Guide for Vietnamese Workers: Japan's Specified Skilled Worker Visa Explained

Vietnamese Workers Now Lead This Entire System

When Japan launched the Specified Skilled Worker visa, known in Japanese as Tokutei Ginou, in 2019, much of Asia treated it sceptically as a rebranded technical trainee scheme. Seven years on, that scepticism looks badly misplaced.

Over 270,000 workers now hold this visa in Japan, and Vietnamese workers are the single largest nationality in the system, followed by Indonesia, the Philippines and Myanmar. It is the fastest growing labour visa system Japan has seen since the 1990s, and it continues to expand.

That scale brings a practical benefit and a practical challenge. The Vietnamese community in Japanese cities is now large and well established, making support genuinely easy to find. But it also means growing competition between Vietnamese applicants as the system matures.

No Degree Required: Why This Visa Is Different

The single most important feature of the SSW visa is what it does not ask for. Unlike Japan's Engineer, Specialist in Humanities visa, which generally requires a bachelor's degree, the SSW route asks for demonstrated industry skills and basic Japanese ability instead.

Applicants must be over 18, in good health, and possess the occupational skills to work immediately without requiring additional training. That's the entire eligibility philosophy: can you do the job from day one, and can you communicate at a basic working level.

The Two Tests You Must Pass

Every SSW Type 1 applicant needs to clear two separate hurdles.

A sector specific Skills Evaluation Examination, covering the industry you intend to work in, whether that's construction, caregiving, food service, manufacturing, agriculture or another eligible sector.

A Japanese language test, either the Japan Foundation Test for Basic Japanese, known as JFT-Basic, or the Japanese Language Proficiency Test at N4 level or above. This is a basic conversational level rather than fluency.

Which language test should you choose? JFT-Basic is slightly easier, held more frequently, and results come back faster. JLPT N4 is harder but more widely recognised if you later plan to switch visa categories or pursue Japanese long term. If your goal is simply to qualify for SSW Type 1 quickly, JFT-Basic is generally the better choice.

A significant shortcut for former trainees: Vietnamese workers who completed Japan's Technical Intern Training programme can transition to SSW without retaking either the skills test or the language examination. Former technical interns represent a substantial portion of all SSW applicants for exactly this reason.

Type 1 vs Type 2: The Distinction That Shapes Your Future

This is where long term planning genuinely matters, and where many workers underestimate the difference.

SSW Type 1 allows a maximum of five years total, granted in increments of one year. It does not permit bringing family members, and it does not count toward permanent residency qualification.

SSW Type 2 is a different proposition entirely. It's renewable indefinitely in periods of up to three years, family members are permitted, and it puts you on the standard path toward long term and eventually permanent residency. Type 2 is currently available in selected sectors including construction, shipbuilding and food service.

The financial difference is substantial. Workers who transition from Type 1 to Type 2 see lifetime earnings nearly double.

The Realistic Path to Permanent Residency

Be clear eyed about this timeline, since it's frequently misrepresented. Under Japanese law, permanent residency requires holding SSW Type 2 for five years, total time in Japan of at least ten years, and meeting tax, insurance and clean record requirements.

In practical terms, that means roughly 10 to 12 years from SSW Type 1 entry to permanent residency. Neither SSW Type 1 nor the Technical Intern Training programme counts toward the five year qualifying subset for PR, which is precisely why transitioning to Type 2, or to a higher skilled category, is essential for anyone with long term intentions.

Your Rights as an SSW Worker

Worth knowing clearly, since this is where informal arrangements and exploitative brokers often mislead workers. SSW holders have nearly the same legal rights as Japanese employees in the same role. Wages must meet or exceed the regional minimum wage, which in Tokyo stands at ¥1,226 per hour in 2026, and workers receive full health insurance, pension and unemployment coverage.

Japan also remains the most attractive salary destination for Vietnamese blue collar workers, delivering significantly higher absolute take home pay in yen than Taiwan, Korea or Malaysia.

An honest note alongside that: working conditions in some sectors are heavier than recruitment marketing suggests. Going in with realistic expectations about the physical demands of construction, caregiving or agricultural work matters as much as understanding the paperwork.

SSW Type 1 vs Type 2 at a Glance

Step by Step: How to Apply from Vietnam

1. Choose your sector carefully, since this determines which skills test you take and whether a Type 2 transition will be available to you later.
2. Register for and pass your sector specific Skills Evaluation Examination.
3. Take your Japanese language test, either JFT-Basic or JLPT N4, budgeting realistically for scheduling and results.
4. Secure a Japanese employer, who then files your Certificate of Eligibility, known as the COE, which typically takes one to three months.
5. Apply for your visa at the Japanese embassy or consulate once the COE is issued.
6. Plan your Type 2 transition from the start, particularly if permanent residency or bringing family is part of your long term goal.

Vietnamese candidates still working toward JFT-Basic or JLPT N4 and their sector skills test should budget an additional three to six months for scheduling and results, on top of the COE processing time.

Before You Commit

• Confirmed your chosen sector offers a Type 2 pathway, if long term residency matters to you
• Decided between JFT-Basic and JLPT N4 based on your timeline and future plans
• Checked whether prior Technical Intern Training experience exempts you from retaking tests
• Verified your employer through licensed channels rather than informal brokers
• Understood that SSW Type 1 time does not count toward permanent residency
• Set realistic expectations about working conditions in your chosen sector
• Confirmed the regional minimum wage where you'll be working, since this varies across Japan

Why This Route Deserves Serious Consideration

For Vietnamese workers without a university degree, the SSW visa is arguably the most accessible legal pathway into a developed, high wage East Asian economy available today. The requirements are genuine but achievable, the legal protections are real, and the earnings gap compared to regional alternatives is significant.

The two conditions that determine whether it works well: going through licensed channels rather than informal brokers, and being realistic about both the language requirements and the physical demands of the work itself.