SSW Meaning in Japan (2026): Specified Skilled Worker Explained

Key Takeaways

SSW stands for Specified Skilled Worker. In Japanese it is 特定技能 (Tokutei Ginou). It is a status of residence (the legal category that sets what you may do in Japan), not a type of job, and it started on April 1, 2019 to deal with labor shortages.
There are two levels. SSW (i) (特定技能1号) is for work that needs a considerable degree of knowledge or experience. SSW (ii) (特定技能2号) is for work that needs proficient skills.
SSW (i) has a total limit of 5 years (6 years if there are reasonable grounds), and family members generally cannot come with you. SSW (ii) can be renewed with no limit, and a spouse and children can join you if the requirements are met.
SSW (i) covers 19 fields, and SSW (ii) covers 11 of them. Long-term care is open only to SSW (i).
At the end of June 2026, 444,256 people in Japan held SSW status (preliminary figure). Filipinos were the 4th largest group, with 37,859 on SSW (i) and 771 on SSW (ii).
Job ads and residence papers use words such as accepting organization, registered support organization, job category and skills evaluation test. Each one is explained below.
SSW is different from Technical Intern Training (TITP) and from Employment for Skill Development (ESD), which starts on April 1, 2027.
An SSW employer must pay at least what a Japanese worker would receive for the same kind of work. An offer that says "no experience needed" and also promises high pay should be treated as suspicious first.

This article explains what SSW means and the words that come with it. For the documents and conditions you need, see SSW Japan requirements for Filipinos (2026). For the application steps in order, see how to apply for an SSW visa in Japan.

What does SSW mean in Japan?

SSW means Specified Skilled Worker, the English name for 特定技能 (Tokutei Ginou). It is one of Japan's statuses of residence. A status of residence (在留資格) is the legal category that sets what activities a foreign national may do in Japan and for how long.

The Immigration Services Agency of Japan (ISA), the government agency in charge of immigration, explains why SSW was created. Some industries still find it hard to secure workers, even after they try to raise productivity and hire people within Japan. To deal with these worsening labor shortages, Japan created SSW (i) and SSW (ii) to accept foreign nationals who are ready to work and have a certain degree of expertise and skills. The system started on April 1, 2019.

On SSW, you work for an organization in Japan on an employment contract, in one of the industries chosen by the government. These industries are called specified industrial fields (特定産業分野). Long-term care and food service are two examples.

In ISA's list of statuses of residence, SSW belongs to the group "eligible for work (with restrictions on activity)." You may work, but only in the kind of work that the status allows. ISA describes SSW holders as foreign nationals who do work that belongs to a specified industrial field.

If you searched "ano ang SSW sa Japan," the answer is the same. SSW is a status of residence that lets you work in Japan in one of the chosen fields.

Is SSW a visa or a status of residence?

Strictly speaking, SSW is a status of residence. Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) explains that getting a "visa" and getting a "status of residence" are separate procedures, handled by different organizations. MOFA also states that SSW is a status of residence with two types, (i) and (ii).

You will still see the phrase "SSW visa" in job ads and online. In this article, "SSW" means the status of residence.

MOFA's SSW pages are available in several languages, including Filipino.

What is the difference between SSW (i) and SSW (ii)?

Job ads in Japanese write the two levels as 特定技能1号 and 特定技能2号, while English pages use SSW (i) and SSW (ii).

