Specified Skills Visa in Japan – New Working Visa

Effective April 2019, the new specified skills visa or tokutei ginou visa, 特定技能 will be implemented in Japan as a solution to the ongoing workforce crisis. That implies that there will be a significant increase in demand for foreign workers approximately 260,000 to 340,000 from April 2019 up to the year 2024. This means that the new specified skills visa will have a great impact on the company/ business production, which could lead to financial growth.

On the other hand, this also means more chances of employment for foreign skilled workers and professionals who want to work in Japan.

Below are some of the top questions about this new implementation in Japan.

What are the new specified skills visa in  Japan?

First Classification: (SSV-1)

Specific Skills Visa-1 with Five Years of Renewable Visa

• Must pass the Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT N4)*
• Must pass the Specified Skills Test 
• Foreign workers can stay and work in Japan for a maximum of 5 years
• Workers under this classification are not eligible to bring their families to Japan
• After gaining enough experience in Japan, workers under this category can be able to apply for the nonstop renewable visa so to have the benefits of the second classification

Second Classification: (SSV-2)

Specific Skills Visa-2 with Nonstop Renewable Visa

• Must pass the Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT)*
• Must have a higher level of specialized skill with experience and certification
• Foreign workers can stay and work in Japan with the nonstop renewing of visas until they become Japanese residents or have an indefinite stay in Japan
• Workers under this classification are eligible to bring their immediate family members (spouse and children) to Japan

*It is assumed that applicants need to pass the JLPT level N4 or level N5, depending on which specified skill category they belong to. Anyway, both levels N4 and N5 are exams that measure the level of understanding of the basic Japanese language.

Aside from the language proficiency exam, you need to take the skills exam to obtain the specified skills visa. You can check the “Specified Skills No. 1 Evaluation Test” to know more details such as the schedule of the skills evaluation test.

Why does Japan’s Cabinet so eager to implement such a bill?

As mentioned above, the primary reason is that Japan nowadays is suffering from labor shortages. If this issue won’t be resolved as soon as possible, Japan will indeed experience an economic crisis. How serious is it? Take a look at the chart below.

 

In 2016, there were 66.48 million workers in Japan. But according to the survey, it will reduce by 64.04 million in 2020 and will continue to fluctuate over the years. It is not healthy for the economy in Japan because local Japanese citizens alone cannot suffice the employment demand of the country.

It shows that there’s a lot of job offers in Japan but only with few qualified applicants to a specific sector with a greater need of workers. Such sectors include the following:

For First Classification: 

1. Electronics
2. Construction
3. Industrial Machinery
4. Shipbuilding and Marine
5. Raw Material Industry
6. Automobile Maintenance
7. Food Service
8. Aviation
9. Food and Beverage
10. Agriculture
11. Nursing Care
12. Accommodation Industry
13. Building Cleaning
14. Fisheries

For Second Classification: 

1. Aviation
2. Construction
3. Automobile Maintenance
4. Accommodation Industry
5. Shipbuilding and Marine

During this implementation, Japan will check its effects and if there will be economic growth in 2021. With this, Japan will be able to determine if this bill can resolve the ongoing issue of labor shortages.

How will this affect current foreign workers in Japan and applicants?

Current foreign workers who stayed years in Japan can be able to qualify for the second classification. With this, they can be able to bring their families to Japan and eventually be a Japanese resident.

The good thing with this is that Japan government established a program for Japanese language education and consultation services to help foreigners adjust to Japanese culture and lifestyle. This means that foreigners from kids to adults will lessen any cultural shock and emotional stress. But, how about those currently under the TITP?

What is TITP? It refers to the Technical Intern Training Program. Under this training program, foreigners in selected countries can work in Japan as a trainee. Intern trainees will be accepted under the supervising organization type program. Those who work under the TITP will have the edge to apply with the new specified visa. They will not be requiring to take the language and skills evaluation test, which are the main requirements of such a visa. However, they need to finish the 5-year contract before they can apply to it.

On the other hand, new applicants will have greater chances of having jobs in Japan according to their specialization. Their hard work and sacrifice will in time not be wasted as they can be able to apply for a nonstop renewable visa as long as they hit the higher level of their specialized skills and obtain a long-term employment contract from their employer.

The same as the current foreign workers in Japan, newly hired workers will also undergo the program for consultation services to help them adapt to the Japanese lifestyle.

What are the other important facts about this newly-revised visa?

• Japanese citizens are not qualified for these new visa statuses
• Companies both in public and private sectors are expected to provide foreign workers a support plan which includes:

1. 1. Secured housing support
   2. Education on Japanese lifestyle and administrative procedures
   3. Assistance towards mastery of the Japanese language
   4. Responding to the foreign workers’ work-related concerns
   5. Assistance for terminated foreign workers (Termination happens when a foreign worker acts inappropriately especially if he/ she will be identified as illegally employed. However, if the foreign worker has been forced to end the job but the employment is still under contract, he/ she must receive assistance to be relocated to a different company so that he/ she can still continue working in Japan)

• The specified skills visa may be stopped in case there are no longer labor shortages in a specific sector but will be resumed whenever the labor shortage hits again.
• Current foreign workers in Japan can be able to apply for the second classification visa but new applicants are needed to start with the first classification visa.
• Foreign workers who want to apply for the first classification visa don’t need to have job experience as long as they pass the knowledge test on a specific skill.
• Foreign workers who want to apply for the second classification visa must meet the given requirements such as having an employment contract, long-term job history, and a higher level of experience in a specific skill.

Learn Japanese Now! Learning the Japanese language is indeed important. Why? Here are the following reasons: You will be working in a Japanese-speaking environment where the majority of the Japanese people do not speak your native language nor English. Collaboration with Japanese co-workers could be difficult if you cannot converse well in Japanese. It is unlikely for you to understand the culture in Japan without knowing their language. One of the most important requirements when applying for the specified skills visa is to pass the JLPT. JLPT N1-N2 for SS2 JLPT N3-N4 for SS1

Summary

What should an applicant need to consider before applying for the specified skills visa? We sum it up in three important points.

• You must know specific skills to pass the required skills evaluation exam. And job experience is an advantage though not necessarily needed for the first classification visa.
• You need to have basic Japanese language skills that will help you pass the Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT).
• Find the right employment agency to ensure that your employment in Japan is legitimate and not illegal. And of course, once you get hired, you need to know your benefits as a foreign worker.

Your understanding of your rights will protect you against any harm during employment.

So if you have the skills required but do not have the Japanese language skills yet, we recommend studying the Japanese language in Japan. Taking long-term or short-term courses will open a door of opportunities in Japan. FAIR Study in Japan would be willing to assist you. 

On the other hand, if you want to switch your visa to a specified skills visa, apply for permission for a change of status of residence in the Bureau of Immigration office. 

If you are already in Japan and hold a valid visa eligible to work part-time, check the “Part-time Jobs in Tokyo for Foreign Nationals“ article to learn the in-demand jobs in Tokyo.

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