The 19 SSW (i) fields at a glance
The official SSW portal, run for the Immigration Services Agency and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, lists these 19 fields for Specified Skilled Worker (i):
| Field | Japanese | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Nursing Care | 介護 | Also needs the Care Japanese test |
| Building Cleaning Management | ビルクリーニング | — |
| Construction | 建設 | — |
| Industrial Product Manufacturing | 工業製品製造業 | — |
| Shipbuilding and Ship Machinery | 造船・舶用工業 | — |
| Automobile Repair and Maintenance | 自動車整備 | — |
| Aviation | 航空 | — |
| Accommodation | 宿泊 | — |
| Automobile Transportation Business | 自動車運送業 | — |
| Railway | 鉄道 | — |
| Agriculture | 農業 | — |
| Fishery and Aquaculture | 漁業 | — |
| Food and Beverage Manufacturing | 飲食料品製造業 | — |
| Food Service | 外食業 | Closed to new applications |
| Forestry | 林業 | — |
| Wood Industry | 木材産業 | — |
| Resource Recycling | 資源循環 | New field |
| Linen Services | リネンサプライ | New field |
| Logistics Warehouse | 物流倉庫 | New field |
For every field, SSW (i) has the same two basic requirements:
- Japanese: JFT-Basic with a total of 200 or more, or JLPT N4 or higher. A few jobs need more (see below).
- Skills: the skills evaluation test for that field.
People who satisfactorily completed Technical Intern Training (ii) are exempt from both tests in the related field. If you are new to the visa, start with our JFT-Basic and SSW visa guide.
Skills test and Japanese level, field by field
The skills tests are run by different industry bodies, each with its own website, fees and schedule. The "where held" column is a snapshot of the SSW portal's October–November 2026 schedule. Locations change from round to round, so always check the field's own test site.
| Field | Skills test (as linked on the SSW portal) | Where held (Oct–Nov 2026) | Japanese for SSW (i) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nursing Care | Care Skills Evaluation Test, via Prometric | Japan and 13 other countries | JFT-Basic 200+ or JLPT N4, plus the Care Japanese Language Evaluation Test |
| Building Cleaning Management | Building cleaning test (j-bma.or.jp) | Japan and 16 other countries | JFT-Basic 200+ or JLPT N4 |
| Construction | Construction skills tests (jac-skill.or.jp) | Japan and 13 other countries | JFT-Basic 200+ or JLPT N4 |
| Industrial Product Manufacturing | Manufacturing skills tests (jaim-skill.or.jp) | Japan and 5 other countries | JFT-Basic 200+ or JLPT N4 |
| Shipbuilding and Ship Machinery | Shipbuilding tests (ClassNK) | No schedule listed | JFT-Basic 200+ or JLPT N4 |
| Automobile Repair and Maintenance | Automobile repair test (JASPA, via Prometric) | Japan and 5 other countries | JFT-Basic 200+ or JLPT N4 |
| Aviation | Aviation skills test (jaea.or.jp) | Mongolia (one date) | JFT-Basic 200+ or JLPT N4 |
| Accommodation | Accommodation test (CAIPT, via Prometric) | Japan and 8 other countries | JFT-Basic 200+ or JLPT N4 |
| Automobile Transportation Business | Truck, taxi and bus tests (ClassNK SSW portal) | Japan and 17 other countries | Truck: JFT-Basic 200+ or JLPT N4. Bus and taxi: JLPT N3 (B1 from April 2027) |
| Railway | Four tests by job type (track, electrical, rolling stock maintenance, rolling stock manufacturing) | Japan only | JFT-Basic 200+ or JLPT N4. Transport staff: JLPT N3 (B1 from April 2027) |
| Agriculture | Agriculture skills test (asat-nca.jp, via Prometric) | Japan and 13 other countries | JFT-Basic 200+ or JLPT N4 |
| Fishery and Aquaculture | Fishery tests (via Prometric) | Japan and Indonesia | JFT-Basic 200+ or JLPT N4 |
| Food and Beverage Manufacturing | Food manufacturing test (OTAFF) | Japan and 4 other countries | JFT-Basic 200+ or JLPT N4 |
| Food Service | Food service test (OTAFF) | Japan only | JFT-Basic 200+ or JLPT N4. New entries paused |
| Forestry | Forestry skills test (ringyou-gino.org) | No schedule listed | JFT-Basic 200+ or JLPT N4 |
| Wood Industry | Wood industry test (zenmoku.jp) | Japan and Indonesia | JFT-Basic 200+ or JLPT N4 |
| Resource Recycling | Not yet published on the SSW portal | — | Expected to follow the SSW (i) standard; not yet confirmed on the portal |
| Linen Services | Not yet published on the SSW portal | — | Expected to follow the SSW (i) standard; not yet confirmed on the portal |
| Logistics Warehouse | Not yet published on the SSW portal | — | Expected to follow the SSW (i) standard; not yet confirmed on the portal |
The SSW portal also notes that the tests cost money and that some skills tests require work experience before you can apply. Read each test's requirements before you pay.
