What Is Specified Skilled Worker in Construction? A Complete Guide to Hiring Requirements, Occupations, and Procedures

Required Skill Level

• Specified Skilled Worker (i): A considerable level of skill
• Specified Skilled Worker (ii): Proficient skill

Main Examination Requirements

• Specified Skilled Worker (i): Skills evaluation test + Japanese language test
• Specified Skilled Worker (ii): passing the Level 2 evaluation test or Grade 1 of the Trade Skills Test, plus practical experience as a foreman

Job Changes

• Specified Skilled Worker (i): Permitted within the construction field
• Specified Skilled Worker (ii): Permitted within the construction field

Because Specified Skilled Worker (ii) has higher skill requirements, it has no upper limit on the period of stay and allows accompanying family members, making it a highly attractive system for companies that prioritize long-term retention. To move to (ii) in the construction field, a worker must pass one of the construction-field Specified Skilled Worker Level 2 evaluation test, Grade 1 of the Trade Skills Test, or the single-grade Trade Skills Test, and must in addition have practical experience as a foreman who directs several construction workers on site and manages the work schedule (Source: Immigration Services Agency of Japan, “Construction Field”; verified 28 August 2026). As a guide, the amount of experience required is the number of working days recognized as equivalent to Level 3 under the Construction Career Up System ability evaluation standards, or, for occupations with no such standard, at least three years (645 days) of work as a foreman or team leader.

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Main Occupations Eligible for Acceptance under Specified Skilled Worker “Construction”

Under Specified Skilled Worker in construction, a wide range of specialized construction work categories is covered—from civil engineering to building and equipment work. Since the system was launched, occupations have been expanded in stages through amendments to Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism notifications. The main occupations currently recognized are as follows.

Formwork Construction

• Main duties: Assembly and dismantling of formwork for shaping concrete

Plastering

• Main duties: Finishing walls and floors with mortar, plaster, and similar materials

Concrete Pumping

• Main duties: Pumping and placing concrete using pump trucks

Construction Machinery Operation

• Main duties: Operating construction machinery such as bulldozers and hydraulic excavators

Earthwork

• Main duties: Basic civil engineering work such as excavation, embankment, and grading

Scaffolding

• Main duties: Assembly and dismantling of scaffolding; installation of steel frames, concrete blocks, and similar materials

Reinforcing Bar Construction

• Main duties: Assembly and joining of reinforcing bars in buildings and civil engineering structures

Roofing

• Main duties: Installation and re-roofing of building roofing materials

Interior Finishing / Interior Fitting

• Main duties: Installation and finishing of interior materials for walls, ceilings, floors, and similar surfaces

Building Carpentry

• Main duties: Framing and finish carpentry for wooden buildings, among other work

Plumbing

• Main duties: Piping work for water supply and drainage, air conditioning, gas, and similar systems

Telecommunications

• Main duties: Installation of electrical equipment related to communications and information systems

Architectural Sheet Metal

• Main duties: Processing of steel plate, stainless steel, and similar materials; exterior wall installation

Thermal Insulation

• Main duties: Installation of insulation materials on pipes and ducts

Spray Urethane Insulation

• Main duties: Spray insulation application of urethane foam

Marine Civil Engineering

• Main duties: Civil engineering work in ports and marine environments

Note, however, that the categories of the construction-field Specified Skilled Worker evaluation test are not set per occupation. They are consolidated into three categories: Civil Engineering, Building Construction, and Lifeline and Equipment. Choose the category to sit not by the name of the occupation but by which category the work to be performed falls under (Source: Immigration Services Agency of Japan, “Construction Field”; verified 28 August 2026).

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Rules Unique to Specified Skilled Worker in Construction

Specified Skilled Worker in construction has two unique requirements not found in other industries. These must be addressed before hiring begins.

Membership in JAC (Japan Association for Construction Human Resources)

JAC is a certified organization established to support the proper operation of the Specified Skilled Worker system in construction. Accepting organizations that hire Specified Skilled Workers in construction are legally required to join JAC or a full member organization of JAC.

There are two forms of membership.

• Membership via a full member organization: Companies already affiliated with a JAC full member organization—such as the National Federation of Construction Contractors Associations or the Federation of Construction Specialty Contractors Associations of Japan—can complete procedures through that organization.
• Direct membership as a JAC supporting member: Companies not affiliated with a full member organization join JAC directly as supporting members. The annual supporting-membership fee is 240,000 yen (for a registered support organization, 30,000 to 240,000 yen depending on the number of construction companies it contracts with).

