CV for Japan’s Specified Skilled Worker status: fields, tests and the lines that prove them
For Japan’s Specified Skilled Worker (i) status you need a passed skills test for your field and a Japanese test such as JFT-Basic or JLPT N4, unless you completed Technical Intern Training (ii). Your CV should name both results exactly.1
Written 13 October 2026. CitedCV. How we write our guides
What the Specified Skilled Worker status is, as of 13 October 2026
Specified Skilled Worker (特定技能, SSW) is a status of residence for work in sectors Japan says it cannot staff from its own labour market. The Immigration Services Agency (ISA) splits it in two. SSW (i) covers work needing considerable knowledge or experience; it is renewed in steps of up to three years, capped at five years in total (six where there is good reason), and family members generally cannot come along. SSW (ii) covers skilled work; renewals have no limit and a spouse and children can join if requirements are met.
ISA’s system overview, updated 29 September 2026, lists 19 fields for SSW (i) and 11 for SSW (ii), with a combined cap of 805,700 SSW (i) workers until the end of March 2029. Its preliminary count at the end of June 2026 was 425,961 people on SSW (i) and 18,295 on SSW (ii). The applicant must be 18 or older.
Covered by the format guide
How to fill in the rirekisho and the shokumu keirekisho themselves is in the Japanese resume guide; this page is about what those documents must show for an SSW job.
First step: confirm your field is open and find a test you can sit
Most of the work happens before any CV. Go through these in order; each one can end the plan.
- Choose the field and the job category (業務区分) inside it from the table below.
- Check the field’s status on ISA’s SSW page. Food service, for example, has had certificate of eligibility issuance suspended since 13 April 2026.
- Open ISA’s test schedule. The one dated 31 August 2026, covering September to November 2026, lists no SSW test in Türkiye for any field. ISA’s FAQ says nationals of other countries are not prevented from sitting a test held in a neighbouring test country.
- Plan the Japanese test: JFT-Basic at A2.2 or JLPT N4 or above for most fields. The JLPT’s list of overseas test cities, as of 11 September 2026, includes Ankara and Istanbul.
- Find an employer directly or through a private employment agency; ISA’s flow chart names both routes for applicants abroad.
- Refuse any agent who wants a security deposit or a penalty contract. ISA lists ‘no deposit collected, no penalty contract’ among the applicant requirements.
How an SSW application works
Two tests, or one exemption
ISA checks skill and Japanese by test. Someone who completed Technical Intern Training (ii) in good standing skips the Japanese test whatever their trainee job was, and skips the skills test too if the trainee job relates to the SSW work, according to ISA’s FAQ. The food service document list sets the trainee period at two years and ten months or more.
Japanese levels
For SSW (i) the standard is A2.2 on Japan’s reference framework, shown by JFT-Basic or JLPT N4. Nursing care adds the Care Japanese Evaluation Test. For bus and taxi drivers and railway transport staff the level was N3; ISA says it becomes B1 equivalent for certificate of eligibility applications from 1 April 2027. SSW (ii) will require B1 equivalent for certificate applications from the same date.
Who files what
From abroad, the accepting company signs the employment contract with you, arranges a health check and pre-departure guidance, and applies for a certificate of eligibility; you then take it to the Japanese embassy for a visa. Someone already in Japan, such as a student, applies for a change of status, in principle in person.
Where a CV fits
ISA’s applicant document table for SSW (i), revised 9 October 2026, asks for the application form with a 4 cm by 3 cm photo, the signed contract and conditions in a language you understand, a health check form and the support plan. It lists no CV, and ISA’s reference forms include CVs only for the employer’s support staff. The CV is for the employer, who will usually ask for a rirekisho; it must agree with the certificates the employer then files.
Bilateral agreements
Japan has SSW memoranda with 17 countries, from the Philippines in March 2019 to Tajikistan in August 2024. Türkiye is not among them. ISA’s FAQ says such an agreement is not a condition, so nationals of other countries can still be accepted.
