As labour shortages persist, more and more construction companies are considering hiring foreign nationals. Once they start looking into it, however, they come across several systems with similar-sounding names: Specified Skilled Worker (特定技能), Employment for Skill Development (育成就労), Technical Intern Training (技能実習) and “Gijinkoku” (技人国). Which one to use depends, before anything the company may prefer, on the content of the work to be assigned and the background of the person being hired.
Our office’s representative previously served as chairman of a cooperative (協同組合) acting as a supervising organization (監理団体) and registered support organization (登録支援機関), working on the front line of accepting technical intern trainees and Specified Skilled Worker foreign nationals and handling the related procedures and support (he is now an adviser to the cooperative). He also served as a foreign employment consultant (advising on residence status and related matters) at the Chiba Public Employment Security Office (Hello Work Chiba), where he advised many companies hiring foreign nationals for the first time. In this article we set out, in the order in which they should be checked, the points on which construction companies hiring for the first time are most likely to be unsure.
Sources: Immigration Services Agency of Japan, “Specified Skilled Worker System,” “Residence Status ‘Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services’,” “On the Start of Confirmation of Japanese Proficiency ‘Equivalent to B1 or Above’,” “Employment for Skill Development Q&A” / “Policy on the Operation of the System for the Specified Skilled Worker Residence Status and Policy on the Operation of the Employment for Skill Development System in the Construction Field” (Cabinet decision of January 23, Reiwa 8 (2026)) / Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) Notice No. 357 of Heisei 31 (2019) / MLIT, “Online Applications for Construction Specified Skilled Worker Acceptance Plans [New],” “Application Guide, Forms and System Operation,” “Handbook for Recruiting and Retaining Foreign Construction Engineers (2nd edition)” / Japan Association for Construction Human Resources, “Annual Fees and Acceptance Contributions” / Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, “Notification of the Employment Status of Foreign Nationals” / Organization for Technical Intern Training, “Pre-Enforcement Applications for Certification of Employment for Skill Development Plans” / e-Gov Law Search, “Administrative Scriveners Act”
One-stop support for construction companies. Our office is an administrative scrivener office (行政書士事務所) and also a registered support organization. From preparing residence status application documents to applying for MLIT acceptance plans and construction business licences, we handle everything on a one-stop basis. Concerns about labour, tax and legal matters can also be brought to our office, and we address them in cooperation with partner professionals.
The first thing to decide: the work you will assign
A residence status defines what activities a person may engage in while in Japan. Because statuses are divided according to the content of the work, a construction company first decides which of the following applies.
| Work to be assigned | Main residence statuses |
|---|---|
| On-site work (formwork, reinforcing bar, scaffolding, interior finishing, piping, electrical work, etc.) | Specified Skilled Worker, Employment for Skill Development (from April, Reiwa 9 (2027)), Technical Intern Training (new acceptance is coming to an end) |
| Engineering work such as construction management, design and surveying | Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services (技術・人文知識・国際業務; “Gijinkoku” below) |
Gijinkoku does not permit on-site work. MLIT’s handbook also cautions that foreign construction engineers hired under Gijinkoku cannot perform the same work as skilled workers. Before hiring, be clear whether you want the person to “work with their hands on site” or to “manage the site.”
Note also that holders of residence statuses such as Permanent Resident (永住者), Spouse or Child of Japanese National (日本人の配偶者等) and Long-Term Resident (定住者) have no restrictions on the type of work they may do. If an applicant holds one of these statuses, the additional construction-field procedures required for Specified Skilled Worker do not apply (the notification to Hello Work is still required). How to check a residence card is explained in The Zero Illegal Residents Plan: What Employers of Foreign Nationals Should Do Now.