JAC also provides education and training programs, support for job transfers, and regular on-site guidance. After joining, there is a mechanism under which JAC takes on part of the mandatory support obligations, so cost reductions on outsourcing to a Registered Support Organization can also be expected. For fee details, see the official JAC website.

Registration in the Construction Career Up System (CCUS)

The Construction Career Up System (CCUS) is a system promoted by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism that electronically stores and manages construction skilled workers’ employment records, qualifications, health checkup information, and more. When accepting Specified Skilled Workers in construction, the following two registrations are mandatory.

1. Business operator registration: The accepting organization registers with CCUS as a business operator (not required if already registered)
2. Skilled worker registration: Register the Specified Skilled Worker being hired with CCUS as a skilled worker

CCUS business operator registration fees vary by company size: 2,400 yen for sole proprietors and small businesses, with scale-based fees for medium-sized and larger companies. The skilled worker registration fee is about 2,500 yen per person. For details, refer to the official CCUS website.

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Requirements for Hiring Specified Skilled Workers in Construction

Requirements the Accepting Organization (Employer) Must Meet

To accept Specified Skilled Worker foreign nationals in the construction field, the accepting company must meet all of the following requirements.

• Obtaining a construction business license under Article 3 of the Construction Business Act: Holding a valid license
• Membership in JAC or a full-member organization: Membership is mandatory, as noted above
• Completion of CCUS business operator registration: Complete registration before hiring
• Ensuring appropriate wages: Paying wages equal to or higher than those of Japanese workers (benchmarked against Japanese workers with the same skills and experience)
• Certification of a Construction Specified Skilled Worker Acceptance Plan: An application for plan certification must be filed with a Regional Development Bureau of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism or equivalent (before acceptance)
• Formulation and implementation of a Specified Skilled Worker support plan: Either outsourced to a Registered Support Organization or carried out in-house

Requirements the international talent you hire must meet

Candidates must meet the following requirements.

Skills requirements (must satisfy either one)

• Passing the Construction Field Specified Skilled Worker Evaluation Exam (CCST)
• Successfully completing Technical Intern Training (ii) (where the completed occupation is recognized as related to the Specified Skilled Worker occupation)

Japanese language requirements (must satisfy either one)

• Passing the Japanese-Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) at N4 or higher
• Passing the Japan Foundation Test for Basic Japanese (JFT-Basic) at A2 level or higher

Those who have successfully completed Technical Intern Training (ii), and whose completed occupation and tasks are recognized as related to the duties they will perform under Specified Skilled Worker, are exempt from both the skills exam and the Japanese language exam. For that reason, transitioning Technical Intern Training completers already employed in your company or a related company to Specified Skilled Worker is the hiring route that most reduces cost and time.

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Differences among Technical Intern Training, Employment for Skill Development, and Specified Skilled Worker

The construction industry has long used the Technical Intern Training Program as well. Under the amended law enacted in 2024, the Technical Intern Training Program is being phased into the Employment for Skill Development Program, with full enforcement scheduled for 2027. The main differences from Specified Skilled Worker are summarized below.

Primary purpose

• Specified Skilled Worker: Securing the labor force
• Technical Intern Training / Employment for Skill Development: Skills transfer and human resource development

Maximum period of stay

• Specified Skilled Worker: (i): 5 years / (ii): no upper limit
• Technical Intern Training / Employment for Skill Development: In principle 3 years (Employment for Skill Development)

Job changes

• Specified Skilled Worker: Permitted within the construction field
• Technical Intern Training / Employment for Skill Development: Permitted under certain conditions (expanded under Employment for Skill Development)

Accompanying family members

• Specified Skilled Worker: (i): not permitted / (ii): permitted
• Technical Intern Training / Employment for Skill Development: Not permitted

Use as ready workforce

• Specified Skilled Worker: Expected to contribute as productive staff from day one
• Technical Intern Training / Employment for Skill Development: Training and proficiency periods are required

Japanese language requirements

• Specified Skilled Worker: N4 or higher, or JFT-Basic
• Technical Intern Training / Employment for Skill Development: A1 equivalent at the start of Employment for Skill Development

Supervising and support organizations

• Specified Skilled Worker: Supported by a Registered Support Organization
• Technical Intern Training / Employment for Skill Development: Supervised by a supervising and support organization

Hiring speed

• Specified Skilled Worker: 1–3 months for talent already in Japan
• Technical Intern Training / Employment for Skill Development: Often involves bringing people from overseas and takes longer

If your priority is securing ready workforce and long-term retention, Specified Skilled Worker is a better fit. By contrast, Employment for Skill Development suits needs to develop talent while securing them. In practice, designing a career path that later transitions people accepted under Employment for Skill Development into Specified Skilled Worker (ii) is also an effective option.

