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Specified Skilled Worker (i) — Railway

JapanWork

Explore the five recorded questions, answers and sources for this pathway.

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

Track construction and maintenance, electric facilities construction and maintenance, rolling stock maintenance and overhaul, rolling stock manufacturing, and train operation work.

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Limits of the record
  • Condition: the activity is limited to the authorised job category; the common rules on the employment contract and on changing employer also apply.

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

A contract of employment with a public or private organisation in Japan designated by the Minister of Justice is required for the authorised SSW activities. After passing the required tests, the applicant can sign a contract with a company and submit a status of residence application to the Immigration Services Agency.

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Limits of the record
  • Condition: sector-specific exceptions apply, notably the additional Japanese-language evaluation in nursing care and the N3 level in transport.
  • Statement not used as evidence (its source page could not be captured): the accepting employer or a registered support organisation must provide the support foreseen for SSW(i).

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

Skills are shown by the Railway Field Specified Skilled Worker (i) Test for the relevant category, with skill-exam alternatives for rolling stock manufacturing in the specialities listed by the source. Japanese: JFT-Basic or JLPT N4 or higher for the four railway technical categories, and JLPT N3 or higher for train operation, including drivers and conductors. Applicants who satisfactorily completed Technical Intern Training (ii) in related job categories do not need to pass the tests. Remuneration must be equal to or higher than that of Japanese nationals performing equivalent work, and Specified Skilled Workers must be 18 years of age or older.

See recorded sources
Limits of the record
  • Condition: the pay requirement is a comparison with Japanese workers; the source does not state a fixed national minimum amount in yen.
  • Condition: sector-specific exceptions apply, notably the additional Japanese-language evaluation in nursing care and the N3 level in transport.
  • Unresolved: the grades required in the alternative certifications for rolling stock manufacturing were not found.
  • Not found: the grades required in the alternative skill exams for rolling stock manufacturing (machining, finishing, electronic/electric assembly and painting).
  • Not found: in the sector pages consulted, the full matrix of exemptions by Technical Intern Training for forestry, wood industry, road transport and railway; it is not presumed that all can be exempted, nor that no exemptions exist.

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

The permission allows track construction and maintenance, electric facilities construction and maintenance, rolling stock maintenance and overhaul, rolling stock manufacturing, and train operation work. Changing the SSW employer requires an application for permission to change status of residence, and work remains limited to the authorised job category and skills; part-time work is not allowed. Family members of SSW(i) holders are not allowed to accompany them, but may exceptionally be granted Designated Activities status on humanitarian grounds.

See recorded sources
Limits of the record
  • Condition: work remains limited to the authorised job category and skills.
  • Condition: examples given are a child born in Japan to SSW(i) holders, and a spouse or child already in Dependent status when the holder changes from Student to SSW(i).
  • Condition: the activity is limited to the authorised job category; the common rules on the employment contract and on changing employer also apply.
  • Statement not used as evidence (its source page could not be captured; the FAQ statement quoted in this answer supports the same point): SSW(i) does not, in principle, allow family members to accompany the holder under the status itself.
  • Statement not used as evidence (its source page could not be captured): the accepting employer or a registered support organisation must provide the support foreseen for SSW(i).

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

SSW(i): in principle a cumulative limit of five years in total; it is not five years for each grant. The current Immigration Control Enforcement Regulations state that the period granted to an SSW(i) holder is designated individually by the Minister of Justice, within a range not exceeding three years. Renewal must be applied for before the granted period expires, in order to continue the same activity. Permanent residence: one of the requirements is ten years of continuous residence, including at least five continuous years with a work or residence status (excluding technical intern training and SSW(i)); time as SSW(i) does not count towards those five years, time as SSW(ii) does. The SSW(ii) list consulted (11 fields) does not include nursing care, road transport, railway, forestry or the wood industry. Progression to SSW(ii) is not presumed in those same fields.

See recorded sources
Limits of the record
  • Exception: the note refers to specific rules on stay beyond the limit; it is not treated as an absolute limit without exceptions.
  • 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.
  • Nota 2 após a tabela de estatutos
    通算で原則５年以内
  • Tabela: 特定技能１号, coluna 在留期間
    ３年を超えない範囲
  • 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。
  • ISA Japanese SSW FAQ Q10 — complete question and answer
    Ｑ10 「特定技能」の在留資格から、永住許可は認められますか。 永住許可を受ける要件のひとつとして、「引き続き１０年以上本邦に在留していること。ただし、この期間のうち、就労資格（在留資格「技能実習」及び「特定技能１号」を除く。）又は居住資格をもって引き続き５年以上在留していることを要する。」と定められているところ、要件にあるとおり「特定技能１号」や「技能実習」の在留資格で日本にいる期間は就労資格として在留している期間に含まれないほか、「特定技能１号」の在留資格で日本に在留できる期間は最長５年であるため、「永住者」の在留資格へ変更することは難しいです。 　一方、「特定技能２号」の在留資格で日本にいる期間は就労資格として在留している期間に含まれるため、「永住者」の在留資格へ変更することが可能です。
  • ISA SSW FAQ Q37 — full field-scope answer
    Ｑ37 「特定技能２号」による外国人が受け入れられるのは、どの特定産業分野ですか。 「特定技能１号」の16の特定産業分野のうち、介護分野、自動車運送業分野、鉄道分野、林業分野及び木材産業分野を除く11の特定産業分野が「特定技能２号」による外国人の受入れ対象分野となっています。 　ただし、工業製品製造業分野については、機械金属加工区分、電気電子機器組立て区分、金属表面処理区分に限られます。
  • 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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