Guide
Specified Skilled Worker Now Covers 16 Industries — and Type 2 Is Open
Japan expanded the Specified Skilled Worker visa to 16 sectors and opened Type 2 (indefinite stay, family allowed) to almost every field — a real path from labour shortage job to permanent residency.
Two changes have quietly turned the Specified Skilled Worker visa (特定技能, "SSW") from a stopgap labour scheme into a real long-term pathway.
Already in effect. The 16-field expansion was decided in March 2024; the Type 2 expansion in June 2023. As of December 2025, there were over 390,000 Specified Skilled Workers in Japan — an all-time high.
Sixteen industries, and a much bigger ceiling
A March 2024 cabinet decision expanded SSW from 12 to 16 specified industrial fields, adding four new sectors:
- Automobile transport — bus, taxi, and truck drivers (with the relevant Japanese driving qualification)
- Railway
- Forestry
- Timber industry
At the same time, the five-year acceptance ceiling was raised from about 345,000 to 820,000 workers — a signal of how seriously Japan is leaning on this visa to fill labour gaps.
Type 2 is the real story
Until 2023, the long-term Type 2 (特定技能2号) existed in only two fields. A June 2023 decision opened it to nearly every field except nursing care (which has its own dedicated status).
That matters because of what Type 2 unlocks:
- Indefinite renewal — no five-year cap like Type 1
- You can bring your spouse and children
- A route to permanent residency — Type 2 years count toward it
What it means for you
If you're a Specified Skilled Worker, the goal is now clear: get into a Type-2-eligible field, pass the Type 2 evaluation, and you move from a capped, family-separated status to an indefinite one that can lead to permanent residence. Type 2 numbers are still small (under 8,000), so you'd be early.
Sources: SSW 16-field expansion (March 2024) · Type 2 expansion (June 2023).
Common questions
What are the four new industries?+
Automobile transport (bus, taxi, truck drivers), railway, forestry, and the timber industry. They were added by a March 2024 cabinet decision, bringing the total to 16 specified industrial fields.
Can Specified Skilled Workers bring family now?+
Under Type 2, yes. Type 2 is now open in nearly all fields (everything except nursing care, which has its own status), allows indefinite renewal, and lets you bring your spouse and children — making it a genuine route toward permanent residency. Type 1 still does not allow dependents.