“Visa” and “Status of Residence”
As a general rule, foreign national who intend to entry into Japan must acquire a “visa” at the embassy of Japan (an organization of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the headquarters for Japanese Government representatives serving) in a foreign country, but this does not mean that you are guaranteed entry into Japan if obtaining a visa. When you arrive in Japan, you need to undergo the necessary examination by the Immigration Services Agency of Japan at the airport and aquire a “Status of Residence” according to the activity you are trying to conduct in Japan. In light of this, acquisition of “visa” and “Status of Residence” are separate procedures that fall under the jurisdiction of different organizations. The SSW introduced on this page is a type of newly established “Status of Residence”.The SSW has two types, “Specified Skilled Worker” – (i) and (ii) .
Features of SSW
Those who can work in Japan as a SSW must be over 18 years old in a good health, have the necessary occupational skills to work immediately without receiving any particular training.
There is another program called “”Technical Intern Training””, which aims toward providing international contributions by having workers share skills and knowledge that they acquired through on-the-job training in Japan throughout their home country after returning. Those who have satisfactory completed Technical Intern Training are able to switch their status of residence to SSW（ⅰ） in the same field without taking occupational skill exams and Japanese proficiency tests.Refer to the following chart for the main differences between SSW（ⅰ）and （ⅱ）.
Support System for SSWs
One of the major features of “SSW（ⅰ）” is the existence of a generous support system by the Japanese organization. It let a SSW（ⅰ） work with confidence and no worries. The support that the employer could provide is the following:
1. Before coming to Japan, you will receive an advance guidance on living in Japan in a language that you can understand.
2. Transportaion from/to the airport will be arranged on your arrival/departure.
3. Help you to rent a house, open a bank account, sign contracts for a mobile phone and lifeline(electricity and gas,etc.) in Japan.
4. So that you can live comfortably in Japan, there will be an orientation session on the rules and manners of Japanese society, how to use transportation, and how to respond in the event of an earthquake or other disasters.
5. Accompany you to the city hall where you live, as well as help you with paperworks such as resident registration, tax payment, etc.
6. Support for further Japanese language study will be provided.
7. When you have any problems, you can receive consultations and advice in either your native language or English anytime.
8. Opportunities will be created to interact with Japanese people, to help you quickly become familiar with Japanese society.
9. Support for finding/switching a job if you are laid off or have to quit due to company circumstance.
10. Regular Meetings to discuss various matters between you and the manager in charge of SSW support in the company.
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