Differences between residence statuses (requirements for the person)
| Residence status | Main requirements for the person | Permitted period of stay | Accompanying family |
|---|---|---|---|
| Specified Skilled Worker (i) | Pass the Construction Specified Skilled Worker (i) Evaluation Test or the national trade skills test (技能検定) Grade 3, and a Japanese language test (the Japan Foundation Test for Basic Japanese or the Japanese-Language Proficiency Test at N4 or above). Those who have satisfactorily completed Technical Intern Training (ii) in a construction-related job category are exempt from the tests | Up to 3 years per grant; in principle up to 5 years in total | Not permitted |
| Specified Skilled Worker (ii) | Pass the Construction Specified Skilled Worker (ii) Evaluation Test or the trade skills test Grade 1 or equivalent, and have practical experience as a team leader (班長) | No limit on the number of renewals | Spouse and children permitted if requirements are met |
| Employment for Skill Development (from April 1, Reiwa 9 (2027)) | Before starting work, pass a Japanese test at A1 level or equivalent, or attend an equivalent Japanese language course | 3 years in principle | Not permitted in principle |
| Technical Intern Training | As prescribed for each job category and operation | Up to 5 years from (i) to (iii) | Not permitted |
| Gijinkoku | Graduated from a university or similar institution having majored in a field related to the work, such as architecture or civil engineering, or 10 or more years of practical experience | 5 years, 3 years, 1 year or 3 months (renewable) | Spouse and children permitted |
From applications for a Certificate of Eligibility (在留資格認定証明書) filed on or after April 1, Reiwa 9 (2027), Specified Skilled Worker (ii) will also require Japanese proficiency “equivalent to B1 or above.” The Immigration Services Agency of Japan states that the treatment of changes and extensions of residence status is under consideration.
Differences between residence statuses (requirements for the company)
In the construction field, companies that accept foreign nationals for on-site work are subject to conditions not found in other industries.
| Company requirements | Specified Skilled Worker (i) | Employment for Skill Development | Technical Intern Training |
|---|---|---|---|
| Construction business licence | Required | Required | Required |
| CCUS registration (company and worker) | Required | Required | Required |
| JAC membership | Required | Membership of MLIT’s council (協議会) required (belonging to JAC is deemed membership) | Not required |
| Plan certification | Certification of a Construction Specified Skilled Worker Acceptance Plan (建設特定技能受入計画) by the Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism | Certification of an Employment for Skill Development plan by the Organization for Employment for Skill Development of Foreign Nationals | Certification of a technical intern training plan by the Organization for Technical Intern Training |
| Number that may be accepted | Up to the number of full-time staff (excluding technical intern trainees, Employment for Skill Development foreign nationals and Specified Skilled Worker (i) foreign nationals) | A cap based on the number of full-time staff | Up to the number of full-time staff (exceptions for excellent organizations) |
| Daily-life support, etc. | Implementation of a support plan (may be outsourced to a registered support organization) | Under the supervised type, a supervising and supporting organization (監理支援機関) provides supervision and support | Under the organization-supervised type, a supervising organization provides supervision |
CCUS (Construction Career Up System, 建設キャリアアップシステム) is a national system for registering skilled workers’ qualifications and employment histories. JAC (Japan Association for Construction Human Resources, 建設技能人材機構), a general incorporated association, is an organization registered by the Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism for the acceptance of Specified Skilled Worker foreign nationals in the construction field.
Gijinkoku has no such construction-specific additional requirements. Instead, the documents to be submitted vary with the size of the company and its financial results. For details, see Requirements and Cautions for Companies Hiring on an Engineer Visa | Categories 1-4.
Preparing for Specified Skilled Worker (i)
If you want to hire people who can contribute immediately, Specified Skilled Worker (i) is the main option. The main preparations required in the construction field are as follows.
- Construction business licence The company must hold a licence under Article 3, paragraph 1 of the Construction Business Act (建設業法). It is also required that the company has not been subject to a supervisory disposition under the Construction Business Act within the 5 years before the application date. For how to obtain a licence, see Steps to Obtaining a Construction Business Licence.
- CCUS registration If the company’s business operator registration has not been completed, it cannot apply for certification of the acceptance plan (a pending registration application is not enough). The foreign national must also be registered as a skilled worker; those coming from overseas register promptly after entering Japan.
- JAC membership The company becomes a supporting member of JAC, or a member of a construction industry organization that is a regular member of JAC. Here too, the acceptance plan cannot be filed while the membership application is still pending.
- Job posting at Hello Work As part of efforts to secure workers within Japan, the acceptance plan must be accompanied by a job posting for a regular full-time employee in the same job category placed through Hello Work (within the most recent year before the application date). If the company has never posted a job, it needs to post one. The monthly wage on the job posting is also examined.