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Process flow from hiring to start of employment

Hiring under Specified Skilled Worker in construction involves more procedures than in other industries because of the additionalcertification of a Construction Specified Skilled Worker Acceptance Plan. Note this carefully. The typical flow is as follows.

STEP 1: Securing and selecting candidates

Search for candidates through staffing agencies or job media. It is also common to convert Technical Intern Training completers already in Japan from your own company or a prime contractor.How to hire foreign nationals is explained in detail in a separate article.

STEP 2: Concluding the employment contract and formulating the support plan

Once hiring is decided, prepare a notice of employment conditions (in Japanese and the worker’s native language). In practice, outsourcing the Specified Skilled Worker support plan to a Registered Support Organization is the smoother approach.

STEP 3: Application for certification of a Construction Specified Skilled Worker Acceptance Plan (unique to construction)

Submit a Construction Specified Skilled Worker Acceptance Plan (建設特定技能受入計画) to a Regional Development Bureau of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism or equivalent and obtain certification. The plan states the planned remuneration and the safety and skills-development programme for the workers. To be certified, the company must hold a construction business licence, belong to JAC or one of its member associations, register both itself and the workers in CCUS, make efforts to recruit domestic workers, pay remuneration at least equal to that of Japanese workers with equivalent skills and raise it as skills mature, explain the key terms of the contract in writing in a language the worker fully understands before signing, and keep the number of Specified Skilled Worker (i) employees within the number of its full-time staff (excluding technical intern trainees and Specified Skilled Worker (i) employees). After certification the company must cooperate with implementation checks and surveys by the ministry or its delegated body, and issue proof of work experience when a worker requests it. Allow roughly 1–2 months for review (Source: Immigration Services Agency, "Construction field", operating policy as of 1 April 2024; verified 6 September 2026).

STEP 4: Application for or change of status of residence

After plan certification is obtained, file an application for permission to change status of residence (for those already residing in Japan) or an application for a Certificate of Eligibility (for those coming from overseas) with the Immigration Services Agency of Japan. Review takes roughly 1–3 months.

STEP 5: CCUS skilled worker registration

Register the international talent you hire as a skilled worker in CCUS. This can proceed in parallel with status of residence procedures.

STEP 6: Acceptance and start of support plan implementation

After employment begins, work with the Registered Support Organization to steadily implement the support plan (living orientation, regular interviews, establishment of a consultation desk, and so on).

For the overall schedule, it is realistic to allowtypically 2–4 months from document preparation to the start of employment. Hiring plans with sufficient lead time are especially needed in light of the Construction Specified Skilled Worker Acceptance Plan certification review period.

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Estimated costs for construction Specified Skilled Worker

Costs per hire are broken down by item below.

Recruitment / placement fees

• Estimated amount: Success-based fee (varies by provider)
• Notes: Some cases charge ¥0 until an offer is accepted

JAC supporting membership fee (annual)

• Estimated amount: 240,000 yen
• Notes: No annual fee is payable to JAC when joining via a full-member organization (you pay that organization’s dues instead). In addition, an acceptance levy of 12,500 yen per month (150,000 yen a year) applies for each Specified Skilled Worker (i) foreign national accepted. Source: JAC, “Annual fees and acceptance levy”; verified 28 August 2026

CCUS business operator registration fee

• Estimated amount: From ¥2,400
• Notes: Varies by company size

CCUS skilled worker registration fee

• Estimated amount: Around ¥2,500
• Notes: Per person

Fees paid to a Registered Support Organization

• Estimated amount: ¥20,000–¥50,000 per month
• Notes: Approximate amount per person

Construction Specified Skilled Worker Acceptance Plan certification application

• Estimated amount: Actual costs only if handled in-house
• Note: Separate fees apply if outsourced to an administrative scrivener

Status of residence application (change or extension)

• Approximate amount: 6,000 yen over the counter / 5,500 yen online
• Note: The same amount applies to both change and extension applications (paid by revenue stamp). Revised 1 April 2025. Source: Immigration Services Agency of Japan, “Application for Change of Status of Residence”; verified 28 August 2026

When recruitment fees, JAC fees, support outsourcing fees, and various registration fees are totaled, first-year costs often come to around 500,000 to 1,000,000 yen per person, but this varies significantly depending on the hiring route (internal conversion vs. new hire) and the support structure. If you join JAC directly as a supporting member, the 240,000 yen annual fee and the acceptance levy (150,000 yen a year per person) are added on top, so the total will exceed this guide figure.

