Friday, 02/Jan/2026
What is SSW
Specified Skilled Worker (SSW)
Japan’s Specified Skilled Worker (SSW) program, or Tokutei Ginou, is a residency status designed to address the country’s severe labor shortages by welcoming foreign workers with specific technical skills. Launched in 2019 and recently expanded, the program offers a more direct path to employment in Japan compared to the traditional trainee programs. A Memorandum of Cooperation (MOC) on the Specified Skilled Worker (SSW) program was signed between Bangladesh and Japan on 27 August 2019. Since then, SSWs are sent to Japan following the guidelines made under the MOC by the Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment.
Requirements for Specified Skilled Worker (SSW):
Two Types of SSW Visas
The SSW program is divided into two categories based on the skill level and long-term residency goals:
SSW (i): Designed for the workers with a ‘considerable degree of knowledge or experience.’ Stay Limit: Up to 5 years in total. Family: Not permitted to bring family members.
SSW (ii): Designed for the workers with ‘expert skills’ (usually supervisor-level). Stay Limit: No upper limit; the visa is renewable indefinitely. Family: Can bring spouse and children. Path to Residency: This category can lead to permanent residency.
The SSW fields- Building Cleaning Management, Industrial Product Manufacturing, Construction Industry Shipbuilding and Ship Machinery Industries, Automobile Repair and Maintenance, Aviation Industry, Accommodation Industry, Agriculture, Fishery & Aquaculture, Manufacture of Food and Beverages, and Food Service Industry fall in SSW (ii) category.
The SSW fields- Automobile Transportation Business, Railway, Forestry, and Wood Industry fall into SSW (i) category.
Nursing Care (Care Giver): Though Nursing Care (Care Giver) is a major SSW (i) field and does not have an SSW (ii) pathway, there is already a separate specialized visa status called ‘Nursing Care’ (Kaigo) that allows for long-term residency and family accompaniment.
Key Benefits for Workers
Compared with Technical Intern Training Program (TITP), the SSW program prioritizes worker rights and integration:
Equal Pay: Employers are legally required to pay SSW workers a salary equal to or higher than what a Japanese person would receive for the same role.
Job Mobility: Workers have the right to change employers within the same industrial field if they find a better opportunity.
Comprehensive Support: Companies must provide a ‘Support Plan’ which includes assistance with finding housing, opening bank accounts, and Japanese language studies.
Japan’s Specified Skilled Worker (SSW) program, or Tokutei Ginou, is a residency status designed to address the country’s severe labor shortages by welcoming foreign workers with specific technical skills. Launched in 2019 and recently expanded, the program offers a more direct path to employment in Japan compared to the traditional trainee programs. A Memorandum of Cooperation (MOC) on the Specified Skilled Worker (SSW) program was signed between Bangladesh and Japan on 27 August 2019. Since then, SSWs are sent to Japan following the guidelines made under the MOC by the Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment.
Requirements for Specified Skilled Worker (SSW):
- Age: 18 or over (18-35 is mostly preferred)
- Educational Qualification: Generally (in about 95% cases so far) not required. However, sometimes some Japanese companies/factories want educational qualification up to HSC (equivalent to High School Graduate in Japan).
- Language Skill: JFT-Basic/ JLPT N4 Level passed.
- Other Skill & Experience: Relevant field/Job category Skill Test pass is required. Of course, foreign nationals who will successfully complete ‘Technical Intern Training (ii)’ (total 3 years) are exempted from having to take tests (skills and Japanese language).
Two Types of SSW Visas
The SSW program is divided into two categories based on the skill level and long-term residency goals:
SSW (i): Designed for the workers with a ‘considerable degree of knowledge or experience.’ Stay Limit: Up to 5 years in total. Family: Not permitted to bring family members.
SSW (ii): Designed for the workers with ‘expert skills’ (usually supervisor-level). Stay Limit: No upper limit; the visa is renewable indefinitely. Family: Can bring spouse and children. Path to Residency: This category can lead to permanent residency.
The SSW fields- Building Cleaning Management, Industrial Product Manufacturing, Construction Industry Shipbuilding and Ship Machinery Industries, Automobile Repair and Maintenance, Aviation Industry, Accommodation Industry, Agriculture, Fishery & Aquaculture, Manufacture of Food and Beverages, and Food Service Industry fall in SSW (ii) category.
The SSW fields- Automobile Transportation Business, Railway, Forestry, and Wood Industry fall into SSW (i) category.
Nursing Care (Care Giver): Though Nursing Care (Care Giver) is a major SSW (i) field and does not have an SSW (ii) pathway, there is already a separate specialized visa status called ‘Nursing Care’ (Kaigo) that allows for long-term residency and family accompaniment.
Key Benefits for Workers
Compared with Technical Intern Training Program (TITP), the SSW program prioritizes worker rights and integration:
Equal Pay: Employers are legally required to pay SSW workers a salary equal to or higher than what a Japanese person would receive for the same role.
Job Mobility: Workers have the right to change employers within the same industrial field if they find a better opportunity.
Comprehensive Support: Companies must provide a ‘Support Plan’ which includes assistance with finding housing, opening bank accounts, and Japanese language studies.
