Specified Skilled Worker in Food Service and Food/Beverage Manufacturing | Securing Talent for the Food Industry

The Food Industry and the Specified Skilled Worker System

The food industry is one of the industries facing the most serious labor shortages in Japan. The Specified Skilled Worker system provides two sectors — “food service” and “manufacture of food and beverages” — to support securing talent for the food industry.

By the Cabinet decision of June 2023 (Reiwa 5), both sectors became eligible for Specified Skilled Worker (ii), making it possible to secure foreign talent over the long term.

Scope of Work in the Food Service Sector

Specified Skilled Worker foreign nationals in the food service sector can engage in a wide range of work at food and beverage establishments.

Work	Specific Content
Cooking	Preparation of ingredients, heat cooking, plating, preparation for serving
Customer service	Guiding customers to seats, taking orders, serving dishes, handling payment
Store management	Ordering ingredients and inventory management, hygiene management, assisting with shift management

Important: Workers may also engage in work incidental to the above (cleaning, delivery, etc.). However, they cannot be made to engage exclusively in incidental work.

Eligible Establishments

• Restaurants, izakaya, cafés
• Fast food outlets
• Ryotei (traditional Japanese restaurants), sushi restaurants, soba restaurants
• Meal service facilities (including meal services at hospitals, schools, and workplaces)
• Catering
• Takeout-only outlets

Scope of Work in the Food and Beverage Manufacturing Sector

In the food and beverage manufacturing sector, workers engage in manufacturing and processing work at food factories and similar facilities.

Work	Specific Content
Manufacture and processing of food and beverages	Processing of raw materials, heating, sterilization, forming, packaging
Safety and hygiene management	Hygiene management based on the Food Sanitation Act, HACCP compliance

Eligible Establishments

• Food manufacturing plants (confectionery, bread, seafood processing, meat processing, etc.)
• Beverage manufacturing plants
• Prepared foods and bento manufacturing
• Frozen food manufacturing
• Seasoning manufacturing

Difference Between “Food Service” and “Food and Beverage Manufacturing”

Item	Food Service	Food and Beverage Manufacturing
Business type	Serving at food and beverage establishments	Manufacturing at food factories
Main work	Cooking, customer service, store management	Manufacturing, processing, safety and hygiene
Workplace	Food and beverage establishments	Food factories and food processing facilities
Skills test	Food Service Skills Proficiency Test	Food and Beverage Manufacturing Skills Proficiency Test
Eligible for (ii)	○	○

Note: Which sector applies is determined by the type of business of the establishment. There are cases that are difficult to judge, such as when a worker engages in manufacturing at a factory attached to a restaurant, so please consult us in advance.

Content of the Skills Tests

Food Service Skills Proficiency Test

Item	Content
Testing body	Organization for Technical Skill Assessment of Foreign Workers in Food Industry (OTAFF)
Test format	CBT method (computer-based questions)
Scope of questions	Hygiene management, food and beverage preparation, customer service in general
Passing standard	65% or more of the total score
Test duration	80 minutes

Food and Beverage Manufacturing Skills Proficiency Test

Item	Content
Testing body	Organization for Technical Skill Assessment of Foreign Workers in Food Industry (OTAFF)
Test format	CBT method
Scope of questions	Food safety and quality control, general hygiene management, manufacturing process control, HACCP
Passing standard	65% or more of the total score
Test duration	80 minutes

Requirements for Accepting Companies

To accept Specified Skilled Worker foreign nationals in the food industry, the following requirements must be met.

Requirement	Content
Joining the sector-specific council for the food industry	Join within 4 months of first accepting a worker
Not falling under grounds for disqualification	No violations of labor-related laws, etc.
Remuneration equal to or above that of Japanese nationals	Equal to or above that of Japanese nationals engaged in the same work
Establishment of a support structure	A structure capable of formulating and implementing a support plan

Transition to Specified Skilled Worker (ii)

By the Cabinet decision of June 2023 (Reiwa 5), both food service and food and beverage manufacturing became sectors eligible for Specified Skilled Worker (ii).

Moving to (ii) brings the following advantages.

• No upper limit on the period of stay (renewable)
• Family members may accompany the worker (spouse and children)
• A path to applying for permanent residence opens up

To move to (ii), you must pass the (ii) evaluation test for each sector and have a certain amount of practical work experience.

Convenience Stores Are Not Eligible

A common misunderstanding is that convenience stores are not eligible for Specified Skilled Worker. Convenience store work is mainly the “sale” of food and beverages, and does not fall under “manufacturing” or “food service”.

Foreign nationals who wish to work at a convenience store need to consider other residence statuses such as “Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services”.

Reference: Immigration Services Agency of Japan, “About the Specified Skilled Worker System” https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/applications/status/specifiedskilledworker.html

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Our Support

For consultations regarding Specified Skilled Worker visa applications, trust Kaneko Hidetaka Administrative Scrivener Office.

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