Japan Skilled Worker Visa for Indians: SSW and Highly Skilled Professional

Dr. Jayanthy Ramakrishnan

06/11/2026

10 min read

Japan has two very different visas that Indians search for as a “skilled worker visa”. The Specified Skilled Worker (SSW) visa is for hands-on jobs in sectors short of workers, such as nursing care, construction and manufacturing. You qualify by passing a skills test and a Japanese test, not with a degree. The Highly Skilled Professional visa is a points-based status for researchers, engineers, specialists and managers, and with enough points it can lead to permanent residence after one year.

This guide is for Indians who want to work in Japan without studying there first. It covers both visas, the agreement India and Japan signed on SSW, which tests you can take in India, and what changes in 2027. Every figure comes from the Immigration Services Agency of Japan (ISA), the Japan Foundation or the official SSW portal, and we read each one on 5 November 2026. Several ISA sources are in Japanese, and we link to the original each time.

What is the Specified Skilled Worker visa?

Specified Skilled Worker (tokutei ginou) is a status of residence for foreign workers with set skills and Japanese levels in designated sectors. It has two levels. The ISA’s overview of the system for foreign workers (Japanese, updated 29 September 2026) sets them out like this:

The sixth year of SSW (i) applies to some people who failed the SSW (ii) test and meet certain conditions, according to an ISA notice (Japanese). The official SSW portal puts the difference simply: on SSW (i) “you cannot bring your family”, and on SSW (ii) “there is no upper limit to the length you can stay in Japan”.

Which jobs does the SSW visa cover?

The same ISA overview lists 19 sectors for SSW (i), of which 11 also have SSW (ii). Three sectors were added in January 2026, and two of those will open only “when preparations are ready”.

Each sector has its own cap. Across all sectors, the government allows up to 805,700 SSW (i) workers until the end of March 2029. Food service is close to its cap. An ISA notice (Japanese, posted 19 October 2026) says that applications for a Certificate of Eligibility in food service received on or after 13 April 2026 will in principle not be granted. People already in Japan can still renew or change status under the conditions on that page. If you are planning to come from India, choose another sector for now.

What did India and Japan agree on SSW?

India and Japan signed a Memorandum of Cooperation on Specified Skilled Workers in New Delhi on 18 January 2021. Its stated aim is to ensure the “smooth and proper sending and accepting” of specified skilled workers, “in particular the elimination of malicious intermediary organizations”. It runs for ten years and renews automatically. India is one of 17 countries on the ISA’s list of memorandum partners (Japanese).

The practical point for a job seeker: SSW eligibility comes from passing the tests and getting an offer from a Japanese employer, not from an agent. Be wary of anyone in India who asks for a large payment to “guarantee” a job in Japan.

Which tests do you need for SSW, and can you take them in India?

For SSW (i) you need two passes: a Japanese test and a skills test for your sector.

Japanese. The ISA overview accepts the Japan Foundation Test for Basic Japanese (JFT-Basic) or the JLPT at N4 or above. The Japan Foundation’s JFT-Basic page says the test is taken on computer and, since August 2026, reports three levels: A1 (145–174), A2.1 (175–199) and A2.2, or A2 (200–250). SSW needs A2.2. The Japan Foundation’s August–September 2026 report lists India among the test countries, with sittings in Gurugram, Bengaluru and Guwahati. The JLPT is held in eight Indian cities each year; our JLPT guide for India lists them, and our JLPT dates page has the next sittings.

Skills. The SSW portal’s test schedule lists India as a test country for these sectors:

• Nursing care
• Building cleaning
• Industrial product manufacturing
• Construction
• Accommodation
• Automobile transport
• Agriculture

Tests for other sectors, such as automobile repair, food and beverage manufacturing and railway, were not scheduled in India when we checked. Dates and centres change, so check the portal before you plan. Test fees are set by country and the test body; we could not find an official fee for India, so ask the test provider directly.

How many Indians work in Japan on SSW?

Few so far. ISA statistics for the end of June 2026 (preliminary) count 444,256 SSW holders in Japan: 425,961 on SSW (i) and 18,295 on SSW (ii). The ISA’s SSW (i) table by nationality and sector counts 987 Indians, and its SSW (ii) table counts 14. More than half of the Indians on SSW (i), 564, work in nursing care, followed by automobile repair (89) and accommodation (70). By comparison, Vietnam has 163,154 SSW (i) workers.

