Column

Since people living in Vietnam and the Philippines often ask how to work with a specified skill visa, I have summarized them briefly.



There are 14 types of jobs that can foreign workers work in Japan with specified skills visa:
①Construction industry
②Automotive maintenance
③Shipbuilding and marine industry
④Aviation
⑤Lodging 
⑥Nursing
⑦Building Cleaning
⑧Agriculture
⑨Fishery
⑩Food and drink manufacturing industry
⑪Foodservice
⑫Material industry
⑬The industrial machinery manufacturing industry
⑭Electronics and electrical equipment related industries


The conditions for applying for a visa must meet the following two conditions.
①JLPT Japanese Language Proficiency Test N4 level
②Pass the Skill Assessment Test

Japanese language ability is judged by either of the following.

・JLPT Japanese Language Proficiency Test N4 or higher
・Passed The Japan Foundation Basic Japanese Test
・Pass the test newly established for the specified skills 1which will be conducted around the world 5 to 6 times a year.
・Completion of technical training No. 2 (one who worked for 3 years in the technical training system)

＊For nursing care, you need to pass the Japanese exam required for nursing. It will be held 5 to 6 times a year in various countries of the world.

The Skills Assessment Test is currently being adjusted in each country.
Currently, only the nursing care test is available in the Philippines.
By autumn, Foodservice and Lodging tests will be held in Hanoi, Vietnam.

