Japan needs workers. Factories, building sites, care homes, hotels, farms and airports across the country report staff shortages that grow worse as the population ages, and the government has opened several legal routes for people from abroad to fill them. Yet many hopeful applicants lose months, or money, because they start in the wrong place: searching for a single “Japan work visa” form or paying an agent who promises a quick placement.
Your path into Japanese work depends on the kind of job, your education, your Japanese ability, your nationality and, above all, an employer willing to take responsibility for you. This guide explains each main route, which jobs fit which route, how the paperwork moves, what Japanese employers expect in a resume and interview, how pay and insurance work after arrival, and how to avoid the brokers who prey on people chasing a job in Japan.
Why the Employer Opens the Door in Japan
Japan does not issue one general permit that lets a foreigner arrive and then look for any kind of work. The system is built around residence statuses, and each status covers a specific activity, such as engineering, nursing care, study or skilled work in a named industry. You may only do the work your status covers. For almost every working status, a company in Japan acts as your sponsor, signs your contract and proves the job is real. Find a genuine employer first, and the residence status follows from the job.
From Job Offer to Residence Card: The Three-Stage Paper Trail
- Certificate of Eligibility (COE). After you accept an offer, the employer or its representative applies to a regional immigration office in Japan, which checks your qualifications, the contract and the company. This commonly takes one to three months.
- Visa at the embassy or consulate. The COE is sent to you, and you submit it with your passport to the Japanese embassy or consulate in your country. With a valid COE, this step is usually quick.
- Residence card on arrival. At a major airport, immigration staff issue your residence card, known as the zairyu card. Within fourteen days of finding a home, you register your address at the local city or ward office.
Matching Your Situation to a Residence Status
The table shows typical routes into common work and rough monthly earnings before tax and insurance. Big cities usually pay more, and overtime and allowances change the final figure.
| Job Type | Usual Status Route | Typical Monthly Pay (Yen) |
|---|---|---|
| Factory and food manufacturing | SSW (i), technical intern | About ¥180,000 to ¥250,000 |
| Construction | SSW (i) or (ii) | About ¥200,000 to ¥300,000 |
| Restaurant and food service | SSW (i), students part-time | About ¥170,000 to ¥240,000 |
| Nursing care worker | SSW (i), EPA, Care Worker status | About ¥180,000 to ¥260,000 |
| Hotel and building cleaning | SSW (i) | About ¥170,000 to ¥240,000 |
| Agriculture | SSW (i), technical intern | About ¥160,000 to ¥220,000 |
| Airport ground handling | SSW (i) aviation field | About ¥180,000 to ¥260,000 |
| English teaching (ALT) | Instructor or Humanities status | About ¥200,000 to ¥300,000 |
| IT and office roles | Engineer/Humanities/Intl. Services | About ¥250,000 to ¥450,000 or more |
| Student part-time work | Student status plus permission | About ¥90,000 to ¥140,000 |
The yen figures above are broad estimates for general guidance, and real offers can be higher or lower depending on the prefecture, employer, shift pattern and your experience. This page shares career information only. It is not a job advertisement, it does not recruit or place workers, and it is not an immigration or visa service. Before making any decision, check the current rules with the Immigration Services Agency of Japan and confirm every detail of the offer directly with the employer.
The Specified Skilled Worker Route Explained
The Specified Skilled Worker system, called Tokutei Ginou in Japanese and shortened to SSW, launched in 2019 and is now the main door for hands-on jobs that need no university degree.
Which Industries Are Covered
In 2024 the government widened the list from 12 to 16 fields, adding road transportation, railway, forestry and timber to areas such as nursing care, building cleaning, manufacturing, construction, shipbuilding, auto repair, aviation, accommodation, agriculture, fisheries, food manufacturing and food service. Three more fields, logistics warehousing, resource recycling and linen supply, were later approved and are expected to open from around 2027 once their tests are ready. Check the latest list before you prepare.
Tests You Must Pass
SSW (i) applicants generally need a skills test for their field plus a Japanese test, usually the Japan Foundation Test for Basic Japanese (JFT-Basic) or the Japanese-Language Proficiency Test at N4 or above. Nursing care adds a care Japanese test. Many tests are held in Asian countries as well as in Japan, and people who properly completed related Technical Intern Training (ii) may be exempt.
Type (i) Versus Type (ii)
SSW (i) allows a total stay of up to five years, and family generally cannot join you. SSW (ii) is for supervisor-level skills, can be renewed without a fixed limit and allows a spouse and children to live with you, making it a long-term path.
Support Organizations
Employers of SSW (i) workers must provide support such as airport pickup, housing help, orientation and Japanese study. Many hand this to a registered support organization approved by immigration authorities. Ask for its registration details, and remember that support costs belong to the employer, not your wages.
Technical Intern Training and the System Replacing It
For three decades, the Technical Intern Training Program brought young workers, mainly from Asia, into farms, factories and building sites under the label of skills transfer. It has faced heavy criticism over low pay, harassment and the inability of interns to change employers.
The government has decided to replace it with a new system called Ikusei Shuro, translated as Employment for Skill Development. It is currently expected to start around April 2027, though details could still shift. The plan is to train workers over about three years toward SSW (i) level, allow job changes within the same field under conditions, and tighten control of brokers and fees. If offered an intern place now, ask how your contract will be handled during the transition.
Routes for Graduates, Teachers and Office Staff
Degree holders, and sometimes people with long professional experience, often qualify for the Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services status. It covers software, engineering, accounting, marketing, translation and many office roles, but the job must use your degree or expertise. It does not allow simple manual work.
