JFT-Basic and the Specified Skilled Worker (Tokutei Ginou) visa

What is the SSW visa?

Specified Skilled Worker (SSW, in Japanese 特定技能, tokutei ginou) is a Japanese status of residence for working in fields with labour shortages. There are two types:

According to the official SSW portal, SSW workers get the same pay as Japanese workers in the same job, and employers must support them with daily life in Japan.

JFT-Basic matters for SSW (i), the entry point for almost everyone coming from abroad.

The two tests for SSW (i)

SSW (i) has two separate requirements. They are different tests, run by different organisations, and you need both.

1. The Japanese requirement

You need one of these:

• JFT-Basic with a total of 200 or more (A2.2, shown as A2), or
• JLPT N4 or higher.

The Japan Foundation describes JFT-Basic 200+ as the level used for SSW (i), and adds that some industries may require more. The level is judged on the total of all four sections, with no section minimum.

A result of 145–199 (A1 or A2.1) does not meet the SSW (i) requirement. Since August 2026 those lower bands are reported because they are used for other statuses, such as Employment for Skill Development and Student status at a Japanese language school.

If you are choosing between the two Japanese tests, see JFT-Basic vs JLPT N4.

2. The skills test for your field

Every field has its own skills evaluation test, run by an industry body for that field (several are booked through Prometric). It checks the knowledge and skills for that job. Some skills tests are only held in Japan, some only in certain countries, and some need work experience to apply.

Our SSW fields page lists every field with its skills test and notes.

Nursing care needs a third test

Nursing care (Long-term Care) has an extra Japanese requirement, because care workers talk with residents all day. Care candidates need:

1. JFT-Basic 200+ or JLPT N4, and
2. the Care Japanese Language Evaluation Test: 15 questions in 30 minutes, computer-based, Japanese only, and
3. the Care Skills Evaluation Test: 45 questions in 60 minutes, offered in Japanese and 12 other languages.

Prometric runs both care tests in the same 14 countries as JFT-Basic. Like JFT-Basic, a failed care test can be retaken after 45 days, and a passed one cannot be retaken.

Fields that need a higher level of Japanese

A few jobs need more than A2:

• Bus and taxi drivers (Automobile Transportation Business) and railway transport staff: the SSW portal lists JLPT N3. The Immigration Services Agency says that from 1 April 2027, these jobs need Japanese "equivalent to B1 or higher" for Certificate of Eligibility applications. JFT-Basic's highest band is A2, so it is not enough for these roles.

Truck drivers keep the standard SSW (i) Japanese requirement. Always check the current rules for your field on the SSW portal.

The Technical Intern Training exemption

If you satisfactorily completed Technical Intern Training (ii), you do not need the Japanese test or the skills test to move to SSW (i) in the related field. That is why many former technical interns move to SSW without taking JFT-Basic.

Two limits:

• The exemption covers the related field only. To change to a different field, you must pass that field's skills test.
• The SSW portal's test page notes that JFT-Basic is not required after satisfactory completion of Technical Intern Training. If you are unsure whether your training counts, ask your supervising organisation or the Immigration Services Agency before skipping the test.

Step by step: from JFT-Basic to working in Japan

1. Choose your field

   Pick one of the 19 SSW (i) fields that matches your skills and where there are jobs. Check that your field is open: Food Service was not accepting new Certificate of Eligibility applications when we checked. See SSW fields.

2. Pass the Japanese test

   Score 200 or more in JFT-Basic (or pass JLPT N4). Use the study plan, then register on Prometric. Print your result notice; it has no expiry date.

3. Pass your field's skills test

   Book the skills test for your field with its test body. Care candidates also take the Care Japanese test. Fees and dates differ by field.

4. Find an employer and sign a contract

   Apply to companies directly, through job fairs, or through a licensed placement agency. If your country requires a sending organisation, you must register with a licensed one. After the interview, read the employment contract carefully before signing.

5. Your employer applies for a Certificate of Eligibility

   After signing, an application for a Certificate of Eligibility (COE) goes to a Regional Immigration Services Bureau. Your employer can file it for you. The SSW portal says it takes one to three months.

6. Apply for the visa and travel

   With the COE, apply for the visa at a Japanese embassy or consulate in your country. Travel to Japan with your passport, COE and visa. Someone from the company or a registered support organisation should meet you at the airport.

7. Start work with support

   Your employer (or a registered support organisation) must provide set kinds of support, from an orientation on life in Japan and help with housing and city-hall paperwork, to help finding a Japanese class and regular meetings at least every three months.

Changing jobs on SSW (i)

On SSW (i) you can change employer within the same field. The SSW portal advises using Hello Work, Japan's public employment service, and warns that you must change your status of residence before starting at the new company, or you will be working illegally. Moving to a different field requires passing that field's skills test.

SSW (ii): the next step

SSW (ii) is for experienced workers. It has 11 fields: Building Cleaning, Construction, Industrial Product Manufacturing, Shipbuilding, Automobile Repair, Aviation, Accommodation, Agriculture, Fishery and Aquaculture, Food and Beverage Manufacturing, and Food Service. Nursing care is not included, because care workers have their own route through the Care Worker status.

SSW (ii) needs a higher-level skills test and work experience. JFT-Basic is not part of it. The Immigration Services Agency says that for Certificate of Eligibility applications from 1 April 2027, SSW (ii) will need Japanese equivalent to B1 or higher. Rules for changes of status and extensions were still being decided. So if SSW (ii) is your long-term goal, keep studying after JFT-Basic, towards JLPT N3.

Where JFT-Basic fits

JFT-Basic is usually the first step, because it is the same for every field and runs almost every month. Having your Japanese result in hand makes you ready to apply as soon as you find a job. Check where you stand with our SSW eligibility checker and the free practice test.

Plan the move itself

Once the tests are in view, plan the practical side. Add up what the move should cost with the SSW visa cost calculator, and estimate your monthly take-home pay with the SSW Japan salary calculator. For the job interview, prepare a polite introduction with the Japanese self-introduction generator, and learn first-day phrases for your field with our Japanese workplace phrases.