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Employment for Skill Development starts on 1 April 2027 and replaces Technical Intern Training

Published 15 October 2026 · Last checked 24 October 2026

Work statuses

The new status of residence is created and the Technical Intern Training status is abolished on 1 April 2027. The agency’s Q&A sets the plan length, Japanese entry level, employer changes and transition for current trainees.

This post is available in English and Korean. Other languages show the English text.

What changes

The Employment for Skill Development (育成就労, ikusei shuro) system starts operating on 1 April 2027, the same date on which the amended Specified Skilled Worker rules take effect. The Technical Intern Training status of residence is abolished and a new status for employment for skill development is created in its place. The system aims to train workers through three years of work to the skill level of Specified Skilled Worker (i) while securing labor in the designated sectors.

Sector policies cover 19 sectors for Specified Skilled Worker and 17 for the new system. Road transport and aviation are Specified Skilled Worker only.

How it works

• Unlike technical intern training, there are no stage classes 1 to 3: one plan covering a total of three years is prepared from the start and accredited by the organization.
• Before starting work, a worker must either pass an A1-level Japanese test or complete at least 100 hours of an A1 course at a certified Japanese-language institution.
• A worker who fails the Specified Skilled Worker (i) exam can stay up to one more year to retake it.
• Fees a worker pays to a sending organization are capped at two months of the base monthly salary paid by the Japanese employer.

Changing employers

Unlike technical intern training, a worker may change employers of their own will under set conditions, after a restriction period. The period is aimed at one year but is, for now, set between one and two years by sector: eight of the 17 fields set two years and the other nine set one year. The worker must have reached the skill and Japanese levels set for the field. Transfers for unavoidable reasons such as violence or harassment remain allowed.

Current trainees and the run-up

• Trainees who entered Japan before 1 April 2027 and are still training on that date may continue under the old program rules. They cannot switch to the new employment status.
• Pre-enforcement applications opened on 15 April 2026 for supervising support organization permits and on 1 September 2026 for training plan approvals, both handled by the Organization for Technical Intern Training.
• Employers must join the sector council for their sector before applying for plan approval, and must meet the additional standards set by the ministry in charge of that sector.
• Short intra-company training of overseas staff moves to a new Intra-company Transferee No. 2 status, limited to one year in total. The host organization must have at least 20 regular staff.

What to check

Check the agency’s overview and Q&A for the field and category you are in, and the sector policy for the transfer restriction period and the required Japanese level.

Sources

• ISA: Overview of the Employment for Skill Development system ↗ moj.go.jp
• ISA: Employment for Skill Development Q&A ↗ moj.go.jp
• ISA: Outline of the amending act ↗ moj.go.jp
• ISA: Pre-enforcement applications ↗ moj.go.jp
• ISA: Main points of the sector operation policies ↗ moj.go.jp
• ISA: Related ministerial ordinances (outline) ↗ moj.go.jp
• ISA: Date the amending act takes effect ↗ moj.go.jp

Last checked 24 October 2026

Related rules

Status pages

Pekerja Terampil Khusus (i)Pindah Tugas Antar Kantor (Intra-company Transferee)

Hanya informasi. Bukan nasihat hukum dan bukan layanan resmi. Periksa sumber resmi dan konsultasikan dengan Badan Layanan Imigrasi atau administrative scrivener berlisensi (行政書士) sebelum memutuskan.