What is technical intern training?

Technical intern training is a system in which foreigners learn Japanese skills by working in factories, construction sites, and farms in Japan for one to five years. It is called technical intern training because its purpose is to learn skills while working and use them for the development of your home country. It is called technical intern training because its purpose is to learn Japan’s skills while working and use them for the development of your home country. As of 2021, there were 85 types of jobs available for three-year work and 77 types for five-year work.

Most common among working foreigners

Foreign nationals living in Japan (main status of residence)

Source: Compiled based on Statistics on foreign residents in Japan (formerly registered alien statistics) from the Portal Site of Official Statistics of Japan (e-Stat)

*Does not include people staying for less than three months

There are 2,823,565 foreign nationals living in Japan (as of June 2021), of which about 30%, or 354,104, are technical intern trainees. The number of technical intern trainees decreased between 2020 and 2021 due to COVID-19 but had been increasing rapidly until then.

What is the nationality, job category, and period of stay of the technical intern trainees?

Number of technical intern trainees by nationality

Source: Compiled based on Statistics on foreign residents in Japan (formerly registered alien statistics)(As of December 2023) from the Portal Site of Official Statistics of Japan (e-Stat)

• The countries with the largest number of technical intern trainees in Japan are Vietnam, China, and Indonesia, in that order.
• The job categories of the technical intern training are fixed.
• There are three types of technical internship: No. 1 (first year), No. 2 (second to third year), and No. 3 (fourth to fifth year). In most cases, trainees spend a total of three years in the No. 1 and No. 2 categories.

*In some job categories, only No.1 training is available. Please make sure that you can work as a trainee for three years before the interview so that you do not encounter problems.

How to receive technical intern training?

If you submit an application to the sending agency in your home country and pass the interview of the host company in Japan, you will enter Japan after receiving Japanese language and other education. In Japan, the host company prepares the housing (dormitory) for the trainee, and if the trainee has a problem in work or everyday life, the union (supervising organization) in addition to the host company provides support. In many cases, the union is run by cooperatives.

Flow of technical intern training (Example in Vietnam)

This section describes the overall flow of the technical intern training.

The technical intern training involves the sending agency in your home country and the union in Japan.

*It depends on the country.
*There is also a company-wide technical training program in which employees of overseas subsidiaries receive training at the parent company in Japan.

(1) Union looks for a job offer

• A Japanese union receives a job offer from a host company.
• When the union receives a job offer, it asks a foreign sending agency to introduce a candidate for the technical intern training.

(2) The sending agency introduces job information to the candidate

• The sending agency is always looking for technical intern trainee candidates.
• It will introduce the information of the job offered by the Japanese union to the candidates.

(3) Interviews and acceptance

• Candidates who apply for the job are interviewed by the host company (or union) at the sending agency in their home country, and if they pass, they are hired as technical intern trainees.

(4) Pre-education and departure to Japan

• Successful applicants receive Japanese and other education (often for three to six months) from the sending agency before entering Japan. They usually take classes at a Japanese language center as boarding students. They will also be supported in obtaining status of residence (visa).

*Some sending agencies provide thorough education before the interview.

(5) Orientation and training after arrival

• The union in Japan gives the trainees lectures on Japanese language and life in Japan for more than a month.

(6) Technical intern training starts!

• Technical intern training begins at the host company.

Roles of the union

During the technical intern training period, the union has the following roles:

• Checking that the host company is conducting appropriate technical intern training and reporting findings to the immigration office (at least once every three months)
• Visiting the host company at least once a month for mentoring (if there are first-year trainees)
• Giving advice to trainees in their native language about the contents of the technical intern training, treatment, and lifestyle

There are many trainees who live a fulfilling life in Japan and send enough money to their home countries. However, there are cases of host companies causing problems such as violence, abusive language and not paying for overtime work. In such  cases, trainees should consult with the union first, but if that proves unsuccessful, they should contact OTIT (Organization for Technical Intern Training). OTIT has the strong authority to give directions to unions and host companies.

OTIT (Organization for Technical Intern Training)

[Reference] Check here for more information!

How to choose the sending agency? Read this article for more information.

How to Find and Choose a Sending Organization (Part 1)

In order to do technical intern training in Japan, you must find and select a Sending Organization and apply. Depending on your home country, the cost and content of Japanese language education varies greatly among sending organizations. You may be able to significantly reduce the cost of coming to Japan by simply looking for and choosing your own sending organization, rather than relying solely on referral from relatives and acquaintances. This article will introduce how to find and select a sending organization so that you can gather information on your own.

How to Find and Choose a Sending Organization (Part 2)

Then, after finding several sending organizations, what should you pay attention to in order to narrow down and select one? In this article, Part 2, we will introduce the key points of how to select a sending organization.

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About the Foreign Technical Intern Training System (To all technical intern trainees and those who will become technical intern trainees)｜Immigration Services Agency

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