- Pay and employment contract Pay must be at least equal to that of a Japanese national with equivalent skills, paid stably on a monthly salary basis, with pay rises as the worker’s skills develop. Employment must be direct; dispatch (temporary staffing) is not permitted.
- Certification of the Construction Specified Skilled Worker Acceptance Plan The plan, stating the planned pay and the plan for acquiring safety knowledge and skills, is certified by the Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (through the Regional Development Bureaus, etc.).
- Support plan For Specified Skilled Worker (i) foreign nationals, 10 items of support, including a daily-life orientation and regular interviews, are mandatory. These can be outsourced to a registered support organization. For details, see Support Plan for Specified Skilled Worker (i) | A Detailed Explanation of the 10 Items of Mandatory Support.
JAC’s fees are published. The annual membership fee for a supporting member that joins JAC directly is 240,000 yen. A company that belongs to a regular member organization of JAC pays no annual fee to JAC and instead pays its own organization’s membership fee. In either case, accepting a Specified Skilled Worker (i) foreign national incurs an acceptance contribution (受入負担金) of 12,500 yen per person per month (150,000 yen per year).
The company’s obligations continue after acceptance: submitting an acceptance report to MLIT (within one month of the start of acceptance), having the worker attend the post-acceptance training course designated by the Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (roughly three to six months after acceptance), and cooperating with on-site visits by the organization monitoring proper employment (適正就労監理機関) (in principle at least once a year). An overview of the construction-field requirements is given in Specified Skilled Worker in the Construction Field | The Special Requirements of CCUS Registration and JAC Membership.
Choosing Employment for Skill Development or Technical Intern Training
If you want to train inexperienced people over three years, Employment for Skill Development is the main option. Employment for Skill Development starts on April 1, Reiwa 9 (2027), and is a system for developing workers to the level of Specified Skilled Worker (i) through three years of employment.
Employment for Skill Development in the construction field has the following rules.
- The period during which transfer (changing employers) at the worker’s own request is restricted is 2 years
- A company that sets a transfer restriction period longer than one year must raise pay between the first and second years by at least the rate set each year by MLIT’s council
- In the post-entry training course, the worker must attend training on occupational safety and health
- A construction business licence, CCUS registration and membership of the council are required
Applications for certification of Employment for Skill Development plans have been accepted since September 1, Reiwa 8 (2026), as pre-enforcement applications. The Organization for Technical Intern Training advises filing between seven and five months before the planned start of Employment for Skill Development (for example, for a start on June 1, Reiwa 9 (2027), from November 1, Reiwa 8 (2026) to January 1, Reiwa 9 (2027)). Where workers are accepted through a supervising and supporting organization, another condition is that the organization has already filed its application for a licence as a supervising and supporting organization; if that licence is not granted, the Employment for Skill Development plan will not be certified either. For an overview of the system, see Employment for Skill Development Starts April 1, 2027 | Transition from Technical Intern Training and How Employers Should Prepare.
New acceptance under Technical Intern Training will end as Employment for Skill Development begins. Applications for certification of Technical Intern Training (i) plans can be filed until March 31, Reiwa 9 (2027), but the Organization for Technical Intern Training asks that they be filed by February, Reiwa 9 (2027), and landing in Japan under Technical Intern Training (i) is in principle possible only until June 30, Reiwa 9 (2027). For companies accepting foreign workers for the first time from now on, the realistic options are Specified Skilled Worker or Employment for Skill Development. Steps for companies that already have technical intern trainees are summarised in For Construction Companies with Technical Intern Trainees | What to Do Now to Switch to Employment for Skill Development or Specified Skilled Worker.
Choosing Gijinkoku (construction management, design, surveying)
MLIT’s handbook gives construction management engineers, design engineers (including people who work with 3D CAD or BIM) and surveyors as examples of foreign construction engineers hired under Gijinkoku.
The person must have graduated from a university (including junior colleges, in Japan or abroad), or have completed a specialized course at a vocational school (専門学校) in Japan that meets prescribed requirements. The subjects studied must be related to the work in Japan. In some cases, 10 or more years of practical experience may be accepted in place of academic qualifications. Pay must be at least equal to that of a Japanese national doing the same work.
