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Can Specified Skilled Worker (i) or (ii) Lead to Permanent Residence in Japan? How the 5-Year Work Requirement Is Counted 【2026 Update】
“I have worked for five years under Specified Skilled Worker (i). Can I apply for PR?”
“I completed three years of Technical Intern Training and five years under SSW(i).”
“I just changed to SSW(ii). Can I apply now?”
The key is to separate:
total years in Japan
from:
years that count toward the five-year qualifying-status requirement.
SSW(i) and SSW(ii) Are Treated Differently for Permanent Residence
Under the current PR guidelines, the ordinary route generally requires:
at least ten continuous years in Japan
including:
at least five continuous years under qualifying work statuses—excluding Technical Intern Training and SSW(i)—or residence-based statuses.
Accordingly:
five years under SSW(i) does not equal five qualifying work-status years for PR.
1. SSW(i) Does Not Count Toward the Ordinary 5-Year Work Requirement
The Immigration Services Agency expressly explains in its Specified Skilled Worker Q&A that time under SSW(i) does not count toward the qualifying five-year employment-status period.
For this reason, completing five years under SSW(i) does not by itself satisfy that part of the ordinary PR framework.
Technical Intern Training Is Also Excluded
The guidelines expressly exclude both:
Technical Intern Training
and:
Specified Skilled Worker (i).
Therefore:
3 years of Technical Intern Training
5 years of SSW(i)
does not become eight qualifying years for the five-year PR work requirement.
Ten Total Years and Five Qualifying Years Are Separate Requirements
Applicants should avoid looking only at their original date of arrival in Japan.
The ordinary route requires both the overall residence period and a qualifying five-year period.
3 Years Technical Intern + 5 Years SSW(i) + 2 Years SSW(ii)
This person has spent ten years in Japan.
However, the Technical Intern and SSW(i) periods are excluded from the five-year qualifying-work calculation.
The SSW(ii) period is therefore the main qualifying period in this example.
The fact that the applicant has reached ten total years does not by itself mean the ordinary PR residence requirement is complete.
2. SSW(ii) Does Count as a Qualifying Work Status
The Immigration Services Agency expressly states that time under SSW(ii) counts as time under a work status for PR purposes.
Accordingly, applicants can build the required qualifying period while holding SSW(ii).
Obtaining SSW(ii) Does Not Mean Immediate PR
SSW(ii) is countable, but changing to SSW(ii) does not instantly satisfy PR requirements.
Under the ordinary route, the applicant still needs to review both the total period in Japan and the qualifying five-year period.
5 Years SSW(i) + 5 Years SSW(ii)
In this example:
Total residence = 10 years
SSW(ii) qualifying period = 5 years.
The residence-duration component of the ordinary PR route can therefore be considered, subject to all other requirements concerning taxes, pension, livelihood, conduct, and immigration compliance.
SSW(i) Does Not Automatically Convert to SSW(ii)
SSW(ii) requires a higher level of skilled ability.
The Immigration Services Agency explains that this is verified through examinations and, depending on the field, relevant practical experience.
Completing SSW(i) therefore does not automatically grant SSW(ii).
SSW(i) Is Not Always a Mandatory Step Before SSW(ii)
A person who independently satisfies the required SSW(ii) skill criteria may, depending on the applicable system, qualify without first completing SSW(i).
Previous Work Statuses Must Be Reviewed Chronologically
Some applicants may have a history such as:
Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services
↓
SSW(i)
↓
SSW(ii).
Because the ordinary rule requires five continuous years under qualifying work or residence statuses, periods separated by an excluded status should not simply be added together without reviewing the exact immigration history.
An SSW(i) Holder May Still Have Another PR Exception
Everything above concerns the ordinary ten-year route.
Other PR exceptions exist for certain:
Spouses of Japanese nationals
Spouses of Permanent or Special Permanent Residents
Certain children
Long-Term Residents
Highly skilled professionals
Therefore:
holding SSW(i) does not mean PR is categorically impossible in every circumstance.
3. An SSW(i) Holder Married to a Japanese National
Suppose the applicant currently holds SSW(i) but has:
a genuine marriage to a Japanese national lasting at least three years,
and:
at least one continuous year of residence in Japan.
The Japanese-spouse PR exception may need to be considered separately.
The analysis is based not only on the wording printed on the residence card but also on the applicant’s current legal family status.
Do Not Assume Every SSW(i) Holder Must First Spend Five Years Under SSW(ii)
An applicant who qualifies under a spouse or other exception may follow a different residence-duration framework.