ISA compares the two levels as follows:

Point	SSW (i)	SSW (ii)
Kind of work	Work that needs a considerable degree of knowledge or experience	Work that needs proficient skills
Period of stay	Set for each person, up to 3 years at a time; 5 years in total (6 years with reasonable grounds)	3 years, 2 years, 1 year or 6 months; renewable with no limit
Skill standards	Confirmed by exams, etc.	Confirmed by exams, etc.
Japanese language	Confirmed by exams, A2.2 or higher	Confirmed by exams, B1 or higher
Family members	Generally not permitted	Spouse and children possible if requirements are met
Support from an organization	Eligible	Not eligible
Limit on total numbers	Differs by field; up to 805,700 people in all fields until the end of March 2029	No limit
Number of fields	19	11

Some details to note about this table:

The 5-year total for SSW (i) does not count periods when you could not work because of pregnancy, childbirth, childcare or other unavoidable situations.
People who have completed Technical Intern Training (ii) are exempt from the SSW (i) skill exams and Japanese exams.
Nursing care, automobile transportation (taxi and bus drivers) and railway (train operation) have extra Japanese language requirements for SSW (i).
A2.2 and B1 are levels of Japanese ability, and B1 is the higher one. ISA notes that the ministerial ordinance (a rule issued by a government ministry) that sets the B1 requirement for SSW (ii) is scheduled to take effect on April 1, 2027.

For the tests, see /tests. For more about the second level, see what is the SSW (ii) visa in Japan.

Which fields does SSW cover?

SSW (i) covers 19 fields, and SSW (ii) covers 11. This list follows a Cabinet Decision of January 23, 2026.

Field	SSW (i)	SSW (ii)
Long-term care	Yes	No
Building cleaning management	Yes	Yes
Linen supply	Yes	No
Industrial product manufacturing	Yes	Yes (3 job categories only)
Construction industry	Yes	Yes
Shipbuilding and ship machinery industries	Yes	Yes
Automobile repair and maintenance	Yes	Yes
Aviation industry	Yes	Yes
Accommodation industry	Yes	Yes
Automobile transportation business	Yes	No
Railway	Yes	No
Warehousing industry	Yes	No
Agriculture	Yes	Yes
Fishery	Yes	Yes
Manufacture of food and beverages	Yes	Yes
Food service industry	Yes	Yes
Forestry	Yes	No
Wood industry	Yes	No
Resource circulation industry	Yes	No

In industrial product manufacturing, SSW (ii) is limited to machining and metal processing, electric and electronic equipment assembly, and metal surface treatment.

Some fields are new. Automobile transportation business, railway, forestry and wood industry were added in March 2024. Linen supply, warehousing industry and resource circulation industry were added in January 2026. ISA states that warehousing and resource circulation will start once preparations are completed. At the end of June 2026, no one held SSW (i) status in linen supply, warehousing or resource circulation.

Each field is divided into job categories (業務区分), which are the specific kinds of work inside a field. Industrial product manufacturing has 17 job categories, such as printing and bookbinding, sewing, and furniture manufacturing. Long-term care, building cleaning management and linen supply each have one.

MOFA gives these examples of the work in some fields:

Nursing care: help with bathing, eating and using the toilet, based on the physical and mental condition of the person receiving care
Food service industry: general restaurant work, such as preparing food and drinks, serving customers and managing a store
Accommodation industry: front desk work, planning and public relations, hospitality and restaurant service
Automobile transportation business: driving trucks, taxis and buses

The rules for each field are revised from time to time. For example, ISA revised the guideline for the food service field on October 26, 2026. Check the ISA SSW page for the latest version.

How many people hold SSW status?

At the end of June 2026, 444,256 people held SSW status, according to ISA's preliminary figures. ISA called this a record high. The number was 390,296 at the end of December 2025, so it rose 13.8% in half a year.

SSW (i): 425,961 people
SSW (ii): 18,295 people, about 2.3 times the 7,955 at the end of December 2025

Filipinos were the 4th largest group on both levels:

Level	Filipinos (end of June 2026)	Rank	Share	End of December 2025
SSW (i)	37,859	4th	8.9%	35,521
SSW (ii)	771	4th	4.2%	341

On SSW (i), the largest groups were from Vietnam (163,154), Indonesia (107,242) and Myanmar (52,993), followed by the Philippines (37,859) and China (22,200).

