From Specified Skilled Worker (i) to (ii): what the requirements and procedure are for the change of status of residence

In short: The move from Specified Skilled Worker (i) to (ii) switches, within the Specified Skilled Worker status of residence under appended table I-2 of the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act, from (i) to (ii), and is made by a change-of-status-of-residence application under Article 20 of the same Act. (ii) is a status for work requiring skilled technique; unlike (i), it has no total cap on the period of stay (you can repeat renewals of 3 years, 1 year or 6 months), allows accompaniment by a spouse and children if requirements are met, and carries no obligation of support by the accepting organisation. The scope of (ii) is the 11 fields shown by the Immigration Services Agency (building cleaning, industrial-product manufacturing, construction, shipbuilding and ship machinery, automobile maintenance, aviation, accommodation, agriculture, fishery, food and beverage manufacturing, and food service), and nursing care is not included. The central requirements for the move are passing the field-specific evaluation test for (ii) and the work experience set for each field. Yotsuba Administrative Scrivener Office (an administrative scrivener qualified to file applications) takes on the preparation and filing of the change-of-status-of-residence application within the scope of Articles 1-2 and 1-3 of the Administrative Scrivener Act under a separate contract. The post-move employment contract, social insurance and working conditions are for a labor and social security attorney, the field-specific skills test and work experience for the person, tax for a tax accountant, the final judgment of eligibility for the Immigration Services Agency, and a dispute over a denial for a lawyer — each contracted separately as an independent business. This article is general information and does not guarantee an individual grant. Our office receives no referral fee.

How does Specified Skilled Worker (ii) differ from (i), and how do the period of stay and family accompaniment change?

Specified Skilled Worker (i) and (ii) are both statuses of residence under appended table I-2 of the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act, but they divide in character by period of stay, family accompaniment, support and the skill level required. (ii) is an upper framework for work requiring "skilled technique."

	Specified Skilled Worker (i)	Specified Skilled Worker (ii)
Skill level	Technique requiring considerable knowledge or experience (the (i) evaluation test, etc.)	Skilled technique (the field-specific (ii) evaluation test and work experience)
Period of stay	Renewals of 1 year, 6 months or 4 months, capped at 5 years in total	Renewals of 3 years, 1 year or 6 months, with no total cap
Family accompaniment	In principle not allowed	Accompaniment by a spouse and children allowed if requirements are met
Japanese-language test	A pass on a Japanese-language test is needed on entry	A Japanese-language test is in principle not imposed on the move (varies by field)
Support by the accepting organisation	Drafting and carrying out a support plan (can be outsourced to a registered support organisation)	No support obligation

The big differences are the period of stay and family accompaniment. Whereas (i) ends residence at 5 years in total, with (ii) you can reside long-term by continuing to renew, and can bring your family if requirements are met. However, (ii) is a status premised on "skilled technique," and it is practically important to advance the preparation for the move (passing the field-specific (ii) test and building up work experience) before completing the 5 years under (i). The arrangement of the post-move employment contract and social insurance is organised in the labor and social security attorney's Family accompaniment for Specified Skilled Worker (ii) and labor (the labor and social security attorney is a separate business).

What fields can move to (ii), and what test and work-experience requirements are asked?

The fields that can move to (ii) are the following 11 shown by the Immigration Services Agency. Nursing care is not a subject of Specified Skilled Worker (ii) (because nursing care can reside under a separate framework such as the "Nursing Care" status). Some fields accepted under (i) — automobile transport, railways, forestry, the wood industry, and so on — are not subjects of (ii), so confirm first whether your field can advance to (ii).

Category	Content
Target fields (11)	Building cleaning, industrial-product manufacturing, construction, shipbuilding and ship machinery, automobile maintenance, aviation, accommodation, agriculture, fishery, food and beverage manufacturing, food service
Skills test	A pass on the field-specific Specified Skilled Worker (ii) evaluation test (or the test set by the field, such as trade-skill test grade 1)
Work experience	Work experience set for each field (many fields ask for experience of engaging while directing several workers, or as a team leader or site supervisor)

The field divisions and the test and work-experience requirements for (ii) are set individually in the field-specific operational policy and operational guidelines of the ministry in charge of the field, and may be revised. In construction, for example, experience as a team leader and a pass on the construction-field Specified Skilled Worker (ii) evaluation test are asked, with the content differing by field. Whether your field can advance to (ii) and which test and experience are needed are confirmed, before entering the preparation for the application, in the latest published materials of the ministry in charge and the Immigration Services Agency. The move often connects from the route in The move from technical intern training to Employment for Skill Development/Specified Skilled Worker, and the management/support organisation, and the support during (i) is organised in Registration of a registered support organisation and the support plan.

