1．What’s “Specified Skills”? ① Authorized Activities and Period of Stay ② Industries and skill level ③ Specified Skills Type 2 2．What can be done while waiting for approval for “Specified Skills”？ ① The object people of the measure ② Status of residence and Period of Stay to be approved ③ Requirements for approval ④ Points to be noted 3．With “Specified Skills”, is it possible to live in Japan with family members? |
1．What’s “Specified Skills”?
① Authorized Activities and Period of Stay
With the status of residence “Specified Skills”, foreigners are able to be employees in certain industries; only works of certain kinds and skills of a certain level are required.
The Period of Stay for “Specified Skills Type 1” is set for 1 year, 6 months, or 4 months. The period can be extended, however, the length of stay with that status in total must not be over 5 years. 3 years, 1 year, or 6 months for “Specified Skills Type 2”; the period can be extended regardless of the total length of stay.
② Industries and skill level
There are 14 kinds of Industries to work in with “Specified Skill Type 1”. Language skill of Japanese (“Japanese-Language Proficiency Test (N4 or higher level)” or the basic Japanese test of the Japan Foundation “国際交流基金日本語基礎テスト”) and professional skill test of each industry must be passed.
For nursing care workers, “Nursing care Japanese language evaluation test” is required in addition to one of the language tests above; however, ones who passed through training institutions for certified care workers are exempt.
Those who completed “Technical Intern Training Type 2” are exempt from both language tests of Japanese and professional skill tests.
※ For more information about professional skill tests of each industries, consult the Immigration Bureau’s web site.
→ http://www.moj.go.jp/nyuukokukanri/kouhou/nyuukokukanri07_00201.html
③ Specified Skills Type 2
Only a part of the industries for “Specified Skills Type 1” is ones for “Specified Skills Type 2”.
Higher level of professional skill test must be passed for Type 2.
Changing from “Specified Skills Type 1” to “Specified Skills Type 2” may be the common route; though it’s still possible to get “Specified Skills Type 2” directly passing the professional skill test for Type 2.
Language skill of Japanese is not explicitly referred to as a requirement.
The intention may be that Japanese skill was confirmed when the status “Specified Skills Type 1” was permitted, if it’s the previous status, or that those who passed a professional skill test for Type 2 may be able to manage their jobs without problems about Japanese.
※ For more information about professional skill tests of each industries, consult the Immigration Bureau’s web site.
→ http://www.moj.go.jp/nyuukokukanri/kouhou/nyuukokukanri07_00201.html
The period can be extended regardless of the total length as the above.
2．What can be done while waiting for approval for “Specified Skills”？
Those who have an experience of staying with “Technical Intern Training Type 2” may be able to get benefit of an exceptional measure about arrangements for changing their status of residence to “Specified skills Type 1”.
① The object people of the measure
The measure refer to those who fulfil both the requirement below.
- Having an experience of staying with “Technical Intern Training Type 2”
- Staying with “Technical Intern Training Type 2” or “Technical Intern Training Type 3”, or staying and working as a construction labour or a shipbuilding labour with “Designated Activities” actually, and the Period of Stay will expire by the end of September, 2019.
② Status of residence and Period of Stay to be approved
The status of residence given by the measure is “Designated Activities” (Permitted to work).
The Period of Stay is for 4 months; the period cannot be extended in principle.
③ Requirements for approval
Theres are requirements to be fulfilled for the measure:
- They are planning to change their status of residence on purpose to work for the previous companies or institutions.
- They made an employment contract to engage in the same kind of work with the previous companies or institutions.
- They are to receive pay as much as previous.
- They have just reasons about taking time to change the status to “Specified Skills Type 1”.
- They stayed with “Technical Intern Training Type 2” for a year and 10 months or more, and the skills learned is of the kinds of works which is correspondent to the professional skill tests and the language tests of Japanese for the kind of works and industries which they are going to engage in with “Specified Skill Type 1” to be exempt.
- The companies or institutions are certified to be appropriate: concerning compliance, for example.
④ Points to be noted
- The time of stay with “Designated Activities” (Permitted to work) is included into the length of stay with “Specified Skills Type 1” which is limited to 5 years in total.
- They have to apply for “Specified Skills Type 1” immediately after they are prepared for an application for the change of status of residence.
- Even if their current status is of permitted to work and an application (and an examination) for “Designated Activities” (Permitted to work) or “Designated Activities” (Not Permitted to work) is under way, they are unable to work in Japan after the expiration date of the Period of Stay for the current status of residence until they get “Specified Skills Type 1” through the examination; they can stay legally, though.
3．With “Specified Skills”, is it possible to live in Japan with family members?
There isn’t a particular rule that permits family members of those who work with “Specified Skills Type 1” to stay in Japan; therefore just because they are the family members, does mean that they can stay in Japan.
（If they have their own status of residence, “Student”, for example, they can stay of course.）
On the other hand, a status of residence “Dependent” is to be permitted for spouses and children supported by those who work with “Specified Skills Type 2”.
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