　Acceptable occupations　
 

MHLW	Care worker	Prospective no. of foreign nationals to be accepted (maximum no. over 5 years)			60,000
		Skills test			Nursing care skills evaluation test
		Japanese language exam			Japan Foundation Test for Basic Japanese, Japanese-Language Proficency Test (N4 or higher), (In addtion to the above) Nursing care Japanese language evaluation tets
		Type of work			As well as physical care (such as bathing, meals, assistance for excretion, etc., adjusted to the mental and physical state of the user), supplemental support services (recreation, assistance with functional exercise, etc.) [1 test category] [Note] Home visit services are excluded
		Conditions specially imposed on the accepting organization			・Participate in the council organized by the MHLW, and provide necesssary cooperation ・Provide necessary copperation for the surveys or guidance conducted by the MHLW ・Set the number of specified skilled workers to be accepted per facility
	Building cleaning management	Prospective no. of foreign nationals to be accepted (maximum no. over 5 years)			37,000
		Skills test			Building cleaning field specified skills (i) evaluation test
		Japanese language exam			Japan Foundation Test for Basic Japanese, Japanese-language Proficiency Test (N4 or higher)
		Type of work			Interior bulding cleaning [1 test category]
		Conditions specially imposed on the accepting organization			・Participate in the council organized by the MHLW, and provide necesssary cooperation ・Provide necessary copperation for the surveys or guidance conducted by the MHLW ・Be registed as a "Building Cleaning Business" or "Building Enviroment Sanitation Comprehensive Management Bussiness"
METI	Machine parts & tooling industries	Prospective no. of foreign nationals to be accepted (maximum no. over 5 years)			21,500
		Skills test			Manuafacturing field specified skills (i) evaluation test (provisional)
		Japanese language exam			Japan Foundation Test for Basic Japanese, Japanese-language Proficiency Test (N4 or higher)
		Type of work			・Casting ・Forging ・Finishing ・Painting ・Die casting	・Machining ・Metal press ・Mental press ・Machine inspection ・Machine maintance	・Factory sheet metal work ・Electroplanting ・Aluminium anodizing   [13 test categories]
		Conditions specially imposed on the accepting organization			・Participate in the council organized by METI, and provide necessary cooperation ・Provide necessary cooperation for ther surveys or guidance conducted by METI
	Industrial Machinery industries	Prospective no. of foreign nationals to be accepted (maximum no. over 5 years)			5,250
		Skills test			Manuafacturing field specified skills (i) evaluation test (provisional)
		Japanese language exam			Japan Foundation Test for Basic Japanese, Japanese-language Proficiency Test (N4 or higher)
		Type of work			・Casting ・Forging ・Painting ・Welding ・Finishing ・Die casting	・Machining ・Iron work ・Metal press ・Plastic molding ・Machine inspection ・Machine maintenace ・Industrial packaging	・Electroplanting ・Electronic equipment assembling ・Electric equipment assembling ・Print writing board manufaturing ・Factory sheet metal work   [18 tets categories]
		Conditions specially imposed on the accepting organization			・Participate in the council organized by METI, and provide necessary cooperation ・Provide necessary cooperation for ther surveys or guidance conducted by METI
	Electric, electronics and information industries	Prospective no. of foreign nationals to be accepted (maximum no. over 5 years)			4,700
		Skills test			Manuafacturing field specified skills (i) evaluation test (provisional)
		Japanese language exam			Japan Foundation Test for Basic Japanese, Japanese-language Proficiency Test (N4 or higher)
		Type of work			・Painting ・Welding ・Finishing ・Metal press ・Plastic molding	・Machining ・Machine maintenace ・Industrial packaging ・Factory sheet metal work ・Electric equipment assembling	・Electroplanting ・Electronic equipment assembling ・Print writing board manuafacturing [13 test categories]
		Conditions specially imposed on the accepting organization			・Participate in the council organized by METI, and provide necessary cooperation ・Provide necessary cooperation for ther surveys or guidance conducted by METI
MLIT	Construction industry	Prospective no. of foreign nationals to be accepted (maximum no. over 5 years)			40,000
		Skills test			Construction field specified skills evaluation test (airport ground handling or aircraft maintance
		Japanese language exam			Japan Foundation Test for Basic Japanese, Japanese-language Proficiency Test (N4 or higher)
		Type of work			・Plastering ・Roofing ・Concrete pumping ・Earthwork	・Framework construction ・Tunnel and  propusion ・Construction machinery and construction ・Reinforcing barjoints	・Telecommunications ・Reinforcement construction ・Interior finishing/Material mounting [11 test categories]
		Conditions specially imposed on the accepting organization			・Be a member of a construction business group for the acceptance of foreign nationals ・Provide necessary cooperation for ther surveys or guidance conducted by MLIT ・Be liscensed under the Construction Business Act ・Have signed a contract to pay stable remuneration equal to or higher than a Japanese person would receive for the same work, and to give pay raise in accordance with the level of skill mastery ・Explain important matter concerning employment contracts by giving a written document in the mother tongue of the foreign worker ・Set the number of foreign workers per accepting construction company. ・Receive accreditation from MLIT concerning the "plan for acceptance of specified skilled workers in construction" stating the remuneration to be paid and other important matters ・Receive confirmation from MLIT and other related minitries and agencies that is properly implementing the "plan for acceptance of specified skilled workers in construction" ・Register the specified skilled workers in the construction job advancement system
	Shipbuilding & ship machinery industry	Prospective no. of foreign nationals to be accepted (maximum no. over 5 years)			13,000
		Skills test			Shipbuilding/ship machinery field specified skills (i) evaluation tets
		Japanese language exam			Japan Foundation Test for Basic Japanese, Japanese-language Proficiency Test (N4 or higher)
		Type of work			・Welding ・Painting ・Finishing	・Iron work ・Machining	・Electrical equipment essembing [6 test categories]
		Conditions specially imposed on the accepting organization			・Participate in the council organized by MLIT, and provide necessary cooperation ・Provide necessary cooperation for the surveys or guidance conducted by MLIT ・When entrusting implemention of the support plans to a registered support organization that meets the above conditions
	Automobile repair & maintance	Prospective no. of foreign nationals to be accepted (maximum no. over 5 years)			7,000
		Skills test			Automobile repair and maintance field specified skills evaluation test etc.
		Japanese language exam			Japan Foundation Test for Basic Japanese, Japanese-language Proficiency Test (N4 or higher)