The handbook cautions that obtaining permission for the residence status takes several months, and that having the person work before permission is granted is a violation of the law. As there is a gap between the job offer and the start date, you also need to keep in touch with the prospective employee. For a comparison with Specified Skilled Worker, see Differences Between Specified Skilled Worker and the Engineer Visa | Which Visa Is Best for You?.
Notifications on hiring
When a company hires a foreign national, it files a notification with Hello Work regardless of residence status. For Specified Skilled Worker (i), there are also notifications and reports to MLIT and to immigration.
| Notification / report | Filed with | Deadline | Applies to |
|---|---|---|---|
| Notification of employment status of foreign nationals (外国人雇用状況の届出) | Hello Work | For persons insured under employment insurance, by the 10th of the month following hiring (combined with the notification of acquisition of insured status). For others, by the last day of the following month | All foreign workers (excluding special permanent residents, etc.) |
| Report on Acceptance of Specified Skilled Worker (i) Foreign Nationals | MLIT (online) | Within one month of the start of acceptance | Specified Skilled Worker (i) in the construction field |
| Document showing the CCUS skilled worker ID | MLIT | In principle within one month of entry into Japan | Specified Skilled Worker (i) entering from overseas |
| Notifications by Specified Skilled Worker accepting organizations | Immigration Services Agency of Japan | Ad hoc notifications: deadlines set for each event (e.g. within 14 days when it becomes difficult to continue acceptance). Periodic notification: once a year, covering April 1 to March 31, by May 31 of the following year | Specified Skilled Worker |
Failing to file, or filing a false notification of employment status of foreign nationals, is subject to a fine of not more than 300,000 yen. Notifications for each situation are set out in detail in Notification Calendar for Companies Employing Foreign Nationals.
How long preparation takes
When accepting workers under Specified Skilled Worker (i), the guideline periods published by MLIT and others are as follows.
| Step | Published guideline |
|---|---|
| Joining a regular member organization of JAC | Depending on the organization, it may take from several months to half a year from application to issuance of a membership certificate |
| Application for certification of the Construction Specified Skilled Worker Acceptance Plan | Can be filed from roughly 6 months before the employment start date (for those moving from Technical Intern Training, from 6 months before the completion date) |
| Certification of the acceptance plan | About one and a half to two months from application (excluding time for corrections). In some regions it may take several months longer |
| Application to immigration | Generally 2 to 3 months before the desired start of work. It can be filed in parallel with the application for certification of the acceptance plan, but immigration will not grant permission unless the acceptance plan is certified |
JAC membership and CCUS registration must be completed before applying for the acceptance plan. It is common to start preparing about six months before the start of work.
Decision flow
- Decide the work to be assigned. For construction management, design or surveying, it is Gijinkoku; for on-site work, go to step 2.
- Check the applicant’s residence status. If it is Permanent Resident, Spouse or Child of Japanese National, Long-Term Resident or similar, there are no restrictions on the type of work.
- Check whether the company has a construction business licence. If not, start by obtaining one. Specified Skilled Worker, Employment for Skill Development and Technical Intern Training all require the licence.
- If the person has passed the tests or has satisfactorily completed Technical Intern Training (ii), consider Specified Skilled Worker (i); if you will train someone with no experience, consider Employment for Skill Development.
- For Specified Skilled Worker (i), prepare CCUS, JAC, the Hello Work job posting, the acceptance plan and the support arrangements.
- If you want the person to work with you over the long term, there is also a path to Specified Skilled Worker (ii) by gaining experience as a team leader.
When you engage our office
When hiring foreign nationals for the first time, the procedures are spread across several counterparts: immigration, MLIT, Hello Work and JAC. Construction companies also face many other concerns, such as licence renewals, employee labour matters and financial closing. Our office takes on all of these concerns of construction companies on a one-stop basis, not only the procedures for foreign nationals.
