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The new visa category of “Specified Skilled Worker” is designed to supply the shortage of workforce in Japan. There are many categories of visas that allow employment permitted by the Japanese government, however, there is a clear distinction between other existing working visas and this one – The specified Skilled Worker visa, which allows the visa holder to work in Japan without a professional degree. Before the introduction of this visa, all foreign workers were required to have specific qualifications in their individual working field especially designed by the Japanese government.

Existing “technical internship” visas were mainly intended for work in non-professional and non-technical fields, and foreigners with this visa were supposed to perform unskilled labor and practical training.

Previously, visas for professional/technical work included “advanced profession”, “professor”, “technical/human knowledge / international work”, “care”, and “skills”. Since they were targeted at fields with high levels of expertise and technical skills, there is a visa that requires a certain level of expertise and technical skills. did not do it.

The “special skill No. 1” visa can be said to be a newly created visa for this “mezzanine” area. “Specific Skill No. 2” is a field with relatively high levels of expertise and technical proficiency as well as “advanced profession”, “professor”, “technical/human knowledge”, “nursing”, “skill”, etc. Intended.

As of now, the Specified Skilled Workers visa targets candidates who meet the following conditions:

Foreigners residing in Japan

・Foreigners who successfully complete “Technical Intern Training No. 2”.
・Foreigners such as international students who successfully pass the tests that examine job skills and the Japanese language ability of the candidates.

Foreigners residing outside Japan

・Foreigners who successfully complete “Technical Intern Training No. 2”.
・Foreigners who intend to enter Japan, and successfully passed the tests that examine job skills and the Japanese language ability of the candidates.

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A specified Skilled Worker visa is issued to supply labors in industries that face a workforce shortage.
Specified Skilled Worker visas can be classified into two classes.

Specified Skilled Worker No.1

・Applicable industries: All 14 industries that were indicated in the table above.
・Period of stay: Up to 5 years (To be renewed every 4, 6, or 12 months. The period of stay under this class will be disregarded at the time of application for a permanent resident visa in the future.)
・Family member: Not allowed to accompany the worker.
・Job-changing: A worker is allowed to change the job only within the same industry. Job-changing must be completed within 3 months.

Specified Skilled Worker No.2

・Applicable industries: Construction Industry and Shipbuilding and Ship Machinery Industry
・Period of stay: Unlimited (To be renewed every 6, 12, or 36 months. The period of stay under this class will be included at the time of application for a permanent resident visa in the future.)
・Family member: Allowed to accompany the worker.
・Job-changing: A worker is allowed to change the job only within the same industry. Job-changing must be completed within 3 months.

Unlike conventional working visas, applicants for a Specified Skilled Worker visa are not required to meet conditions such as academic history or job experience. However, they still are required to pass the exam to prove that they have adequate job skills and Japanese language ability to work in each industry.