Interest is growing. The Japan Foundation’s JFT-Basic figures by country show 71 Indian test takers in the 2021 financial year and 2,687 in 2024.

What pay and conditions does SSW guarantee?

The ISA overview sets several rules that protect SSW workers:

• Equal pay. Pay must be at least what a Japanese worker would receive for the same job, and employers may not treat you differently on pay or conditions because you are foreign. The SSW portal says “you receive the same salary as Japanese workers”.
• Direct employment. You are employed by the company you work for. Dispatch through a staffing agency is allowed only in agriculture and fishery.
• A support plan. For SSW (i), the employer must support you, including a life orientation when you arrive, and may contract this out to a registered support organisation.
• Age. You must be 18 or older.

Pay itself varies by sector and region, and ISA does not publish an SSW salary figure. Compare written offers against the minimum wage for the prefecture where you will work.

What is the Highly Skilled Professional visa?

The Highly Skilled Professional (HSP) status is for people Japan treats as highly skilled, scored on a points table. The ISA’s HSP system page (Japanese) defines three types of HSP (i):

• (i)(a) Advanced academic research: research, research guidance or teaching.
• (i)(b) Advanced specialised or technical work: work that needs knowledge or skills in the natural sciences or humanities. It is the largest group: 23,108 of the 32,953 HSP holders at the end of 2025, according to the ISA’s foreign resident statistics (Japanese).
• (i)(c) Advanced business management: running or managing a business.

You qualify when your points reach 70. The ISA’s points calculation table awards points for academic background, professional experience, annual salary, age and research, plus bonus points, for example for Japanese ability or a Japanese degree. Types (i)(b) and (i)(c) also need an annual salary of at least ¥3 million. The ISA’s Japanese points table gives 15 points for JLPT N1 and 10 for N2.

The ISA’s page on HSP benefits (Japanese) lists what the status gives you:

• A five-year period of stay, the longest the law allows, for every HSP (i) holder.
• Permission to do more than one kind of work.
• Permission for your spouse to work.
• In some cases, permission to bring a parent (with a household income of ¥8 million or more and a child under seven) or a domestic worker (with a household income of ¥10 million or more).
• Faster processing: ISA aims to finish pre-entry screening in about 10 days and residence screening in about 5 days.

After three years on HSP (i), you can move to HSP (ii), which has no limit on the period of stay (ISA, Japanese).

How fast can a Highly Skilled Professional get permanent residence?

Much faster than the usual route. The ISA’s permanent residence guidelines (Japanese, revised 1 October 2026) allow an application after three years of continuous residence with 70 points or more, or after one year with 80 points or more, as long as you keep the points.

A top tier, the Special Highly Skilled Professional (J-Skip), started in April 2023. According to the ISA’s J-Skip page (Japanese), it skips the points table for researchers and engineers with a master’s degree or higher, or 10 years’ experience, and an annual salary of ¥20 million or more. For business managers it needs five years’ management experience and ¥40 million or more. J-Skip holders can also apply for permanent residence after one year.

What changes for skilled workers in 2027?

• A new training route. Employment for Skill Development (ikusei shuro) replaces the Technical Intern Training Program from 1 April 2027, according to the ISA (Japanese).
• Japanese for SSW (ii). The B1 Japanese requirement for SSW (ii) is due to take effect on 1 April 2027.
• Permanent residence. The revised guidelines add Japanese ability and household income to the assessment for applications from 1 April 2027. Highly skilled professionals and their families are exempt from the Japanese element.

Which Japan work route fits your profile?

• You have a trade or care skill, but no degree is needed for the job: SSW (i). Start Japanese now, aim for JFT-Basic A2 or JLPT N4, and pick a sector with a skills test in India.
• You already work in a sector with SSW (ii): plan for the higher test and B1 Japanese if you want to stay long term and bring your family.
• You have a degree and a professional job offer: most graduates use the Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services visa, and you may also score 70 points for HSP. Work out your points before you apply.
• You are a senior researcher, engineer or manager with a high salary: check whether you meet J-Skip.

Whichever route you choose, Japanese matters: it is a test requirement for SSW and earns points for HSP. For the wider job market, see our guide to jobs in Japan and our look at Japan’s workforce shortage.

If you would rather start with a degree in Japan and move into work after it, talk to our admissions team about universities and scholarships, or explore our Study in Japan hub.