Q&A
01. Frequently asked questions about specified skilled workers System

In order to address the serious labor shortages facing small and medium-sized businesses and other small-scale enterprises, this system was launched on April 1, 2019 to accept foreign workers who have a certain level of expertise and skills and can immediately contribute in 16 fields, including the construction industry.

The Technical Intern Training Program aims to transfer skills to developing countries through technical internships in Japan. On the other hand, specified skilled workers Program aims to accept foreign human resources who can immediately contribute to alleviate labor shortages. Therefore, specified skilled workers are required to have a considerable level of knowledge or skills.

Foreign nationals with a considerable degree of knowledge or experience can go through certain procedures and be granted a "Specified Skilled Worker (i)" residence status, which limits their period of stay to a total of five years and in principle does not allow family members to accompany them.

Foreign nationals with advanced skills can go through certain procedures to be granted a "Specified Skilled Worker (ii)" status of residence, which allows unlimited renewal of the period of stay and allows the foreign national to be accompanied only by his or her dependent spouse and children. This "Specified Skilled Worker (ii)" status of residence is to be granted in 15 fields other than the nursing care field.
*The nursing care field is not included in the scope of Specified Skilled Worker (ii) category because there is currently a "nursing care" status of residence in the professional and technical field.

To become Specified Skilled Worker (ii) in the construction field, you need to have a certain period of experience as a team leader and pass The Specified Skills (ii) Evaluation Exam for Construction Industry or Skills Test Level 1.

For information on team leader experience for a certain period of time or more, please check the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism website.
https://www.mlit.go.jp/tochi_fudousan_kensetsugyo/tochi_fudousan_kensetsugyo_tk3_000001_00003.html

For information on the implementation status of The Specified Skills (ii) Evaluation Exam for Construction Industry please see the "The Specified Skills Evaluation Exam for Construction Industry Page."

For information about the Grade 1 Skill Test (administered by JAVADA), please see the website of the Central Vocational Ability Development Association.

It is now possible to accept Specified Skilled Worker (i) in all occupations in the construction industry. For details, please see the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism website.

Please refer to Appendix 6-2 to Appendix 6-7 of the"Guidelines for the Acceptance of specified skilled workers in Specific Fields - Standards for the Construction Field" for the definition of the work content for each occupation. specified skilled workers can engage in the "main work content" and "mainly expected related work" listed in the appendix, but they are not allowed to engage exclusively in the "mainly expected related work." In addition to the related work listed in the appendix, they may also be engaged in related work (work preparation, transportation, cleaning, etc.) that Japanese nationals working in the construction field would normally be engaged in.

here for a table showing the correspondence between Specified Skills business categories and construction industry licenses.Please see

Please refer to Appendix 6-1 of the Operational Guidelines for the correspondence between work categories and completed technical intern training, etc.
Please check the table showing the correspondence between specific skills work categories and construction industry licenses to see which work category the work performed by Specified Skills skills specified skilled workers falls under.

<How to read Attached Table 6-1>

In addition, specified skilled workers may be engaged in the "main duties" and "mainly anticipated related duties" defined in Appendix 6-2 to Appendix 6-7 of the "Operational Guidelines for the Acceptance of specified skilled workers in Specific Fields - Standards for the Construction Field -", but are not permitted to engage exclusively in "mainly anticipated related duties".
In addition to the related work listed in the separate table, Japanese nationals working in the construction industry may also be engaged in related work (work preparation, transportation, cleanup, etc.) that is normally performed by Japanese nationals working in the construction industry.

Please refer to Appendix 6-1 of the Operational Guidelines for the relationship between work categories and the exams that must be passed.
Please check the table showing the correspondence between specific skills work categories and construction industry licenses to see which work category the work performed by Specified Skills skills specified skilled workers falls under.

<How to read Attached Table 6-1>

In addition, specified skilled workers may be engaged in the "main duties" and "mainly anticipated related duties" defined in Appendix 6-2 to Appendix 6-7 of the "Operational Guidelines for the Acceptance of specified skilled workers in Specific Fields - Standards for the Construction Field -", but are not permitted to engage exclusively in "mainly anticipated related duties".
In addition to the related work listed in the separate table, Japanese nationals working in the construction industry may also be engaged in related work (work preparation, transportation, cleanup, etc.) that is normally performed by Japanese nationals working in the construction industry.