Understanding Specified Skilled Worker.
Purpose and scope
Specified Skilled Worker (SSW) is a residence status for people with skills to work in industries facing labour shortages. Unlike technical intern training, whose purpose is skills transfer, SSW addresses workforce needs. Permitted duties, related work and job-change procedures depend on the sector.
Employment and support
SSW (i) requires appropriate employment conditions and a support plan. Check requirements including remuneration at least equivalent to that of Japanese workers performing comparable duties. Job changes also require the applicable residence procedures.
System transition
The transition from technical intern training to the Employment for Skill Development system is being prepared for implementation on 1 April 2027. Check official information for transitional arrangements and new requirements.
Check both the sector and its implementation status.
Fields & typical activities
19 fields- Nursing care
- Personal care and related assistance
- Building cleaning
- Cleaning inside buildings
- Industrial product manufacturing
- Processing and assembly
- Construction
- Civil engineering, building and facilities
- Shipbuilding and ship machinery
- Shipbuilding and marine manufacturing
- Automobile maintenance
- Inspection and servicing
- Aviation
- Airport ground handling and aircraft maintenance
- Accommodation
- Front desk, hospitality and restaurant work
- Agriculture
- Crop and livestock farming
- Fishery and aquaculture
- Fishing and aquaculture
- Food and beverage manufacturing
- Production, processing and hygiene
- Food service
- Cooking, serving and restaurant management
- Road transport
- Truck, bus and taxi operations
- Railway
- Transport, infrastructure and rolling-stock work
- Forestry
- Forest cultivation and timber production
- Wood industry
- Wood processing
- Linen supply
- Linen laundering and finishing
- Logistics warehousing
- Warehouse operations; check requirements and implementation
- Resource recycling
- Sorting and recycling; check requirements and implementation
Check the test and transition route.
Tests and transition requirements
Check the Japanese-language and sector skills-test requirements. Successful completion of Technical Intern Training (ii) may allow test exemptions when moving to a related field. A different field requires its skills test. Sector-specific language and additional test requirements must also be checked.
Checks before testing and hiring
Test availability in Myanmar varies by sector, venue and schedule. Hiring within Japan still requires checks of residence status, duties, tests and exemptions. Nationality alone does not establish eligibility across all fields.
Understand the background—and the person.
Listen to individual goals
Applicants have different goals: learning skills, developing a career or supporting family. We discuss their aspirations and experience and connect language learning with workplace instruction.
Connect understanding with dialogue
Understanding religion, food, everyday habits and family connections helps create a welcoming workplace. Even where Burmese and Japanese share aspects of word order, learning pace and workplace ability differ between people. Cultural understanding should lead to individual dialogue.
Official information
Information checked: 15 October 2026. Check current conditions for each case.