The 19 fields and the evidence each asks for
Field list and SSW (ii) column from ISA’s system overview of 29 September 2026; test names from ISA’s test page as read on 13 October 2026. Most fields also accept a national trade test (技能検定) at grade 3 instead of the SSW skills test.
| Field | SSW (ii) | Skills test ISA lists for SSW (i) | Note for your CV |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nursing care (介護) | No | Care skills evaluation test plus Care Japanese evaluation test | Two pass certificates to list |
| Building cleaning (ビルクリーニング) | Yes | Building cleaning SSW (i) evaluation test | Test also held in Malaysia, Laos and Kyrgyzstan |
| Linen supply (リネンサプライ) | No | No test guideline listed yet | Added January 2026 |
| Industrial products manufacturing (工業製品製造業) | Three categories only | Manufacturing SSW evaluation test | Name the job category, e.g. machining |
| Construction (建設) | Yes | Construction SSW (i) evaluation test | Civil, building or lifelines and equipment |
| Shipbuilding and ship machinery (造船・舶用工業) | Yes | Shipbuilding SSW (i) test | Name welding or painting work exactly |
| Automobile repair (自動車整備) | Yes | Automobile repair SSW (i) evaluation test, or grade 3 mechanic | List vehicle types serviced |
| Aviation (航空) | Yes | Ground handling or aircraft maintenance tests | Pick one of the two categories |
| Accommodation (宿泊) | Yes | Accommodation SSW (i) evaluation test | Front desk, planning, service |
| Automobile transport (自動車運送業) | No | Automobile transport SSW (i) evaluation test plus a Japanese driving licence | Truck A2.2; bus and taxi higher level |
| Railway (鉄道) | No | Five railway tests by job type | Transport staff need N3, B1 from April 2027 |
| Logistics warehousing (物流倉庫) | No | No test guideline listed yet | Added January 2026; starts when ready |
| Agriculture (農業) | Yes | Agriculture skills test (crops or livestock) | Agency dispatch allowed in this field |
| Fishery (漁業) | Yes | Fishery or aquaculture skills test | Agency dispatch allowed in this field |
| Food and beverage manufacturing (飲食料品製造業) | Yes | Food manufacturing skills test | Food hygiene experience counts in the summary |
| Food service (外食業) | Yes | Food service skills test | New certificates of eligibility suspended since 13 April 2026 |
| Forestry (林業) | No | Forestry skills test | Test listed only in Japan and Indonesia |
| Wood industry (木材産業) | No | Wood industry SSW (i) test | Test listed only in Japan and Indonesia |
| Resource circulation (資源循環) | No | No test guideline listed yet | Added January 2026; starts when ready |
A CV block that matches the certificates
Invented applicant: Deniz Kaya, Turkish, studying at a Japanese language school in Tokyo, applying to a hotel in Kyoto in the accommodation field. Every test line copies the certificate wording, because the employer files the certificate copies with ISA.
- Status line: Turkish citizen, residing in Tokyo, status of residence Student (留学) valid to 03/2027; applying for change to Specified Skilled Worker (i), accommodation.
- Skills test: 宿泊分野特定技能1号評価試験, passed 06/2026, certificate no. [as printed].
- Japanese: 日本語能力試験 N3, passed 12/2025 (meets the N4 or above requirement).
- Experience: Front Office Agent, [hotel name], Antalya, Türkiye, 05/2019 to 10/2024. Check-in and check-out for about 180 rooms; guest requests in Turkish, English and Russian.
- Education: Diploma in Tourism and Hotel Management, [school], Antalya, 2019.
For a food service applicant the field document list shows what the employer will attach: a copy of the food service skills test certificate, and either the JLPT N4-or-above certificate or the JFT-Basic result notice.
Sources, read on 13 October 2026
| ISA source | Date shown | Used for |
|---|---|---|
| SSW system page update log | Latest entry 9 October 2026 | Field changes, notices, links |
| System overview (Japanese) | Updated 29 September 2026 | 19 and 11 fields, stay limits, cap, language levels, flow, 17 agreements |
| System overview (English) | Revised 17 July 2026 | English terms for the flow and requirements |
| SSW (i) applicant document table | Revised 9 October 2026 | Documents filed; no CV listed |
| Test page and SSW (i) test schedule | Schedule as of 31 August 2026 | Test names and test countries |
| B1 level notice | Posted 30 September 2026 | Language changes from 1 April 2027 |
| Food service processing status | Posted 10 September 2026 | Suspension and processing order |
On 10 September 2026 ISA said it was issuing food service certificates of eligibility only for applications received up to 31 January 2026, and that most changes of status into food service received from 13 April 2026 would in principle be refused. Read the status page again before applying; it changes monthly.