By field, the numbers of SSW (i) holders were as follows:

Field	SSW (i) holders (end of June 2026)
Manufacture of food and beverages	100,769
Long-term care	79,884
Industrial product manufacturing	62,033
Construction	52,132
Food service industry	49,060
Agriculture	44,050

ISA publishes these preliminary figures once every half year.

What do the words around SSW mean?

These are the words you are most likely to see in SSW job ads and papers.

Status of residence (在留資格): the legal category that decides what you may do in Japan. SSW is one of them.
Specified industrial field (特定産業分野): one of the 19 industries open to SSW.
Job category (業務区分): a specific kind of work inside a field. It also matters when you change jobs.
Skills evaluation test (技能測定試験): an exam that confirms your skills for the field. ISA states that SSW skills are "confirmed by exams, etc."
Japanese language test (A2.2 / B1): an exam that confirms your Japanese level. SSW (i) needs A2.2 or higher. SSW (ii) needs B1 or higher once the ministerial ordinance for this requirement takes effect, scheduled for April 1, 2027.
Accepting organization (受入れ機関): the employer in Japan that hires you. Its employment contract must be appropriate; for example, the pay must be at least what a Japanese national would receive for the same kind of work. It must also give you appropriate support. It may recruit directly overseas or through a mediating organization.
Registered support organization (登録支援機関): an individual or group that the accepting organization asks to provide support, such as housing, for SSW workers. These organizations are registered by the Commissioner of ISA. They must give appropriate support and send required notifications to ISA, and their registration may be revoked if they fail to do so. For details, see what registered support organizations must do for you.
Residence card (在留カード): your card has a box called 就労制限の有無 (whether there are work restrictions). When work is allowed, it shows wording that matches your status, such as 在留資格に基づく就労活動のみ可 (only work based on your status of residence is allowed). When work is not allowed, it shows 就労不可 (work not permitted).

Can you change jobs on SSW?

Yes, within limits. On SSW (i), you may change jobs within the same job category, or between job categories whose skill levels have been confirmed as similar through an exam. There is no limit on how many SSW workers one employer may hire, except in the nursing care and construction fields.

For the steps and points to check, see changing jobs in Japan on SSW.

How is SSW different from TITP, ESD and other work statuses?

SSW is often confused with two other routes: Technical Intern Training (技能実習, TITP) and Employment for Skill Development (育成就労, ESD). Both are separate statuses of residence with their own rules.

Point	TITP	ESD	SSW (i)
Period of stay	(i) within 1 year, (ii) within 2 years, (iii) within 2 years; 5 years at most in total	3 years in total	Up to 3 years at a time; 5 years in total
Skill level of the worker	Not applicable	Checked in stages through exams, up to the move to SSW (i)	Confirmed by exams, etc.

ESD aims to train workers up to the SSW (i) level and to secure workers in its fields. ESD will start on April 1, 2027, in the SSW fields except the automobile transportation business and the aviation industry.

MOFA states that people who have satisfactorily completed Technical Intern Training can switch to SSW (i) in the same field without taking the skill exams and Japanese tests.

Other work statuses are separate from SSW. ISA's examples include:

Skilled Labor (技能): chef of foreign cuisine or sports instructor
Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services (技術・人文知識・国際業務): engineer (for example, in mechanical engineering), interpreter, designer or language instructor

For a full comparison of the training routes, see TITP vs SSW vs Ikusei Shuro.

How to read an SSW job ad

I live in the Philippines, and I have come across many job offers and recruitment pitches there, for roles such as manager of a Japanese restaurant, real estate brokerage work and website production. My rule from that experience is this: when an offer says "no experience needed" and also promises high pay, I treat it as suspicious first. By "high pay," I mean pay that is much higher than the average for the same type of work.

