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Specified Skilled Worker (i) — Fishery and aquaculture

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What type of worker, employment situation, occupation or professional activity is this pathway actually designed for?

Fishery and aquaculture workers: in fishery, producing and repairing fishing gear, searching for and capturing marine animals and plants, operating fishing gear and machinery, and processing and storing the catch; in aquaculture, producing, repairing and managing aquaculture materials, breed management, and collecting (harvesting) and processing aquaculture animals and plants; both include ensuring health and safety.

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Does the applicant need a job offer, employer, sponsor, transfer relationship or other employer involvement? What is important about that employer relationship?

A job with a Japanese employer is required: the activity must be based on an employment contract with a public or private organisation in Japan designated by the Minister of Justice. The applicant must find an Accepting Organization and pass the company's employment interview to sign the contract; the Accepting Organization prepares some of the application documents, and the worker receives various forms of support from the company.

See recorded sources
  • https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/applications/status/specifiedskilledworker.html?lang=ja
    法務大臣が指定する本邦の公私の機関との雇用に関する契約（入管法第２条の５第１項から第４項までの規定に適合するものに限る。次号において同じ。）に基づいて行う特定産業分野（人材を確保することが困難な状況にあるため外国人により不足する人材の確保を図るべき産業上の分野として法務省令で定めるものをいう。同号において同じ。）であって法務大臣が 指定するものに属する法務省令で定める相当程度の知識又は経験を必要とする技能を要す る業務に従事する活動
  • https://www.ssw.go.jp/en/faq/
    You can apply for the Specified Skilled Worker status of residence if you meet the requirements and find an Accepting Organization. In general, you must apply for the status of residence yourself, but your Accepting Organization will prepare some of the documents for you. Consult with the Accepting Organization.
  • https://www.ssw.go.jp/en/about/sswv/
    In order to sign a contract with a company, you need to take and pass an employment interview.
  • https://www.ssw.go.jp/en/about/visa/
    You receive various forms of support from your company.

What are the few decisive professional characteristics of the pathway: occupation, qualifications, experience, salary, skill level, shortage status, labour-market condition or equivalent?

Skill level is shown by passing the No. 1 Fishing industry skills proficiency Test, plus Japanese at the Japan Foundation Test for Basic Japanese or JLPT N4 or higher; both tests are waived for those who satisfactorily completed Technical Intern Training (ii) in related job categories (any job category for the language test). Pay is the same as for Japanese workers. The field is a designated industrial field where securing human resources is difficult, with an expected intake of 17,000 over the five-year period from April 2024 to March 2029.

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What work does the permission allow? Is the holder tied to an employer, occupation or sector? Can family accompany where clearly established?

Allows work in the jobs of this specified industrial field requiring considerable knowledge or experience, under an employment contract with a designated organisation. Job changes are allowed to another company in the same field; moving to a different field requires passing that field's skills test, and changing the affiliated organisation requires a change-of-status application. Part-time work is not allowed. Family cannot be brought to Japan.

See recorded sources
  • https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/applications/status/specifiedskilledworker.html?lang=ja
    法務大臣が指定する本邦の公私の機関との雇用に関する契約（入管法第２条の５第１項から第４項までの規定に適合するものに限る。次号において同じ。）に基づいて行う特定産業分野（人材を確保することが困難な状況にあるため外国人により不足する人材の確保を図るべき産業上の分野として法務省令で定めるものをいう。同号において同じ。）であって法務大臣が 指定するものに属する法務省令で定める相当程度の知識又は経験を必要とする技能を要す る業務に従事する活動
  • https://www.ssw.go.jp/en/faq/
    Yes, you can change jobs (i.e. quit one company and join another in the same field) with the Specified Skilled Worker status of residence.
  • https://www.ssw.go.jp/en/faq/
    You can change jobs within the same industry. If you want to change jobs in different industries, you must take the skill test for your desired industry.
  • https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/applications/status/specifiedskilledworker.html?lang=ja
    ※ 在留資格「特定技能」の方が所属機関を変更する場合は、在留資格変更許可申請が必要です。
  • https://www.ssw.go.jp/en/faq/
    Am I allowed to work part-time if I have the Specified Skilled Worker status of residence? You are not allowed to work part-time.
  • https://www.ssw.go.jp/en/about/visa/
    You cannot bring your family to Japan.

How long is the permission normally granted for, how is it renewed, and what longer-term residence direction exists if officially stated?