English teaching is a popular entry point. Assistant language teachers, or ALTs, support Japanese teachers in public schools and are hired through a government exchange program or private dispatch firms. A bachelor’s degree in any subject is normally required.
Students and Working Holiday Makers
International students cannot work until they obtain permission to engage in activity other than that permitted, often granted at the airport on arrival. With it, students may usually work up to 28 hours a week during term and up to 40 hours a week during official long holidays. Adult entertainment businesses are off limits, and breaking the hour limit can block your renewal.
Young people from countries with a working holiday agreement with Japan can usually stay up to a year and take jobs to fund travel. Age limits are often 18 to 30, but rules differ by nationality, so check with the Japanese embassy in your country.
Applying Sector by Sector
Factory, Construction and Restaurant Jobs
Pass your skills and language tests first, then apply to employers directly or through a licensed agency in your country. Construction employers must register foreign workers in an industry system and meet extra pay conditions. Restaurant applicants should expect questions about hygiene and shift flexibility.
Nursing Care
Care has the most routes: SSW (i) nursing care, the Economic Partnership Agreement programs Japan runs with Indonesia, the Philippines and Vietnam, or the Care Worker status after earning the national certified care worker qualification. EPA candidates are matched with facilities through government channels, and selection is competitive.
Hotels, Cleaning and Agriculture
Hotels hire front desk, housekeeping and restaurant staff under the accommodation field, and cleaning firms serve offices and hospitals. Agriculture is one of the few fields where dispatch employment is allowed, so ask who your actual employer is before signing.
Airport Ground Handling
The SSW aviation field covers baggage loading, aircraft guidance and cabin cleaning, plus aircraft maintenance. Expect security screening, strict punctuality and early or late shifts.
IT and Office Work
Tech roles in Tokyo and Osaka increasingly hire in English. Prepare a portfolio, use recruiters who charge employers rather than candidates, and expect technical tests. Non-tech office jobs usually need business Japanese, often JLPT N2 or higher.
Searching From Inside Japan: Hello Work and Job Boards
Once you hold a status that allows work, Hello Work, the free public employment service, is worth using. Its offices list thousands of jobs, and larger cities run service corners for foreign residents with interpreters. University career centers and job fairs for foreign residents are other good sources.
Rirekisho and Shokumu Keirekisho: Japanese-Style Paperwork
Japanese employers expect a format very different from the free-style, achievement-focused resume common in the United States. The rirekisho is a standardized form listing your details, education and work history in date order, licenses, and reasons for applying, with a recent passport-style photo on a plain background. Typed versions are now widely accepted.
Experienced candidates add a shokumu keirekisho, which describes past duties, projects, tools and results in detail. Keep both documents consistent and ask a Japanese speaker to check them.
Interview Manners That Japanese Employers Notice
Arrive five to ten minutes early in a dark, plain suit. Knock, wait to be invited to sit, and bow when greeting and leaving. Sit upright, avoid criticizing past employers, and show respect for teamwork and rules. Prepare sincere answers on why you chose Japan, how long you plan to stay and how you study the language.
Minimum Wage, Social Insurance, My Number and Tax
Japan sets minimum wages by prefecture. For fiscal 2025 the national weighted average reached ¥1,121 per hour, with new rates taking effect on different dates from October 2025. A further fiscal 2026 increase began rolling out from October 2026, with Tokyo at around ¥1,280 and the lowest prefectures a little above ¥1,080, though some regions apply new rates later. SSW rules also require pay at least equal to that of a Japanese worker doing the same job.
Most full-time workers join health insurance, the employees’ pension, employment insurance and accident insurance, with premiums shared with the employer. Your city office issues a My Number, a 12-digit ID used for tax and social security, and you can apply for a My Number card. Income tax is withheld monthly, and resident tax generally starts in your second year.
Broker Fees, Confiscated Passports and Other Warning Signs
Many migrant workers reach Japan owing heavy debts to brokers at home, and reports on the intern system have described workers who felt unable to leave abusive jobs because of that debt. Protect yourself:
- Use only licensed agencies, and check their license with the labor ministry in your own country.
- Refuse anyone demanding large upfront fees, deposits or penalties for quitting early.
- Never let an employer keep your passport or residence card. Withholding them is illegal in Japan.
- Insist on a written contract in a language you understand showing pay, hours, deductions and housing costs.
- Distrust guaranteed visas, jobs with no tests, and offers made only through messaging apps.
If problems arise in Japan, a labor standards inspection office or a support center for foreign residents can help with unpaid wages and unsafe workplaces.
Putting Your Japan Plan Into Motion
Getting hired in Japan rewards patience. Pick the route that fits your background, start learning Japanese early, prepare a clean rirekisho, practice formal manners, and deal only with real employers and licensed agencies. Done this way, a first contract can grow into skilled work, a family visa and a long career.
Questions Job Seekers Ask About Working in Japan
Do I need to speak Japanese to get hired?
For most SSW jobs, yes, at least at the level shown by JFT-Basic or JLPT N4. English teaching and some IT roles can be done without it, but daily life and promotion are much easier once you learn.
Can I change employers after I arrive?
SSW workers can usually move to another employer within the same field by following immigration procedures. Technical interns generally cannot, which is one reason the new skill development system is planned.
How long does the whole hiring process take?
From passing tests to arrival often takes three to six months, depending on how quickly the employer prepares documents and how long the Certificate of Eligibility review lasts.
