How long is the permission normally granted for, how is it renewed, and what longer-term residence direction exists if officially stated?
Each SSW(i) grant is for a period designated individually by the Minister of Justice not exceeding 3 years; to continue the same activity, an extension application must be filed before the period expires, and total SSW(i) stay is capped, in principle, at 5 years. For permanent residence, one requirement is 10 or more years of continuous residence including 5 or more years with a work or residence status; time in SSW(i) or Technical Intern Training does not count, so changing to Permanent Resident is difficult, whereas time in SSW(ii) counts. SSW(ii), for workers with proficient skills higher than SSW(i) confirmed by tests and with no stay cap, does not follow automatically from SSW(i); it covers 11 of the 16 SSW(i) fields, excluding nursing care, automobile transportation business, railway, forestry and wood industry.
See recorded sources