This is why both current residence status and current family status should be reviewed.
The Maximum Period of Stay for SSW(ii) Is Currently 3 Years
Current SSW(ii) periods of stay are:
3 years
2 years
1 year
6 months
Accordingly, the actual maximum period for SSW(ii) is:
three years.
This differs from statuses such as Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services, where the maximum may be five years.
A 5-Year Period Is Therefore Not Required Merely Because the Applicant Holds SSW(ii)
The PR framework requires the maximum period available under the applicant’s current status.
Because the maximum under SSW(ii) itself is three years, the rule should not be confused with the five-year maximum applicable to some other work statuses.
Taxes Are Not Reviewed Only From the Date You Became SSW(ii)
For ordinary work-status PR applications, current documentation generally requires:
five years of resident-tax and income/payment records.
A person who recently moved from SSW(i) to SSW(ii) may therefore have both statuses represented within those five years.
Pension and Public Health Insurance Are Generally Reviewed for 2 Years
Current ordinary work-status documentation generally requires evidence covering:
the most recent two years
of public pension and public health-insurance compliance.
Timely payment remains important.
Changes of Accepting Organization Also Matter
A Specified Skilled Worker who changes the employing or accepting organization may need to complete prescribed immigration procedures.
PR review also considers compliance with immigration notification obligations.
SSW(ii) Can Also Change the Family Situation
SSW(i) generally does not permit ordinary family accompaniment.
Under SSW(ii), qualifying spouses and children may accompany the worker under the appropriate family status.
When the household changes, PR review may also need to consider family size, dependents, income, taxes, and social insurance.
Cases That Particularly Deserve Pre-Filing Review
Professional review can be useful where the applicant:
Moved from Technical Intern Training to SSW(i)
Is approaching the SSW(i) time limit
Recently obtained SSW(ii)
Has already worked several years under SSW(ii)
Is nearing ten total years through Technical Intern and SSW periods
Previously held another work status
Holds SSW(i) but is married to a Japanese national
Holds SSW(i) but is married to a Permanent Resident
Changed accepting organizations
Had direct resident-tax payment periods
Had National Pension or National Health Insurance periods
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. Does 5 Years Under SSW(i) Qualify Me for PR?
Not under the ordinary five-year qualifying-work requirement. SSW(i) is expressly excluded from that calculation.
Q. I Have 3 Years of Technical Intern Training and 5 Years of SSW(i).
Those periods cannot simply be treated as eight qualifying work-status years for the ordinary five-year requirement.
Q. Can I Apply Once I Obtain SSW(ii)?
SSW(ii) time is countable, but other residence-duration and PR requirements must still be satisfied.
Q. Does SSW(i) Automatically Become SSW(ii) After Five Years?
No. SSW(ii) has separate skill and examination requirements.
Q. I Hold SSW(i) but Am Married to a Japanese National.
A spouse-based PR exception may be available and should be assessed separately from the ordinary SSW route.
Q. Does SSW(ii) Require a 5-Year Period of Stay for PR?
No. The current maximum SSW(ii) period itself is three years.
Q. How Many Years of Tax Records Are Generally Required?
Ordinary work-status PR applications generally require five years of resident-tax records.
Q. What About Pension and Health Insurance?
Generally, the most recent two years.
For SSW Permanent Residence, Do Not Confuse Total Years in Japan With Qualifying Work-Status Years
Technical Intern Training and SSW(i) may form part of a long history in Japan, but they do not satisfy the ordinary five-year qualifying-work component.
SSW(ii), by contrast, does count.
Applicants who qualify through marriage or another special exception may have a different path altogether.
Enlight Administrative Scrivener’s Office reviews the complete sequence of Technical Intern Training, SSW(i), SSW(ii), and any other residence statuses together with taxes, pension, insurance, family circumstances, and immigration history to identify when a PR application may become viable.
The initial Permanent Residence eligibility check is free of charge.
Permanent Residence support is generally limited to applicants within the jurisdiction of the Tokyo Regional Immigration Services Bureau.
References
Immigration Services Agency: Guidelines for Permission for Permanent Residence, revised February 24, 2026
Immigration Services Agency: Specified Skilled Worker System Q&A
Immigration Services Agency: Status of Residence — Specified Skilled Worker
Immigration Services Agency: List of Statuses of Residence
Immigration Services Agency: Permanent Residence Application 3
Immigration Services Agency: Specified Skilled Worker System
