Status of Residence:
Technical Intern Training III a

The "Status of Residence: Technical Intern Training (iii) - Category A (イ)" is the final stage of Japan's Technical Intern Training Program, conducted under the company-based acceptance model. This residency status is granted to foreign nationals who have successfully completed "Technical Intern Training (ii) - Category A" under an approved (excellent) host company and who are recognized as capable and willing to continue acquiring advanced technical skills. Under this status, trainees may stay for an additional period of up to two years, allowing them to further refine and deepen their expertise.

The differences among Technical Intern Training (i), (ii), and (iii) lie in the level of skill acquisition and the length of stay. Training (i) focuses on basic skills (1 year), Training (ii) on practical and applied skills (2 years), and Training (iii) on further strengthening and solidifying advanced technical skills (up to 2 more years). Advancement to the third stage is limited to those who have not only completed the previous stages successfully but also meet strict eligibility criteria, including affiliation with a certified "excellent" host company. This means that moving to Stage (iii) reflects both the company’s and the intern’s proven track record.

As for the distinction between "Category A (イ)" and "Category B (ロ)", Category A refers to the company-based model, in which the intern is directly employed and trained by a single company. Category B refers to the organization-based (supervised) model, in which a supervising organization manages the training and assigns the intern to one or more host companies. Therefore, "Technical Intern Training (iii) - Category A" indicates that the intern continues advanced skill training under direct employment at the same company, playing an increasingly important role as a highly skilled and experienced worker.

A period designated by the Minister of Justice (not to exceed two years)