With that rule and the facts above, these are the points I would check in an SSW job ad:

Which status is it? Look for SSW (i), SSW (ii), TITP or another status. The period of stay, family rules and job change rules differ for each.
Which field and job category? Check that the work matches one of the 19 fields. At the end of June 2026, linen supply, warehousing and resource circulation had no SSW (i) holders yet.
How will your skills and Japanese be checked? SSW (i) needs a skill check and a Japanese level of A2.2 or higher, unless you completed Technical Intern Training (ii).
Is the pay at least equal to a Japanese worker's? That is one of the conditions the employer must meet. Then compare the amount with the average for the same type of work, and be careful when the pay is far above that average.
Who will support you? On SSW (i), support comes from the accepting organization or a registered support organization (an organization on ISA's register).

Before you sign anything, check the agency's DMW license on /check.

A job is more than its salary. Think about your own experience and what you are good at, and do not apply just because the pay looks good. Talk it over with friends, with people who have already gone to Japan, or with professionals before you decide.

FAQ

Q: What is the SSW visa in Japan?

"SSW visa" usually refers to the Specified Skilled Worker (特定技能) status of residence. It lets foreign nationals work in one of 19 fields where Japan lacks workers. MOFA notes that getting a visa and getting a status of residence are separate procedures, and that SSW is a status of residence with two types, (i) and (ii).

Q: Ano ang SSW sa Japan?

SSW means Specified Skilled Worker, or 特定技能 (Tokutei Ginou) in Japanese. It is a status of residence for working in Japan in fields such as long-term care, food service, construction and agriculture. At the end of June 2026, 37,859 Filipinos held SSW (i) status and 771 held SSW (ii).

Q: Can an SSW worker bring family to Japan?

On SSW (i), family members generally cannot come with you. On SSW (ii), a spouse and children can come if the requirements are met.

Q: Is SSW the same as TITP?

No. TITP is a training route where changing jobs is in principle not possible. SSW is a work status that requires a skill check and a Japanese language check, and SSW (i) allows job changes within the same job category. People who satisfactorily complete TITP can move to SSW (i) in the same field without the skill and Japanese exams.

Q: How long can I stay in Japan on SSW?

On SSW (i), up to 5 years in total (6 years if there are reasonable grounds). On SSW (ii), the period of stay is 3 years, 2 years, 1 year or 6 months, and it can be renewed with no limit.

Summary

SSW in Japan means Specified Skilled Worker, or 特定技能 (Tokutei Ginou). It is a status of residence created on April 1, 2019 to accept foreign workers in fields with labor shortages. SSW (i) covers 19 fields, needs a skill check and Japanese at A2.2 or higher, and allows up to 5 years in total, generally without family. SSW (ii) covers 11 fields, will need Japanese at B1 or higher once a ministerial ordinance takes effect (scheduled for April 1, 2027), can be renewed with no limit, and allows a spouse and children to join. At the end of June 2026, 444,256 people held SSW status, including 37,859 Filipinos on SSW (i) and 771 on SSW (ii). When you read an SSW job ad, check the status, the field and job category, how your skills will be checked, the pay rule and who will support you. If an offer says "no experience needed" and promises high pay, treat it as suspicious first. For your next step, read the SSW requirements for Filipinos, and use /check before you sign anything.

Sources

Immigration Services Agency, Specified Skilled Worker system outline (revised October 23, 2026): https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/content/930004452.pdf
Immigration Services Agency, Status of residence "Specified Skilled Worker" (在留資格「特定技能」): https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/applications/status/specifiedskilledworker.html
Immigration Services Agency, Specified Skilled Worker system page (特定技能制度): https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/applications/ssw/index.html
Immigration Services Agency, Number of foreign residents with SSW status, end of June 2026, preliminary (特定技能在留外国人数): https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/content/001459490.pdf
Immigration Services Agency, SSW statistics page: https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/applications/ssw/nyuukokukanri07_00215.html
Immigration Services Agency, Residence card information (在留カード): https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/content/001472762.pdf
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, Specified Skilled Worker overview: https://www.mofa.go.jp/mofaj/ca/fna/ssw/us/overview/index.html