philippines, Indonesia, Nepal, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia). Pass rates vary widely by sector. Test fees are typically ¥10,000-30,000 per attempt.

Most SSW1 rejections trace to (1) sector mismatch, (2) support plan deficiency, or (3) employer recent labor-law violations. There is no formal appeal. The response is to fix the gap and re-file. For repeated rejections, a 行政書士 specializing in SSW filings is the most efficient remedy.