New Five-Year Residency Category Created for Specified Skilled Worker (ii) Visa; Government Targets January Implementation, Affecting Permanent Residency Requirements
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Japan's Immigration Services Agency announced on August 4, 2026 a proposed ministerial ordinance amendment that would add a new five-year period to the residency-period categories for the "Specified Skilled Worker (ii)" status, granted to skilled foreign workers. According to a Jiji Press report, the current system offers periods of six months, one year, two years, or three years, with three years as the maximum; the new five-year category is intended to bring the status in line with other residency statuses, such as the caregiving status, which already include a five-year option. The agency aims to implement the change in early January 2027 following a public comment period.
Specified Skilled Worker (ii) is available to skilled workers who have completed status (i), which has a maximum of five years, and (ii) itself has no cap on the number of renewals. Under the proposed change, holders of status (ii) would need to have held a five-year residency period as one requirement for applying for permanent residency, effectively clarifying a pathway of five years under status (i) followed by five years under status (ii) leading to a permanent residency application.
Current status: The specific timeline for the public comment period and whether transitional measures will apply to foreign nationals who already hold status (ii) remain unclear as of this writing. This article will be updated as further details emerge.
The Immigration Services Agency is simultaneously moving to tighten permanent residency guidelines (related coverage), reflecting a broader review of the operation of residency statuses, including the Specified Skilled Worker program.