What is a specific skill?
In Japan, there has been a labor shortage for a long time. In response, a system was established to accept workers from overseas. This is the “Specified Skill System. Here is an easy-to-understand explanation of the “Specified Technical Skills” system.
What are specific skills?
Specified Technical Skills” is a system to accept foreign nationals with a certain level of expertise and skills in industrial fields where it is difficult to secure human resources in Japan. The new status will be available from April 2019.
There are two types of “Specified Technical Skills” status of residence: “Specified Technical Skill No. 1” and “Specified Technical Skill No. 2.
Specified Technical Skill No. 1” is a status of residence for foreigners who can engage in work requiring skills that require a certain level of knowledge and experience to engage in a specific industrial field. The “Specified Technical Skill II” is a status of residence for foreign nationals who can engage in work that requires skilled skills in a specified industrial field.
The period of stay for “Specified Technical Skills 1” is “a period not exceeding one year” as designated by the Minister of Justice, and the level of skill is verified through tests and other means. However, foreigners who have successfully completed Technical Internship No. 2 are exempted from the examination. The level of Japanese language proficiency will be verified through tests or other means with regard to the Japanese language skills required for daily life and work, but foreign nationals who have successfully completed Technical Internship No. 2 will be exempted from the tests. Family members are generally not allowed to accompany the trainee. Support is provided by the host institution and registered support organizations.
The period of stay for “Specified Technical Skills II” is either 3 years, 1 year, or 6 months, and the level of skills is confirmed through tests, etc. The level of Japanese language proficiency is confirmed through tests, etc. The level of Japanese language proficiency will not be checked by a test or other means. Family members may accompany the applicant if they meet the requirements. There is no support by the host institution or registered support organization.
What are the acceptable fields?
Foreigners with the status of residence of “Specified Skills” will be accepted in industrial fields (specified industrial fields) where it is difficult to secure human resources even with efforts to improve productivity and secure domestic human resources, and where human resources can be further secured by foreigners.
Specific industrial fields are defined as follows.
(1) Nursing care, (2) Building cleaning, (3) Industrial product manufacturing, (4) Construction, (5) Shipbuilding/marine industry, (6) Automobile maintenance, (7) Aviation, (8) Accommodation, (9) Automobile transportation, (10) Railway, (11) Agriculture, (12) Fishing, (13) Food and beverage manufacturing, (14) Food service, (15) Forestry, (16) Lumber industry
While the above 16 fields are acceptable for Specified Skill 1, 11 fields other than (1), (9), (10), (15), and (16) above are acceptable for Specified Skill 2. However, (iii) industrial product manufacturing is applicable to some business categories.
Accepting organizations and registered support organizations
Accepting organizations (organizations with specified skills) are companies and sole proprietors that accept and support foreign nationals with the “specified skills” residence status.
The receiving organization concludes a “specified skilled employment contract” with the foreigner. In this contract, the foreigner’s remuneration must conform to standards such as being equal to or higher than that of a Japanese national.
In addition, the host institution must meet the following criteria
(1) The specified skilled employment contract is appropriate.
(2) The host institution itself is appropriate. (No violation of immigration or labor laws within 5 years, etc.)
(3) There is a system to support the foreigner. (e.g., support is available in a language that the foreigner can understand)
(4) There is an appropriate plan to support foreigners.
In addition, a registered support organization is an organization that is commissioned by the receiving organization to implement all the services in the support plan regarding the No. 1 specified skilled foreigner. The registered support organization must meet the following criteria
(1) The support organization itself is appropriate. (No violation of immigration or labor laws within 5 years, etc.)
(2) There is a system to support foreign nationals. (e.g., the support can be provided in a language that the foreigner can understand)
In addition, the following requirements must be met in order for a registered support organization to be registered.
(1) A support manager and one or more persons in charge of support have been appointed.
(2) One of the following is applicable.
・The individual/organization seeking registration as a registered support organization has a track record of accepting mid- to long-term residents within the past two years.
・The individual/organization seeking to become a registered support organization has experience of engaging in various consultation services for foreigners as a business for the purpose of earning remuneration within the past two years.
・The appointed support person(s) must have experience in providing consultation services for mid- to long-term residents for 2 years or more within the past 5 years.
・The individual or organization seeking to become a registered support organization is recognized as being capable of properly providing support services to the same extent as those listed above.
(3) Has not caused any missing specified skilled foreign nationals or technical intern trainees due to reasons attributable to the applicant within one year.
(4) The cost of support is not borne directly or indirectly by the foreign nationals themselves.
(5) The foreigner has not been penalized for violation of laws and regulations (e.g., punished under immigration or labor laws within the past five years).
(6) Has not committed any extremely unfair or unjust acts regarding immigration or labor laws and regulations within the past 5 years.
Summary
Specified Skills is a system for accepting foreign nationals with certain expertise and skills in industrial fields where it is difficult to secure human resources. However, to ensure that foreign workers do not work under harsh conditions, an accepting organization and a registered support organization have been established.
