Recently, more companies have been accepting—or considering accepting—foreign nationals under the “Specified Skilled Worker” status of residence.

One reason is that the COVID-19 pandemic has made it difficult to project entry dates for technical intern trainees. That factor has also spurred more active efforts to hire international talent already in Japan who have completed Technical Intern Training as Specified Skilled Workers.

This article explains the “support services” that accepting organizations must absolutely understand when using the currently high-profile Specified Skilled Worker program—covering the pros and cons of outsourcing all support services to a Registered Support Organization versus performing them in-house.

What Are the Mandatory “Support Services” for Accepting Specified Skilled Workers?

To accept Specified Skilled Workers, companies must prepare and submit various application documents to the immigration authority. Among these, it is no exaggeration to say that the most important is the “Support Plan for Specified Skilled Workers (i).” That document describes the support services that are mandatory for Specified Skilled Workers, and companies must even enter the implementation dates or scheduled dates for each.

About the Content of Support Services

Below we introduce the 10 mandatory support services listed in the Support Plan for Specified Skilled Workers (i).

Pre-Guidance

After an employment contract is concluded between the Specified Skilled Worker and the company, and before applying for a Certificate of Eligibility or for permission to change status of residence, explain working conditions during the Specified Skilled Worker period, the content of activities, whether any guarantee deposits are collected, and other procedures, face-to-face or by video call, etc.

Pickup and Drop-off for Entry and Departure

For Specified Skilled Workers arriving from overseas, provide transportation from the airport; if they are already in Japan and need to relocate, provide transportation to the workplace or residence. Also provide transportation to the airport upon return to their home country.

Securing Housing and Setting Up Living Infrastructure

Support securing company housing for Specified Skilled Workers or, when renting private housing, acting as a joint guarantor, etc. Assist with opening bank accounts, contracts for gas, water, and electricity, mobile phone contracts, and other agreements.

Living Orientation

Explain Japan’s rules and manners, how to respond in disasters, how to use public transportation, and related matters so that they can lead a meaningful life in Japan.

Accompanying for Public Procedures, etc.

Assist with and accompany them for necessary city hall procedures related to moving in or out, as well as procedures related to social security and taxes.

Providing Japanese Language Learning Opportunities

Provide information on nearby Japanese language classes and other information for Japanese language study.

Responding to Consultations and Complaints

Provide necessary advice and guidance on consultations and complaints arising at work or in daily life, in a language the foreign national can fully understand.

Promoting Exchange with Japanese People

Inform them of local festivals and events and assist so they can participate.

Job Change Support (for Specified Skilled Workers Who Have Been Dismissed)

When the accepting organization terminates the employment contract with a Specified Skilled Worker for reasons attributable to the company, help them find a new job, prepare recommendation letters, grant paid leave for job hunting, and provide information on necessary administrative procedures.

Regular Interviews and Reporting to Administrative Agencies

The support supervisor must conduct interviews with the Specified Skilled Worker and their supervisor at least once every three months and report any Labor Standards Act violations, etc.

Should Support Services Be Handled In-House or Fully Outsourced?

For the support services for Specified Skilled Workers described above, accepting organizations can choose to perform them in-house (partial outsourcing of some support services is also possible) or outsource all support services to a Registered Support Organization. Currently, most accepting organizations rely on Registered Support Organizations when accepting Specified Skilled Workers, though companies that internalize and handle support services themselves are gradually increasing. The Specified Skilled Worker system only took effect in April 2019, and subsequent COVID-19 impacts have delayed operation of the system far more than planned, so information on the system itself is limited and many points about how to operate it remain unclear. As a result, few companies have attempted to handle support in-house. Below we explain the pros and cons of outsourcing Specified Skilled Worker support services versus performing them in-house.

When Outsourcing Everything to a Registered Support Organization

Registered Support Organizations are often supervising organizations under the Technical Intern Training program that have obtained Registered Support Organization approval, or group companies of such organizations that have obtained approval.

In other cases, administrative scrivener offices or individuals may also operate as Registered Support Organizations providing support services. In nearly all cases, they already have know-how on employing international talent through technical intern trainees or other systems, and when applying for registration as a Registered Support Organization they are also checked on their track record of accepting foreign nationals and experience in consultation services.

Therefore, by outsourcing to a Registered Support Organization, your company mainly needs to prepare materials required for applications when instructed (such as financial statements and registry certificates), and can leave all the burdensome support services to them.

Advantages

By outsourcing all support services to a Registered Support Organization that already has know-how in employing foreign nationals and has obtained approval from the immigration authority, you can eliminate the effort that would be required if you handled it in-house.

When a supervising organization also serves as a Registered Support Organization, interpreters and staff familiar to the Specified Skilled Workers from their time as technical intern trainees often continue the support services, which also gives peace of mind to those receiving support.

Disadvantages

Initial costs and monthly Registered Support Organization fees, discussed later, will be incurred. Also, because Registered Support Organization staff carry out all support services, it becomes harder to close the distance between the company’s Japanese employees and the Specified Skilled Workers.

When Handling In-House

Many of the mandatory support services 1–10 introduced earlier are tasks that, under the Technical Intern Training program, were often left to supervising organizations. If you try to implement support services 1–10 in-house, the biggest practical challenge is likely whether you can arrange interpreters to carry out “7. Provide necessary advice and guidance on consultations and complaints arising at work or in daily life, in a language the foreign national can fully understand.”

Interpreter arrangements are also needed for “1. Pre-guidance” and “4. Living orientation,” so this is an unavoidable point.

In addition, application documents to ministries and agencies that were left to supervising organizations under the Technical Intern Training program must be prepared by your company when accepting Specified Skilled Workers in-house.

With those points in mind, we will organize the pros and cons of handling support services in-house.

Advantages

The greatest advantage is that you do not need to pay the monthly support outsourcing fees that arise when support services are outsourced. Support outsourcing fees vary widely depending on the Registered Support Organization, but the going rate is roughly 20,000–30,000 yen per person per month.

In addition, when first accepting Specified Skilled Workers it is not uncommon for initial costs of several hundred thousand yen to arise. Therefore, not having to pay these costs can be called the greatest advantage.

Disadvantages

As described, support services cover a wide range, so handling them in-house requires personnel with a certain level of knowledge and, at times, manpower as well.

In principle, someone in the general affairs department will likely take charge, but because the system is updated daily, ongoing study is also required, so the burden on the person assigned is likely to be very large.

Conclusion

Although it has only just begun, acceptance under the Specified Skilled Worker program is expected to accelerate further going forward. The greatest barrier when considering acceptance is likely the burdensome support services. We hope that, taking into account the pros and cons introduced in this article, your company will discuss internally whether to use a Registered Support Organization when accepting Specified Skilled Workers in the future.