What documents does the change-of-status-of-residence application take, and when and who files it?

The move from (i) to (ii) is made by a change-of-status-of-residence application under Article 20 of the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act. It changes the status of residence currently held (Specified Skilled Worker (i)) to (ii), and you apply before the period of stay expires, after meeting the field's requirements (passing the (ii) test and the work experience). Documents issued in China, Taiwan and so on may need a Japanese translation and, as needed, authentication. The main documents are as follows, with forms and numbers of copies differing by field.

• The change-of-status-of-residence application form, a photograph, and presentation of the residence card and passport
• The pass certificate for the field-specific (ii) evaluation test, and a document showing a pass on a trade-skill test, etc.
• A document showing work experience (a certificate of employment, a document showing the content of duties and the period engaged)
• The employment contract and documents on the specified-skilled-worker employment contract, and materials explaining remuneration
• A certificate of registered matters, financial statements and other materials of the accepting organisation showing the existence and scale of the business
• A tax certificate for resident tax, and materials showing enrolment in social insurance

The filing can be done on the person's behalf, by submitting the application documents to the regional immigration office, by an administrative scrivener (or a lawyer) who has filed the notification of filing agency (Articles 1-2 and 1-3 of the Administrative Scrivener Act). The final examination and judgment of eligibility and of conformity with the requirements is made by the Immigration Services Agency, and our office does not make definitive statements on the outcome or a legal outlook. The specific forms, numbers of copies and standard processing period are confirmed against the Immigration Services Agency's latest guidance immediately before applying. For the flow of engagement, see the Engagement Flow; for fees, the Fee Schedule; for the work handled, Services.

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Who do you separately ask for the residence procedure, post-move labor, and the skills test?

The move to Specified Skilled Worker (ii) divides among professionals — the residence procedure, labor, the test and property. In the Yotsuba group, the administrative scrivener, the labor and social security attorney, and the real estate business are each an independent business, on the premise that you contract separately. Responsibility divides as follows.

• Preparing and filing the change-of-status-of-residence application → an administrative scrivener qualified to file applications (Articles 1-2 and 1-3 of the Administrative Scrivener Act; us)
• Arranging the post-move employment contract, the notice of working conditions, social insurance and work rules → a labor and social security attorney (a separate business)
• Sitting the field-specific (ii) evaluation test and building up work experience → the person and the accepting organisation
• Income tax and resident tax, and the treatment of tax treaties → a tax accountant
• The final judgment of eligibility for the status of residence → the Immigration Services Agency
• A dispute if denied, and an individual legal outlook → a lawyer
• The lease or purchase of housing, and arranging company housing → Yotsuba Real Estate Co., Ltd., a separate business (real estate broker)

Each field is on the premise that you contract separately with each window and qualified person, and our office receives no referral fee. The social-insurance and employment-insurance procedures on a change of job or accepting organisation are organised in the labor and social security attorney's A change of job or secondment under Specified Skilled Worker and the handover of social insurance and employment insurance (the labor and social security attorney is a separate business). If you aim for a higher status, The requirements for the move from Highly Skilled Professional (i) to (ii) (for specialists from China and Taiwan) is also a useful reference.

FAQ

Q. If I move to (ii) before the 5 years under Specified Skilled Worker (i) end, can I reside indefinitely?
A. Specified Skilled Worker (ii) has no total cap on the period of stay and lets you keep renewing in cycles of 3 years, 1 year or 6 months, so long-term residence is possible if you keep meeting the requirements. However, (ii) is a status premised on "skilled technique" and needs a pass on the field-specific (ii) evaluation test and work experience. Because (i) has a 5-year total cap, it is practically important to meet the test-pass and work-experience requirements and complete the change-of-status-of-residence application under Article 20 before it expires. The final judgment of conformity is made by the Immigration Services Agency.