Fields with extra Japanese requirements
Nursing care
Care workers need a second Japanese test on top of JFT-Basic or JLPT N4: the Care Japanese Language Evaluation Test. Prometric runs it in the same 14 countries as JFT-Basic. It has 15 questions in 30 minutes and is in Japanese only. Its partner, the Care Skills Evaluation Test, has 45 questions in 60 minutes and can be taken in Japanese or one of 12 other languages, including Nepali, Indonesian, Vietnamese, Burmese and Khmer. A failed care test can be retaken after 45 days.
Nursing care is also the only SSW (i) field without an SSW (ii) route, because Japan has a separate Care Worker status of residence for qualified care workers.
Bus, taxi and railway transport
These jobs involve talking to passengers, so they need more Japanese than A2:
- The SSW portal lists JLPT N3 for taxi and bus drivers and for railway transport work.
- The Immigration Services Agency says the standard changes to "B1 equivalent or higher" for Certificate of Eligibility applications made from 1 April 2027. The date for changes of status and extensions had not been decided.
JFT-Basic's highest band is A2.2 (A2), so JFT-Basic alone does not meet this standard. Bus and taxi drivers also need a Japanese driving licence of the right class; the Immigration Services Agency's Automobile Transportation page explains the training route.
What changed from 2024 to 2027
2024: four new fields
A Cabinet decision on 29 March 2024 revised the acceptance numbers and added Automobile Transportation Business, Railway, Forestry and Wood Industry, taking SSW (i) to 16 fields. All four now have skills tests listed on the SSW portal's test page.
2026: Food Service paused
The Food Service field became very popular and approached its acceptance cap, the number of workers the government expects to accept in the field over the current five-year period. On 13 April 2026, the Immigration Services Agency temporarily suspended Certificate of Eligibility issuance for SSW (i) Food Service. In an update posted on 19 October 2026, it said:
- New Certificates of Eligibility are issued only in order of receipt as space allows. Applications received on or after 13 April 2026 are, in principle, not issued.
- Changes of status into Food Service from most other statuses received on or after 13 April 2026 are, in principle, not approved. A few categories, such as job changes within Food Service, are still processed.
- Extensions for people already working in Food Service continue as normal.
- No restart date has been announced.
The SSW portal shows "not accepting new applications at this time" for the field. If you were planning Food Service, consider a related field such as Food and Beverage Manufacturing, and keep an eye on the Agency's notices.
2026: three new fields
Resource Recycling, Linen Services and Logistics Warehouse now appear on the SSW portal's field list, making 19. The Immigration Services Agency published their operating guidelines and notices between April and September 2026. When we checked, the portal's detail pages for these fields were still under construction, and no skills test dates were listed. Don't pay anyone who claims to sell a "guaranteed" place in these fields before the official tests are announced.
2027: higher Japanese for SSW (ii) and transport jobs
From 1 April 2027, Certificate of Eligibility applications for SSW (ii), and for bus, taxi and railway transport jobs in SSW (i), need Japanese equivalent to B1 or higher. Japan's new Employment for Skill Development system, which replaces Technical Intern Training, is also due to start in 2027. JFT-Basic's A1 and A2.1 bands, reported since August 2026, are used for that system.
SSW (ii) fields
SSW (ii) is for experienced workers, with no limit on the length of stay and the right to bring family. It covers 11 fields: Building Cleaning Management, Construction, Industrial Product Manufacturing, Shipbuilding and Ship Machinery, Automobile Repair and Maintenance, Aviation, Accommodation, Agriculture, Fishery and Aquaculture, Food and Beverage Manufacturing, and Food Service. Construction and part of Shipbuilding had SSW (ii) first; the other fields were added from 31 August 2023. It needs a higher-level skills test and work experience, not JFT-Basic.
How to choose a field
- Your experience. A field where you already have skills makes the skills test easier, and some tests require experience.
- Test availability in your country. A field whose test is held only in Japan is hard to enter from abroad.
- Japanese level. If you are still far from A2, a field without extra Japanese tests is the realistic first step.
- The long term. If you want to stay and bring family, pick a field with an SSW (ii) route (every field in the SSW (ii) list above).
Whatever the field, the Japanese test is the same first step. Check your level with the free JFT-Basic practice test, compare JFT-Basic and JLPT N4, and try the SSW eligibility checker.
Chosen a field? Learn the phrases you will hear on your first day with our Japanese workplace phrases by job, and estimate what a job pays after deductions with the SSW Japan salary calculator.