Status of Residence:
Specified Skilled Worker No.2

The “Specified Skilled Worker (ii)” status of residence is a category that allows foreign nationals with advanced and well-established skills in certain industrial fields to work in Japan on a medium- to long-term basis. It is part of the Specified Skilled Worker system introduced in 2019 and applies to fields such as construction, shipbuilding and ship machinery, and industrial product manufacturing, where a higher level of expertise is required.

To obtain the Specified Skilled Worker (ii) status, applicants must pass field-specific evaluation examinations and demonstrate several years of practical work experience. In some cases, experience in supervising workers or managing work processes is also required. Compared with Specified Skilled Worker (i), the requirements are more stringent, reflecting the expectation that holders of this status will play a core role at worksites.

A key feature of this status of residence is that there is no upper limit on the period of stay, and, if certain conditions are met, family members such as a spouse and children may accompany the worker to Japan. As a result, it enables foreign workers to build a stable life in Japan, while also allowing employers to secure highly skilled and experienced personnel on a long-term basis.

Renewal every 3 years, 1 year, or 6 months, without limit