Introduction
Companies (accepting organizations) that employ Specified Skilled Worker (i) foreign nationals are subject to statutory obligations regarding proper employment management and support for the foreign national. Neglecting these obligations can result in suspension of acceptance or penalties, so it is important to understand them correctly.
[Updated October 10, 2026] We corrected the frequency of the periodic notification (annual since April 1, 2025) and the scope of notifications subject to a criminal fine, and added an explanation of who may be entrusted with preparing the notification documents.
Basis: Articles 19-18 to 19-21 of the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act, and the Ministerial Ordinance on Specified Skilled Worker Standards
Standards for Accepting Organizations
To accept Specified Skilled Worker foreign nationals, the accepting organization must meet the following standards.
| Standard | Content |
|---|---|
| Not falling under grounds for disqualification | No criminal penalties under related laws, no violations of immigration or labor laws within the past 5 years, etc. |
| Appropriateness of the employment contract | Remuneration equal to or above that of Japanese nationals, full-time work, enrollment in social insurance |
| Establishment of a support structure | Having a structure capable of formulating and implementing a support plan |
| Compliance with notification obligations | Making the various notifications in a timely manner |
Requirements Regarding the Employment Contract
A Specified Skilled Worker employment contract must satisfy the following conditions.
- The amount of remuneration must be equal to or above that of Japanese nationals
- The prescribed working hours must be the same as those of ordinary workers (full-time)
- Leave must be granted when the worker wishes to temporarily return home
- If the foreign national cannot bear the cost of travel home, the accepting organization must bear it
- The worker must be enrolled in health insurance, employees’ pension insurance, employment insurance, and workers’ accident compensation insurance
Important: “Equal to or above” for remuneration means equal to or above that of Japanese employees engaged in the same work. Where wage regulations exist, they are followed; where they do not, wage levels of nearby companies in the same industry are also used as a reference.
Obligation to Formulate a Support Plan for Specified Skilled Worker (i)
When employing a Specified Skilled Worker (i) foreign national, the accepting organization must formulate a support plan for Specified Skilled Worker (i) foreign nationals. The support plan must include the 10 statutory items of mandatory support.
For details on the 10 items of the support plan, please see our separate article “Support Plan for Specified Skilled Worker (i) | A Detailed Explanation of the 10 Items of Mandatory Support”.
Outsourcing to a Registered Support Organization
All or part of the support plan may be outsourced to a Registered Support Organization. We particularly recommend considering outsourcing to a Registered Support Organization in cases such as the following.
- When it is your first time accepting foreign nationals and no support structure is in place
- When it is difficult to provide assistance in the foreign national’s native language
- When it is difficult to appoint a support supervisor and support staff
Note: Even when support is outsourced to a Registered Support Organization, the accepting organization bears ultimate responsibility for the support.
List of Notification Obligations
Accepting organizations have the following notification obligations. Failure to make a notification is subject to a fine of up to ¥300,000.
[Updated October 10, 2026] The fine of up to ¥300,000 does not apply to every notification. It applies to failing to file, or filing a false version of, the notification of a change to, termination of or new conclusion of a Specified Skilled Worker employment contract, and the notification of the names, activities and other particulars of the Specified Skilled Workers being accepted (Article 71-4, item 1 of the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act). Failing to file, or filing a false version of, any other notification by the accepting organization is subject to a non-penal administrative fine (karyō) of up to ¥100,000 (Article 77-2, item 1 of the same Act).
Ad Hoc Notifications (When an Event Occurs)
| Notification | Timing |
|---|---|
| Notification regarding the Specified Skilled Worker employment contract | When the contract is changed or terminated |
| Notification regarding changes to the support plan | When the plan is changed |
| Notification regarding difficulty in continuing acceptance | When continuing acceptance becomes difficult |
| Notification regarding violations of immigration or labor laws | When a violation becomes known |
Periodic Notifications (Quarterly)
| Notification | Deadline |
|---|---|
| Notification regarding the status of acceptance | Within 14 days from the first day of the quarter following the relevant quarter |
| Notification regarding the status of support implementation (Specified Skilled Worker (i) only) | Same as above |
| Notification regarding the status of activities | Same as above |
[Updated October 10, 2026] Under the ministerial ordinance amendment that took effect on April 1, 2025 (Reiwa 7), the periodic notification changed from quarterly to once a year. It is now filed as the “Notification on the Status of Acceptance, Activities and Support Implementation,” covering the one-year period from April 1 to March 31 of the following year, and is submitted between April 1 and May 31 of the following fiscal year (for example, the period from April 2025 to March 2026 is filed between April 1 and May 31, 2026). The table above shows the treatment before the amendment.
[Updated October 10, 2026] If an accepting organization wants someone other than its own officers or employees to prepare its periodic or ad hoc notification documents, only an administrative scrivener (gyoseishoshi) or an attorney may be entrusted with this (Articles 1-3 and 19(1) of the Administrative Scriveners Act). The Immigration Services Agency’s Q&A also states that entrusting the preparation of notification documents to anyone other than an administrative scrivener or attorney may violate the Administrative Scriveners Act. Accordingly, an ordinary Registered Support Organization that is not an administrative scrivener or attorney cannot prepare the accepting organization’s periodic notification documents on its behalf, even if it has been entrusted with the support. As an administrative scrivener office, our office can prepare periodic and ad hoc notification documents on your behalf.
Where to file: The Regional Immigration Services Bureau with jurisdiction over the location of the accepting organization
Obligation to Enroll in Social and Labor Insurance
Specified Skilled Worker foreign nationals are, like Japanese nationals, required to be enrolled in the following insurance.
| Insurance | Content |
|---|---|
| Health insurance | Enrollment mandatory if the establishment is covered |
| Employees’ pension insurance | Enrollment mandatory if the establishment is covered |
| Employment insurance | Enrollment required for prescribed working hours of 20 hours or more per week |
| Workers’ accident compensation insurance | Covers all workers |
Penalties for Violations
If an accepting organization violates its obligations, the following penalties may be imposed.
- Violation of notification obligations: Fine of up to ¥300,000
- False notification: Fine of up to ¥300,000
- Improper conduct: Suspension of acceptance (5 years)
- In malicious cases: Imprisonment of up to 1 year or a fine of up to ¥1,000,000
[Updated October 10, 2026] The fines of up to ¥300,000 for “violation of notification obligations” and “false notification” above apply to notifications concerning the Specified Skilled Worker employment contract and to the notification of the names, activities and other particulars of the Specified Skilled Workers being accepted (Article 71-4, item 1 of the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act). Other notifications are subject to a non-penal administrative fine (karyō) of up to ¥100,000 (Article 77-2, item 1 of the same Act). In addition, the item “In malicious cases: imprisonment of up to 1 year or a fine of up to ¥1,000,000” above was incorrect. If an accepting organization violates an improvement order from the Commissioner of the Immigration Services Agency, the penalty is imprisonment (kokinkei) of up to 6 months or a fine of up to ¥300,000 (Article 71-3 of the same Act).
Reference: Immigration Services Agency of Japan, “About the Specified Skilled Worker System” https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/applications/status/specifiedskilledworker.html
Our Support
For consultations regarding Specified Skilled Worker visa applications, trust Kaneko Hidetaka Administrative Scrivener Office.
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