YourBright’s international talent recruitment service operates on a fully success-based fee model with zero initial costs and no fees until a job offer is made. Please contact us first for detailed cost estimates and hiring case studies.

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Frequently Asked Questions on Specified Skilled Worker in the Construction Field

Q. Is there a cap on the number of workers accepted in the construction field?

For the construction field, an expected acceptance number for the industry as a whole is set in the national operating policy. At the start of the system in 2019 it was a maximum of 40,000 people over five years; the policy as of 1 April 2024 raises the five-year maximum to 80,000. There is no flat per-company headcount cap, but there is a size-based limit: the number of Specified Skilled Worker (i) employees may not exceed the company's number of full-time staff (excluding technical intern trainees and Specified Skilled Worker (i) employees) (Source: Immigration Services Agency, "Construction field"; verified 6 September 2026).

Q. What is the procedure for converting from a Technical Intern Training graduate?

Those who have completed Technical Intern Training (ii) and whose completed occupation is recognized as related to a Specified Skilled Worker target occupation can convert with exemptions from both the skills test and the Japanese language test. The core procedures are concluding an employment contract, preparing a support plan, applying for a change of status of residence, and applying for certification of the Construction Specified Skilled Worker Acceptance Plan. (Source: Immigration Services Agency, "Construction field"; verified 6 September 2026).

Q. Which nationalities are most common among Specified Skilled Worker foreign nationals?

In the construction field, talent from Vietnam, China, the Philippines, Indonesia, and Myanmar tends to be more common. The CCST (Construction Field Specified Skilled Worker Evaluation Test) is administered in various countries, and applications are possible not only from residents of Japan but also from overseas.

Q. Can Specified Skilled Worker foreign nationals change jobs?

For both Specified Skilled Worker (i) and (ii), job changes within the same industrial field (construction) are permitted. However, when changing to a different company, a new employment contract, change of status of residence, preparation of a support plan, and re-certification of the Construction Specified Skilled Worker Acceptance Plan are required.

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Summary

Here are the key points on Specified Skilled Worker in the construction industry.

• Both Specified Skilled Worker (i) and (ii) are recognized in the construction field, enabling long-term employment for the maximum period
• Membership in JAC and registration with CCUS are mandatory requirements unique to construction that do not exist in other industries
• Target occupations cover a wide range of construction work, including formwork, scaffolding, rebar work, building carpentry, and plumbing
• Conversion from Technical Intern Training (ii) graduates proceeds with test exemptions and is advantageous in terms of hiring costs and timelines
• From hiring to the start of employment, allow typically 2 to 4 months, including the certification period for the Construction Specified Skilled Worker Acceptance Plan

Because Specified Skilled Worker in the construction field involves many system requirements, building a framework in coordination with JAC and a Registered Support Organization is key to successful hiring. As a Registered Support Organization (registration number: 19-登-000992), YourBright provides one-stop support from construction-field talent placement using a database of over 170,000 international talent through to post-hire retention support.

For inquiries about Specified Skilled Worker hiring in the construction industry, please feel free to contact us. We operate on a fully success-based fee model with zero initial costs and no fees until a job offer is made.

Phone: 03-6908-6143 (Hours: 9:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m.)

Article Review Framework

This article has been reviewed by staff involved in international talent placement, registered support, and status of residence practice, based on the practical expertise of YourBright Inc., a Registered Support Organization. Systems and operations may change, so please also check information from public agencies for the latest details.

Practical Notes

For Specified Skilled Worker, status of residence, and foreign worker employment, it is important to manage not only statutory requirements but also employment contracts, support plans, post-hire interview records, and consultation response histories in a consistent manner. Organizing required documents and internal responsible staff before acceptance, and recording the implementation of regular interviews and daily-life support after hiring, helps prevent trouble and supports retention.

Author Information

Author: Hayato Yamashita. Director, YourBright Inc. / Practical Operations Lead, Registered Support Organization. Specializes in Specified Skilled Worker, international talent hiring, registered support, and status of residence practice, and is involved in the practical work of international talent placement and acceptance support.

References

Immigration Services Agency of Japan: Specified Skilled Worker System / Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare: Foreign Worker Employment Measures / YourBright Inc.: Company Profile