Specified Skilled Worker Recruitment 10 Questions from Construction Companies - FY2025 System Briefing Session Report (Omiya, Saitama)

System implementation is of high interest to each company.

On November 27, 2025, we held the "FY2025 Construction Field Specified Skilled Worker System Briefing Session" in Saitama City, Saitama Prefecture.

The weather was fine on the day, and we were delighted to have 39 construction companies participate, filling the venue to capacity.

At the briefing session, Yasue Inaba, Project Leader of the JAC Division, explained the outline of the Specified Skilled Worker system (construction field), the business overview of Japan Association for Construction Human Resources, the procedures for accepting Specified Skilled Worker, case studies, and the establishment of Employment for Skill Development Program.

At the venue, participants were seen listening attentively, taking notes as they heard the explanations.

In particular, there was interest in the explanation of the specific procedures required to accept Specified Skilled Worker, actual acceptance cases, and upcoming Employment for Skill Development Program.

Furthermore, during the Q&A session following the presentation, numerous specific questions regarding the practical aspects of acceptance were asked, demonstrating the high level of interest in the system's operation.

Here are some examples.

Q&A session at the venue

[How to find talent]

Q1.

How can the construction industry find foreign workers?

A.

In the midst of referrals from organizations and connections between host companies, there are many cases where Technical Intern Training students are introduced. In addition, Hello Work and JAC also have Job matching systems, so please take advantage of these public mechanisms.

Q2.

I sometimes receive phone calls from overseas recruitment agencies offering to introduce me to foreign nationals. Is it okay to use their services?

A.

In the construction sector, paid job placement services are illegal. If you are considering using such services, we recommend that you check beforehand to ensure there are no legal issues. Also, please check the job postings on Hello Work (public employment service) as well, as these may also be available.

[Regarding support organizations and interpreters]

Q3.

What should I do if there is no one in the company who can interpret, such as when explaining important information documents in the employee's native language?

A.

For interpretation, consider using Registered Support Organizations. In addition, in Southeast Asia, the languages used in the same country may vary depending on the region, so it is important to consult with Registered Support Organizations to ensure that they can respond in the appropriate language.

Q4.

Hire a foreigner for the first time. Do I have to use Registered Support Organizations?

A.

Yes, if you are hiring a foreigner for the Specified Skilled Worker (i) first time and have not accepted foreigners (medium- to long-term residents) in the past two years, outsourcing to Registered Support Organizations is virtually "mandatory".
If you have a track record of acceptance and have a system that can support foreign languages within the company, you can switch to operation without using Registered Support Organizations.

Q5.

Technical Intern Training I employ students, but I am currently entrusting it to the supervising organization. In the future, I would like to respond in-house, but is it possible with the support of JAC and FITS?

A.

Technical Intern Training JAC is unable to respond to the employment of students. Please create a technical intern training plan with the advice of the supervising organization. After that, if you hire as a Specified Skills, as shown in Q4, if you can build a support system in a foreign language, you can handle it yourself.

[Regarding application and reporting procedures]

Q6.

Do I need to report on Specified Skilled Worker receipts and then report periodically?

A.

If there are any changes to the acceptance plan, an application is required, but there are no regular reporting requirements. However, you are required to conduct regular interviews with the foreign national to check on their employment and living conditions.

Q7.

Specified Skilled Worker (ii) It is difficult to understand the application to the Immigration Bureau when migrating to the Immigration Bureau, but is there an explanation page specialized for the construction field?

A.

In addition to checking the Immigration Bureau's website, you can also get information at the "Foreign Resident Comprehensive Information Center." Furthermore, when applying, please remember to report to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism's employment management system.

[Cost/system trends]

Q8.

Regarding the compensation system, is there any financial burden on the company?

A.

The compensation system is funded by the contributions received, so there are no additional costs involved.

Q9.

Employment for Skill Development Program What stage is the revision of laws and regulations currently progressing?

A.

Much of the information is not yet publicly available, and JAC is unable to provide specific details about the current stage of development.

Q10.

I'm thinking about moving to Specified Skilled Worker (ii). Regarding the test that is in the conditions, is it okay to have a skill test level 2 instead of a level 1?

A.

To become a Specified Skilled Worker (ii), you must pass either the "No. 2 Assessment Exam" or the "Grade 1 of the National Trade Skill Test & Certification". Grade 1 of the National Trade Skill Test & Certification requires a certain number of years of work experience, so the examination period may be strict within the period of stay of the Specified Skilled Worker (i) (up to 5 years). Therefore, it is common to consider taking the No. 2 evaluation exam in many cases.