[UPDATE on April 2024]
The government broadened the scope of the Specified Skilled Worker program, encompassing four additional sectors: road transportation, rail, forestry, and timber, thereby increasing the total to 16 fields. As part of this expansion, it aims to recruit 25,000 drivers for taxis, buses, and trucks.
[UPDATE on June 2023]
On June 9, 2023, the Cabinet decided to change the policy on the operation of the system related to the Specified Skilled Worker visa.
Specified Skilled Worker (ii) with no Visa expiration date to expand in the following designated job categories:
Building cleaning, Machine parts & tooling industries, Industrial machinery industry, Electric, electronics & information industries, Automobile repair & maintenance, Aviation, Accommodation, Agriculture, Fishery & aquaculture, Food & beverages manufacture, Food services in addition to current Construction, and Shipbuilding & machinery.
Foreign Support Center is registered by the Director-General of Japan’s Immigration Services Agency as an “Official Registered Support Organization”. [Registration No: 19登-000547]
A new working visa called the “Specified Skilled Worker (SSW)” visa (or Designated Skilled Labor (DSL)) for semi-skilled foreign nationals started on April 1, 2019.
The Japanese government should accept 345,000 skilled workers in 14 business sectors from April 2019 to 2024. See below for the total upper limit by industry.
Next, let us compare the features of the “Specified/Designated Skilled Laborer (DSL)” visa and the current Technical Intern (TI) visa.
In terms of eligible countries, if you stay in Japan and pass the exam concerned with the N4 certificate, you can apply for the DSL visa, regardless of nationality.
A Flow Chart of Int’l Recruitment System (New Specified Skilled Worker or Designated Skilled Laborer) Visas is as follows.
Business Startup Visa 