2025-05-08

The Specified Skill System is a system for companies to accept foreign workers with specialized skills. Then, a registered support organization commissioned by the company manages the foreign workers. Is it possible for a company to perform this management in-house?

What is a “specified skill”?

Specified Skills is a system to accept foreign nationals with certain expertise and skills in industrial fields where it is difficult to secure human resources. 2018 saw the enactment of the revised Immigration Control Act, which created a new status of residence, “Specified Skills. The following April, it became possible to accept foreign nationals with certain special skills.

There are two types of “Specified Technical Skills”: “Specified Technical Skill No. 1” and “Specified Technical Skill No. 2. Specified Technical Skill No. 1 is a status of residence for foreign workers with skills that require a certain level of knowledge and experience to be able to work in a specific industrial field. The “Specified Technical Skill II” is a status of residence for foreign workers who possess the skills necessary to work in a specific industrial field.

What is a registered support organization?

A company, etc. that actually hires a foreign worker is called a receiving organization (organization with specified skills). The receiving organization concludes a “specified skilled employment contract” with the foreign worker. The content of this contract must meet certain criteria, such as that the foreign worker’s remuneration must be equal to or greater than that of a Japanese worker.

In addition, the receiving institution generally outsources all the work of the support plan for the No. 1 specified skilled foreign worker to a specialized agency. This agency is a “registered support organization.

The registered support organization must meet the following criteria
(1) The agency itself must be appropriate (e.g., no immigration or labor law violations within 5 years, etc.).
(2)There must be a system in place to support foreign workers (e.g., the system can provide support in a language that foreigners can understand, etc.).

Is it OK without a registered support organization?

By the way, is it possible for companies that actually accept foreign workers to support foreign workers on their own without outsourcing to a registered support organization?

As a conclusion, it is possible. However, if it is not done with the understanding of the following points, problems may occur later on.

First of all, for companies accepting foreign workers, there are the following advantages to providing in-house support.
・ No outsourcing management costs.
・The company will be able to hire more and better skilled foreign nationals.
・The retention rate of hired foreigners can be improved.
・The possibility to communicate more closely with the hired foreign nationals.
・The know-how for the management of the specified skilled foreign nationals will be accumulated, which will enable the stable acceptance of foreign workers in the future.
・Since various procedures related to foreign workers will be carried out in-house, consistency of documents will be ensured, and progress status and management will be easier to manage.

On the other hand, there are some disadvantages to providing in-house support as follows
・Knowledge and know-how regarding the acceptance of in-house support are required.
・It is costly and time-consuming to acquire and establish the above knowledge and know-how.
・It is time-consuming and costly to acquire and establish the above knowledge and know-how.

Summary

Companies that accept foreign workers can support foreign workers on their own without outsourcing to a registered support organization. However, there are disadvantages such as the need to acquire knowledge about support and the cost involved.