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- Explanation of the key points of Specified Skills System
- What is Specified Skilled Worker (ii)? What is the difference with No. 1 and how to obtain it?
- Home
- JAC Magazine
- Explanation of the key points of Specified Skills System
- What is Specified Skilled Worker (ii)? What is the difference with No. 1 and how to obtain it?
What is Specified Skilled Worker (ii)? What is the difference with No. 1 and how to obtain it?
Hello, this is Kano from JAC (Japan Association for Construction Human Resources).
Many companies currently employing Specified Skilled Worker (i) nationals would like them to stay for as long as possible.
Since Specified Skills visa is a relatively new type of residence status, there are very few foreigners who have acquired Specified Skilled Worker (ii).
So, this time we will introduce the difference between Specified Skilled Worker (i) and Specified Skilled Worker (ii), and how to obtain Specified Skilled Worker (ii).
What is Specified Skilled Worker (ii)? Check out Specified Skills System
In order to resolve the labor shortage at construction sites, the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act was amended at the extraordinary Diet session in 2018 to create a new residence status known as "Specified Skills."
Specified Skills system is not limited to construction sites, but is a system for accepting foreign nationals into specific industrial sectors where there is a serious labor shortage.
Under Specified Skills, foreign nationals are accepted with the same treatment as Japanese people.
Until now, trainees who had previously returned to their home countries after completing their training can now be invited back and directly accepted into Japan.
There are two types of Specified Skills: "Specified Skilled Worker (i)" and "Specified Skilled Worker (ii) "
As of May 2024, the following 16 fields are available for employment under Specified Skilled Worker (i).
- nursing care
- Building Cleaning
- Industrial product manufacturing industry (formerly: Basic materials, industrial machinery, and electrical, electronic, and information-related manufacturing industry)
- Automobile Maintenance
- Aviation
- stay
- Agriculture
- Fisheries
- Food and beverage manufacturing
- Foodservice
- construction
- Shipbuilding and Marine Industry
- Automobile transport industry
- Railway
- forestry
- Timber Industry
Of these, 11 fields are accepted by Specified Skilled Worker (ii), excluding nursing care, motor transportation, railways, forestry and timber industries.
Previously, Specified Skilled Worker (ii) only covered welding segments in the construction and shipbuilding and marine industries.
However, the scope of the Cabinet decision in 2023 (2023) will be expanded.
As of 2023, it is possible to accept Specified Skilled Worker (ii) in all industrial sectors except the nursing care field.
The four fields of "automobile transportation," "railway," "forestry," and "timber industry" will be newly added by a Cabinet decision in March 2024 (2024), and will be accepted from Specified Skilled Worker (i) first.
Therefore, as of May 2024, we will not be able to accept Specified Skilled Worker (ii).
In addition, according to the Cabinet decision in March 2024 (2024), new jobs have been added in the "industrial product manufacturing field," "shipbuilding and marine industry field," and "food and beverage manufacturing field," but as of May 2024, Specified Skilled Worker (ii) will not accept additional jobs in the "industrial product manufacturing field."
How is Specified Skilled Worker (ii) different from Specified Skilled Worker (i)?
What are the differences between Specified Skilled Worker (ii) and Specified Skilled Worker (i)?
We will compare the differences between Type 2 and Type 1 in terms of skill level, period of stay, and Japanese language proficiency.
| Specified Skilled Worker (ii) | Specified Skilled Worker (i) | |
|---|---|---|
| Qualification Overview | For foreigners working in specific industrial fields who require skilled work | For foreigners who are engaged in work requiring a considerable degree of knowledge or experience in a specific industrial field |
| Period of stay | 3 years, renewable every year or every 6 months, no cap | Renewal every year, six months or four months, up to a total of five years |
| Skill Level | Check through exams etc. | Confirmation by examination, etc. (Foreigners who have successfully completed Technical Intern Training (ii) are exempt from examination, etc.) |
| Japanese language proficiency level | No need to check through tests etc. | Japanese language proficiency necessary for daily life and work will be verified through tests, etc. (Foreigners who have successfully completed Technical Intern Training (ii) will be exempt from tests, etc.) |
| Bringing family members along | Possible if certain conditions are met (spouse, children) | Basically not acceptable |
| Support from host organizations or registered support organizations | Not applicable | subject |
The "skilled skills" required for Specified Skilled Worker (ii) are those acquired through a long period of practical experience, etc., and are required to be at a level that enables them to act as a leader and give instructions and supervision to workers on-site.
On the other hand, the "skills requiring a considerable degree of knowledge or experience" in Specified Skilled Worker (i) refers to a level of ability to perform a certain level of work without receiving special training.
It is also possible to transition to Specified Skilled Worker (i) by successfully completing Technical Intern Training (ii).
For more information on the differences between Specified Skills and technical intern training, please see the article "10 differences between Specified Skills and technical intern training. Consider the advantages and points to note before deciding."
Introducing the requirements and methods for obtaining Specified Skilled Worker (ii)
To obtain Specified Skilled Worker (ii), one must meet two requirements: 1) pass The Specified Skills (ii) Evaluation Exam or the Skill Test Level 1, and 2) gain a certain amount of practical experience as a supervisor or instructor.
The exam content and required work experience vary depending on the field.
For example, in the construction sector, “foreign nationals with skilled skills” can acquire Specified Skilled Worker (ii) by meeting the following two requirements.
- A certain amount of practical experience as a team leader (practical experience as a team leader who supervises multiple construction technicians while working on a construction site and manages the process)
- Pass The Specified Skills (ii) Evaluation Exam for Construction Industry (implemented by JAC), which is equivalent to the level of the Skills Test Level 1, or obtain the Skills Test Level 1
By the way, while the condition for Specified Skilled Worker (i) is to pass a test to confirm Japanese language proficiency in addition to the Specified Skills Assessment Test, Specified Skilled Worker (ii) does not require taking a Japanese language test to obtain residence status.
For the status of The Specified Skills (ii) Evaluation Exam for Construction Industry (implemented by JAC), please see the "The Specified Skills Evaluation Exam for Construction Industry Page."
Summary: There are two requirements to acquire Specified Skilled Worker (ii) Know the differences with No. 1.
Specified Skills is a status of residence created with the aim of resolving the labor shortage in Japan.
There are two types of Specified Skills: Specified Skilled Worker (i) and Specified Skilled Worker (ii).
The difference between Specified Skilled Worker (i) and No. 2 is the level of skill required.
Specified Skilled Worker (ii) requires more advanced skills.
To obtain Specified Skilled Worker (ii), one must meet two requirements: 1) pass The Specified Skills (ii) Evaluation Exam or the Skill Test Level 1, and 2) gain a certain amount of practical experience as a supervisor or instructor.
If you are a company considering hiring specified skilled workers in the construction industry, please feel free to contact JAC!
We also introduce specified skilled workers.
*This article was written based on information from May 2024.
I wrote the article!
Japan Association for Construction Human Resources Manager, Management Department (and Research Department)
Motoko Kano
Cano Motoko
Born in Aichi Prefecture.
He is in charge of public relations, research and investigation, and is the person behind social media.
We update our social media accounts daily with the desire to make people fall in love with Japan, to spread the appeal of construction from Japan to the world, and to ensure that Japan's construction industry continues to be the industry of choice around the world.
He is also engaged in research into the feasibility of implementing skills evaluation exam in Asian countries, and is conducting interviews with local organizations in each country.
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