Limits of this guide
- Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs SSW pages returned ‘Access Denied’ to our requests on 13 October 2026, so visa-stage details here come from ISA only.
- Technical Intern Training and the new Employment for Skill Development system, which ISA says starts on 1 April 2027, are not covered.
- Field-specific rules, such as which earlier trainee jobs exempt you from a skills test, sit in each field’s operating guidelines and are not reproduced.
- This guide does not judge eligibility; the accepting company and ISA do.
Next steps
- Book JFT-Basic or the JLPT first; the JLPT runs on fixed dates and fills up, and ISA itself urged N4 and N5 candidates to consider JFT-Basic after the December 2026 JLPT closed early.
- Write the rirekisho in Japanese, with the tests under 免許・資格 using their exact names.
- Check any agency against the warning signs in the overseas job scams guide before paying for anything.
- CitedCV can draft an English CV from facts you confirm, useful for an agency or a foreign-run employer; it does not write Japanese.
Questions people ask
What are the 19 fields of Specified Skilled Worker?
Nursing care, building cleaning, linen supply, industrial products manufacturing, construction, shipbuilding, automobile repair, aviation, accommodation, automobile transport, railway, logistics warehousing, agriculture, fishery, food manufacturing, food service, forestry, wood industry and resource circulation.
Which Japanese test do I need for Specified Skilled Worker?
JFT-Basic at A2.2 or JLPT N4 or above for most SSW (i) fields. Nursing care adds the Care Japanese Evaluation Test, and bus, taxi and railway transport staff need a higher level.
Can I take the SSW skills test in Türkiye?
Not according to ISA’s schedule for September to November 2026, which lists no test in Türkiye. ISA’s FAQ says you may sit the test in another country where it is held.
Do I need a CV for the Specified Skilled Worker visa application?
Not for ISA. The SSW (i) applicant document table revised on 9 October 2026 lists no CV, but employers usually ask for a rirekisho before they offer a contract.
Can Turkish citizens apply for Japan’s Specified Skilled Worker status?
Yes, as far as ISA’s FAQ goes. Türkiye has no SSW memorandum with Japan, but ISA says nationality from an agreement country is not a requirement.
How long can I stay on SSW (i)?
Up to five years in total, or six where ISA accepts there is good reason, renewed in periods of up to three years. SSW (ii) has no renewal limit.
Is the food service field still accepting new workers from abroad?
Not for now. ISA suspended new certificates of eligibility for food service on 13 April 2026 and in September was issuing only for applications received by 31 January 2026.
What is the difference between SSW (i) and SSW (ii)?
SSW (i) needs tests at a considerable skill level, lasts five years at most and generally excludes family. SSW (ii) needs higher-level tests, has no renewal limit and allows a spouse and children.
Sources
- Immigration Services Agency of Japan, 特定技能制度 (SSW system page)www.moj.go.jp/isa/applications/ssw/index.html
- Immigration Services Agency of Japan, 外国人労働者に関する制度概要 (updated 29 September 2026)www.moj.go.jp/isa/content/001335263.pdf
- Immigration Services Agency of Japan, Specified Skilled Worker System explanatory material (revised 17 July 2026)www.moj.go.jp/isa/content/930004452.pdf
- Immigration Services Agency of Japan, 試験関係 (tests and test schedules)www.moj.go.jp/isa/applications/ssw/nyuukokukanri01_00135.html
- Immigration Services Agency of Japan, 在留資格「特定技能」 (application documents)www.moj.go.jp/isa/applications/status/specifiedskilledworker.html
- Immigration Services Agency of Japan, 日本語能力水準「Ｂ１相当以上」の確認開始時期についてwww.moj.go.jp/isa/03_00198.html
- Immigration Services Agency of Japan, 特定技能１号（外食業分野）の在留諸申請の審査状況www.moj.go.jp/isa/10_00259.html
- Immigration Services Agency of Japan, 特定技能制度に関するＱ＆Ａwww.moj.go.jp/isa/policies/ssw/faq.html
- JLPT, List of Overseas Test Site Cities and Local Host Institutionswww.jlpt.jp/e/application/overseas_list.html