What an administrative scrivener can do
There are many registered support organizations that provide Specified Skilled Worker support. However, under the Administrative Scriveners Act, preparing documents for submission to public offices for a fee is restricted to administrative scriveners and certain others (Article 1-3, paragraph 1 and Article 19, paragraph 1 of the Administrative Scriveners Act). Our office is both an administrative scrivener office and a registered support organization, and therefore differs from an ordinary registered support organization in the following respects.
| Procedure | Ordinary registered support organization | Our office |
|---|---|---|
| Implementing a Specified Skilled Worker (i) support plan | Yes | Yes |
| Submitting residence status applications on the applicant’s behalf (申請取次) | Yes | Yes (administrative scriveners who have filed notification as application agents) |
| Preparing residence status application documents (including Specified Skilled Worker) | Cannot prepare them on others’ behalf | Yes |
| Preparing periodic and ad hoc notifications filed by the accepting company | Limited to notifications the organization files itself | Can prepare them on the company’s behalf |
| Acting as agent for applications for certification of the Construction Specified Skilled Worker Acceptance Plan and for post-acceptance reports (online) | No | Yes |
Only attorneys and administrative scriveners can act as agents for online applications for MLIT acceptance plans. Our office has handled many of these agency applications. We also undertake CCUS registration on your behalf, help with joining JAC, obtaining construction business licences and incorporating companies.
On recruiting workers
- Engineers for construction management, design and similar roles (Gijinkoku) can be introduced in cooperation with the cooperative for which our representative serves as adviser.
- Acceptance under Employment for Skill Development (currently Technical Intern Training) is arranged in cooperation with the cooperative (supervising organization) for which our representative serves as adviser.
- For Specified Skilled Worker candidates, we work together with your company on job postings through Hello Work, JAC’s job listings and other channels.
One-stop support for concerns beyond procedures for foreign nationals
- Labour concerns such as employment insurance and social insurance are handled in cooperation with our partner labour and social security attorney (社会保険労務士).
- Financial statements and tax returns are handled in cooperation with our partner certified tax accountant (税理士), and legal issues in cooperation with our partner attorney.
- Bookkeeping services are provided by our office.
Our office serves as your single point of contact. We stand in the middle and coordinate, so that you do not have to repeat the same explanation to each professional.
Our representative’s background and office information
- Previously served as chairman of a cooperative (supervising organization and registered support organization), working on the front line of accepting technical intern trainees and Specified Skilled Worker foreign nationals and handling the related procedures and support. He is now an adviser to the cooperative.
- Served as a foreign employment consultant at Hello Work Chiba, where he advised many companies hiring foreign nationals for the first time.
- 98% approval rate track record
- The first consultation is free for 60 minutes. Online consultations are also available.
- Our office is a 4-minute walk from the South Exit of JR Chiba Station. Consultations are available in Japanese and Chinese.
Summary
- The residence status depends on the work you assign. On-site work means Specified Skilled Worker or Employment for Skill Development; construction management, design and surveying mean Gijinkoku. Gijinkoku does not permit on-site work.
- Specified Skilled Worker (i) in the construction field requires a construction business licence, CCUS registration, JAC membership, a job posting at Hello Work and certification of the Construction Specified Skilled Worker Acceptance Plan.
- The annual fee for a JAC supporting member is 240,000 yen, and the acceptance contribution is 12,500 yen per person per month.
- Employment for Skill Development starts on April 1, Reiwa 9 (2027). Applications for plan certification have been accepted since September 1, Reiwa 8 (2026), and the guideline is to apply between seven and five months before the planned start date.
- After hiring, file a notification of employment status of foreign nationals with Hello Work. For Specified Skilled Worker (i), an acceptance report to MLIT and notifications to immigration are also required.
- Certification of the acceptance plan takes about one and a half to two months, and joining an organization may take even longer. Start preparing about six months before the start of work.
- As an administrative scrivener office and registered support organization, our office handles everything from preparing residence status application documents and notification documents to acting as agent for MLIT acceptance plan applications. We also take on concerns beyond procedures for foreign nationals on a one-stop basis, in cooperation with partner professionals.
This article is based on information published as of October 2026. Systems, their operation and fees may change, so please check the latest information on the websites of the Immigration Services Agency of Japan, MLIT, the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, the Organization for Technical Intern Training and the Japan Association for Construction Human Resources.