Each grant is for a period individually designated by the Minister of Justice not exceeding 3 years, and total stay in SSW (i) must in principle be within 5 years; stays are extended by a period-of-stay extension application to continue the same activity. Beyond the applicable SSW(i) aggregate limit, continued residence requires qualifying for an approved alternative status; marriage alone does not change residence status. Specified Skilled Worker (ii), which has no upper limit on the length of stay, is listed among the 11 (ii) fields for this field. Transition to SSW(ii) is not automatic: the higher skills must be demonstrated through the applicable examination or other assessment, and prior SSW(i) residence is not itself mandatory.

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Limits of the record
  • The individual conditions and complete field-specific documents for a change to SSW(ii) are not established here.
  • The five-year ceiling is in principle; the exact exceptional over-five-year categories require the separately linked aggregate-period guidance and are not established by these captures.
  • The source establishes the current legally enforced consolidation as of25September2026; it does not date the first historical introduction of these period options or establish all transitional arrangements.
  • https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/applications/status/specifiedskilledworker.html?lang=ja
    法務大臣が個々に指定する期間（３年を超えない範囲）
  • https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/applications/status/specifiedskilledworker.html?lang=ja
    （注２）「特定技能１号」については、「特定技能１号」で在留できる期間が通算で原則５年以内である必要があります。そのため、申請人の通算在留期間によっては、希望する在留期間が付与されない場合があります。
  • https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/applications/status/specifiedskilledworker.html?lang=ja
    既にこの在留資格を持って日本に滞在されている方が、この在留資格の活動を継続して行う場合の申請です。
  • https://www.ssw.go.jp/en/faq/
    With the Specified Skilled Worker residence status, the maximum period of stay in Japan is five years. What should I do if I want to continue to stay in Japan after five years have elapsed? Unless you marry a Japanese national or change your status of residence by satisfying the criteria for another status, you will generally be required return to your country.
  • ISA Japanese SSW FAQ Q28 — complete question and answer
    Ｑ28 特定技能外国人に付与される在留期間はどれくらいになりますか。 １号特定技能外国人については、３年を超えない範囲内で法務大臣が個々の外国人について指定する期間が、２号特定技能外国人については、３年、２年、１年又は６月の在留期間が付与され、引き続き同じ活動を行うために日本での在留を希望する場合には、付与された在留期間が満了する前に、在留期間更新許可申請を行ってください。 　また、１号特定技能外国人については、特定技能１号としての在留期間の上限があり、原則通算して５年を超えることはできません（２号特定技能外国人については、そのような上限はありません。）。通算在留期間の５年を超えて在留できる場合については、 通算在留期間 のページ を御確認ください。
  • ISA Japanese SSW FAQ Q12 — complete question and answer
    Ｑ12 「特定技能２号」はどのような在留資格ですか。「特定技能１号」を経れば自動的に「特定技能２号」に移行できますか。 「特定技能２号」は、熟練した技能を持つ外国人向けの在留資格であり、「特定技能１号」より高い技能を持つことが必要です。このような技能水準を持っていることは試験等によって確認されます。よって、「特定技能１号」を経れば自動的に「特定技能２号」に移行できるわけではありません。他方で、高い技能を持っており、試験等によりそれが確認されれば、「特定技能１号」を経なくても「特定技能２号」の在留資格を取得することができます。
  • https://laws.e-gov.go.jp/api/2/law_data/356M50000010054 (Appendix2, Specified Skilled Worker row; CurrentEnforced revision20260901)
    特定技能 一　法別表第一の二の表の特定技能の項の下欄第一号に掲げる活動を行う者にあつては、三年を超えない範囲内で法務大臣が個々の外国人について指定する期間 二　法別表第一の二の表の特定技能の項の下欄第二号に掲げる活動を行う者にあつては、三年、二年、一年又は六月
  • https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/policies/ssw/faq.html?lang=ja Q28
    Ｑ28 特定技能外国人に付与される在留期間はどれくらいになりますか。
  • https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/applications/status/specifiedskilledworker.html?lang=ja SSW(ii) application field list
    ビルクリーニング 工業製品製造業 ※機械金属加工、電気電子機器組立て、金属表面処理の業務区分のみが特定技能２号の対象 建設 造船・舶用工業 自動車整備 航空 宿泊 農業 漁業 飲食料品製造業 外食業

These are the answers currently recorded in the catalogue. A missing or partial answer is not an eligibility decision.

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