Q. Can my field advance to Specified Skilled Worker (ii)? What about nursing care?
A. The scope of (ii) is the 11 fields shown by the Immigration Services Agency (building cleaning, industrial-product manufacturing, construction, shipbuilding and ship machinery, automobile maintenance, aviation, accommodation, agriculture, fishery, food and beverage manufacturing, food service), and nursing care is not included (because nursing care can reside under a separate framework such as the "Nursing Care" status). Some fields accepted under (i) — automobile transport, railways, forestry and the wood industry — are not subjects of (ii). Because the target fields and the test requirements may be revised, confirm them in the latest published materials of the ministry in charge and the Immigration Services Agency.

Q. Once I become Specified Skilled Worker (ii), can I bring my family to Japan?
A. With Specified Skilled Worker (ii), if requirements are met, you can bring a spouse and children as "Dependents" ((i) in principle does not allow family accompaniment). Accompaniment has individual requirements, such as income able to support them, and the Immigration Services Agency judges after review. The arrangement of post-move income and social insurance is for a labor and social security attorney, and the arrangement of housing for Yotsuba Real Estate Co., Ltd., a separate business — each contracted separately as an independent business. Because whether accompaniment is allowed and its requirements may be revised, confirm them against the latest guidance before applying.

Q. Can I ask one office to handle everything from the change of status of residence to the post-hiring employment contract and social insurance?
A. The preparation and filing of the change-of-status-of-residence application is for an administrative scrivener qualified to file applications; the post-move employment contract, working conditions and social insurance for a labor and social security attorney; income tax and tax treaties for a tax accountant; the final judgment of eligibility for the Immigration Services Agency; a dispute over a denial for a lawyer; and housing for Yotsuba Real Estate Co., Ltd., a separate business — each contracted separately as an independent business. We can receive your consultation at one window and organise and pass materials to each professional, but the engagements are separate. Our office receives no referral fee.

Sources (Primary Information)

• e-Gov Law Search, "Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act," appended table I-2, "Specified Skilled Worker" (Specified Skilled Worker (i) = a technique requiring considerable knowledge or experience; Specified Skilled Worker (ii) = an activity engaging in work requiring skilled technique), Article 20 (change of status of residence = a foreign national who seeks to change the status of residence currently held may apply for a change of status of residence) (accessed 2026-11-06)
• e-Gov Law Search, "Administrative Scrivener Act," Article 1-2 (the preparation of documents submitted to public offices = exclusive business), Article 1-3 (the business of filing agency, etc.) (accessed 2026-11-06)
• Immigration Services Agency, "Job descriptions of each field of Specified Skilled Worker (ii)" and other pages on the Specified Skilled Worker system (the 11 target fields of (ii) = building cleaning, industrial-product manufacturing, construction, shipbuilding and ship machinery, automobile maintenance, aviation, accommodation, agriculture, fishery, food and beverage manufacturing, and food service, not including nursing care; (i) has a 5-year total cap on the period of stay, family accompaniment in principle not allowed, and a support obligation of the accepting organisation, while (ii) has no total cap, allows family accompaniment if requirements are met, and has no support obligation; the target fields and requirements may be revised) (accessed 2026-11-06)
• The field-specific operational policy and operational guidelines of the ministry in charge of each field (the (ii) evaluation test, work experience and other field-specific move requirements, including the expansion of the (ii) fields by the Cabinet decision of 9 June 2023; confirm with the date of reference noted) (accessed 2026-11-06)

This article is general information and does not guarantee or judge whether an individual change of status of residence will be granted, whether the move to (ii) will be granted, whether documents are needed, or the outcome of a review. Because the target fields, the test, work experience and the requirements for family accompaniment and their operation may be revised, confirm them against the latest guidance of the Immigration Services Agency and the ministry in charge immediately before applying. The preparation and filing of the change-of-status-of-residence application is for an administrative scrivener qualified to file applications (us); the post-move employment contract, social insurance and working conditions for a labor and social security attorney; income tax and tax treaties for a tax accountant; the final judgment of eligibility for the Immigration Services Agency; and a dispute over a denial for a lawyer — each contracted separately as an independent business. The lease or purchase of housing is handled by Yotsuba Real Estate Co., Ltd., a separate business, and our office receives no referral fee. A specific legal judgment is made, after an interview, by a qualified person such as an administrative scrivener. Written by Joji Uramatsu, administrative scrivener and licensed real estate broker.