Specified Skilled Worker is a status of residence applicable for foreign nationals who have a certain level of expertise and skills and are ready to work in 14 specific industrial fields where it is difficult to secure human resources.
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Specific Skill Worker (i): Skills that require a considerable amount of knowledge or experience are required.
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Specific Skill Worker (ii): Expertise skills are required.
* As of 2021, SSW(ii) has only “construction field” and “shipbuilding / marine industry field”.
– Period of stay –
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SSW(i): 1 year / 6 months /4 months, renewable for a maximum stay of up to 5 years in total.
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SSW(i): 3 years / 1 year / 6 months, renewable without maximum of stay.
– Skill Standards –
Need to be confirmed by evaluation exams. (those who have successfully completed Technical Intern Training (ii) are exempt from exams. Technical Intern Training is applicable for only foreign nationals from 9 countries.)
– Japanese language level –
Proficiency in Japanese language required and need to be confirmed by exams.
JLPT (N4) or JFT-Basic (A2)
(those who have successfully completed technical intern training (ii) are exempt from exams)
https://www.jlpt.jp/e/index.html
https://www.jpf.go.jp/jft-basic/e/schedule/information.html
– Family accompaniment –
- SSW(i): Principally not allowed
- SSW(ii): Possible if requirements are met
*Family refers to the spouse and children, parents or relatives are not included.
– Other –
- Same salary as Japanese or more
- 18 years of age or older
- No educational background required
- You can change jobs within the same field.
- No defined limit to the number of people that can be accepted except for the construction industry and nursing care.
- Direct employment only (Except Agriculture and Fishery & Aquaculture)
SSW FOOD SERVICE INDUSTRY
Number of Workers to be accepted in the next 5 years: 53.000
SKILL EVALUATION TEST (As of May 2020)
Foreigners aged 17 and over on the day of the test
Those who are legally staying in Japan even without a residence card when taking exam in Japan
<Knowledge Exam> 30 questions and <Practical Skill Exam> 15 questions with 3 categories as following:
Hygiene management
- Knowledge about general hygiene management
- Knowledge about HACCP
- Knowledge about food poisoning
Food and drink cooking
- Knowledge about cooking
- Knowledge about ingredients
- Knowledge about cooking equipment
General customer service
- Knowledge about customer service
- Knowledge about food diversification
- Knowledge about complaint handling
OTAFF (THE ORGANIZATION FOR TECHNICAL SKILL ASSESSMENT OR FOREIGN WORKERS IN FOOD INDUSTRY) https://otaff1.jp/gaisyoku/
ACCEPTING ORGANIZATIONS (EMPLOYER)
Business entities categorized into following codes (Japan Standard Industrial Classification)
76：Restaurant
77：Food take away and delivery services
- Restaurant
- Coffee shop
- Fast food restaurant
- Take-away/ Home delivery specialty store (delivering food and drink cooked in the store)
- Catering restaurants, etc.
It is also possible to work in the food and beverage department in the accommodation facility, the school or in the medical / welfare facility.
JOBS IN CHARGE
1) Food and drink cooking
Cooking, preparing, and manufacturing food and drink to be provided to customers
(Example: Preparation of ingredients, heated cooking, non-heated cooking, seasoning, arrangement, preparation of food and drink, etc.)
2) Customer service
Performing task other than cooking food and drink necessary to provide food and drink to customers
(Example: Guidance to seats, menu proposals, taking orders, serving, cutlery setting, casher, product setting, product handling, collection of tableware / containers, reservation reception, seat setting, dealing with complaints, correspondence and contact / coordination with the provider at the school lunch office, etc.)
3) Store management
Other than the above two operations required for store operation
(Example: General hygiene management in stores, employee shift management, office work related to recruitment / employment, office work related to employee guidance / training, management of reserved customer information / customer information, cash register / ticket vending machine management, accounting office work management, Liaison and coordination with in-house headquarters, trading companies, government, etc., maintenance of various equipment, replenishment of ingredients / equipment, ordering, inspection of quality and quantity management, menu planning / development, menu book / POP advertisement creation, planning of advertisements, improvement of internal / external / overall environment, improvement of in-store operations, creation / revision of work manuals, etc.)
