Within the Specified Skilled Worker system, the trend that has attracted the most attention in recent years is the expansion of the fields in which “Specified Skilled Worker No. 2” is accepted. Until now, it was mainly limited to the construction and shipbuilding fields, but due to legal revisions, it is now possible to obtain No. 2 in almost all specific skill fields, such as eating out, food and beverage manufacturing, agriculture, and building cleaning. As a result, foreign workers have evolved from “workers who must return to Japan after a maximum of five years” to “workers who can stay in Japan for any number of years and continue to play an active role as core executives.” We will explain the structure of the No. 2 system and the tremendous benefits that companies can enjoy.<\/p>\n\n\n
The biggest difference between Specified Skilled Worker No. 1 and No. 2 is “whether or not there is an upper limit on the period of stay” and “whether family members can be accompanied.” With a No. 1 visa, you can only work in Japan for a total of 5 years, no matter how talented you are, but if you switch to a No. 2 visa, you can continue working in Japan for as many years as you like until retirement, as long as you continue to renew your residence status. Furthermore, because the applicant is allowed to bring their spouse (husband or wife) and children from their home country to Japan, the applicant is mentally stable and able to settle down and work in Japan for a long period of time.<\/p>\n\n\n
The biggest benefit that this system brings to companies is the ability to secure long-term core human resources such as future field managers, store managers, and factory managers. In the past, many host companies had experienced a huge opportunity loss when they were forced to return to Japan because their visas expired after five years had passed, when they had become accustomed to working in Japan and had begun to demonstrate leadership. With the birth of No. 2, we are now able to create a personnel plan that assumes long-term career building and future promotion to positions, just like Japanese key employees, without letting go of talented foreigners.<\/p>\n\n\n
However, in order to move to No. 2, extremely advanced skills are required from the foreigner himself. Specifically, candidates are required to pass the “Specified Skills Level 2 Evaluation Test (a test of practical and management knowledge that is much more difficult than Level 1)” conducted in each field, and to have at least several years of “practical supervisory experience (foreman or group leader experience)” with other Japanese and foreign staff in the field. Therefore, companies need to intentionally develop “human resources with leadership skills who can aim for No. 2 in the future” from the first stage, and provide educational support to help them gain leadership experience in the field.<\/p>\n\n\n