		Type of work			・Automobile daily checks and maintance, preodical checks and maintance, disassembly repair [1 test category]
		Conditions specially imposed on the accepting organization			・Participate in the council organized by MLIT, and provide necessary cooperation ・Provide necessary cooperation for the surveys or guidance conducted by MLIT ・It must be a business operator which has received approval to engage in business on airport premises or other permission based on the Airport Management Regulations or be an approved organization relating to aircraft maintance etc. based on the Civil Aeronautics Atc when entrusting implementation of the support plans to a registered support organization, the implementation must be entrusted to a registered support organization that meets the above conditions. ・Being a business site cetified under the Road Transport Vehicle Act
	Aviation industry	Prospective no. of foreign nationals to be accepted (maximum no. over 5 years)			2,200
		Skills test			Aviation field specified skills evaluation test (airport ground handling or aircraft maintance)
		Japanese language exam			Japan Foundation Test for Basic Japanese, Japanese-language Proficiency Test (N4 or higher)
		Type of work			・Airport ground handling (handling of an aircraft on the ground, handling of baggage/cargo, etc.) ・Aircraft maintenance (maintenance work, etc. for an aircraft, equipment, etc. [2 tets categories] [2 test categories]
		Conditions specially imposed on the accepting organization			・Participate in the council organized by MLIT, and provide necessary cooperation. ・Provide necessary cooperation for the surveys or guidance conducted by MLIT ・When entrusting implemention of the support plans to a registered support organization, the implementation must be entrusted to registered support organization that meets the above conditions ・Airport Management Regulations or be an approved organization relating to aircraft maintenance etc. based on the Civil Aeronautics Act
	Accommodation industry	Prospective no. of foreign nationals to be accepted (maximum no. over 5 years)			22,000
		Skills test			Accommodation industry skills proficiency test (provision
		Japanese language exam			Japan Foundation Test for Basic Japanese, Japanese-language Proficiency Test (N4 or higher)
		Type of work			・Providing accomodation services such as working at the front desk, planning/public relations, hospitality and restaurant services [1 test category]
		Conditions specially imposed on the accepting organization			・Participate in the council organized by MLIT, and provide necessary cooperation. ・Provide necessary cooperation for the surveys or guidance conducted by MLIT ・When entrusting implementation of the support plans to a registered support organization, the implementation must be entrusted to a registered support organization that meets the above conditions ・Be a person who obtained for "Inn and Hotel Operation" ・Does not fall under accommodation facilities related to adult entertainment business ・Does not let employees serves customers in a way that related to adult entertainment business
MAFF	Agriculture	Prospective no. of foreign nationals to be accepted (maximum no. over 5 years)			36,500
		Skills test			Agriculture skills proficiency test (fishery or aquaculture industry) (provisional)
		Japanese language exam			Japan Foundation Test for Basic Japanese, Japanese-language Proficiency Test (N4 or higher)
		Type of work			・Cultivation agriculture (cultivation management, harvesting and shipping/sorting of agriculture products, etc.) ・Livestock agriculture (management of rising, harvesting and shipping/sorting of livestock products, etc.) [2 test categories]
		Conditions specially imposed on the accepting organization			・Participate in the council organized by MAFF, and provide necessary cooperation ・Provide necessary cooperation for the surveys or guidance conducted by MAFF ・When entrusting implementation of the support plans to a registered support organization, the implementation must be entrusted to a registered support organization that provides the necessary cooperation to the council ・It must be an agriculture management entity with experience of employing workers for a specified period or more
	Fishery & aquaculture	Prospective no. of foreign nationals to be accepted (maximum no. over 5 years)			9,000
		Skills test			Fshing industry skills profiency test (fishery or aquaculture industry) (provisonal)
		Japanese language exam			Japan Foundation Test for Basic Japanese, Japanese-language Proficiency Test (N4 or higher)
		Type of work			・Fishery (Production and repair of fishing gear, aquatic animals and plant exploration, operation and plant harvesting, treatment and storage of Fishery products, securing of safety and health, etc.) ・Aquaculture industry (Production, repair and management of aquaculture materials, cultivation and management of aquatic animal and plant farming, harvesting and processing, securing of safety and health, etc.) [2 test categories]
		Conditions specially imposed on the accepting organization			・Participate in the council organized by MAFF, and provide necessary cooperation ・Provide necessary cooperation for the surveys or guidance conducted by MAFF ・Take prepared measures at the council organized by MAFF ・When entrusting implementation of the support plans to a registered support organization, such entrustment must be restricted to registered support organizations that conform to the field-specific criteria
	Manufacture of food and beverages	Prospective no. of foreign nationals to be accepted (maximum no. over 5 years)			34,000
		Skills test			Food and beverage manufacturing industry skills (i) profiency test
		Japanese language exam			Japan Foundation Test for Basic Japanese, Japanese-language Proficiency Test (N4 or higher)
		Type of work			・General food and beverage manufacturing (manufacture and processing of food and beverages (excluding alcoholic beverages), health and safety) [1 test category]
		Conditions specially imposed on the accepting organization			・Participate in the council organized by MAFF, and provide necessary cooperation ・Provide necessary cooeperation for the surveys or guidance conducted by MAFF
	Food service industry	Prospective no. of foreign nationals to be accepted (maximum no. over 5 years)			53,000
		Skills test			Restaurant industry skills (i) profiency test
		Japanese language exam			Japan Foundation Test for Basic Japanese, Japanese-language Proficiency Test (N4 or higher)
		Type of work			・General restaurant work (food preparation, customer service, restaurant management) [1 test category]
		Conditions specially imposed on the accepting organization			・Participate in the council organized by MAFF, and provide necessary cooperation ・Provide necessary cooeperation for the surveys or guidance conducted by MAFF

*(note) Total prospecitive number of foreign nationals to be accepted in 14 fields (maximum no. over 5 years): 345,150 people