Outline of“Employment for Skill Development” Program
On June 21, 2024, the “Act on Partial Revision of the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act and the Act on Proper Technical Intern
Training and Protection of Technical Intern Trainees” was promulgated.
The Technical Intern Training Program (TITP), which aims at international cooperation through skills transfer, is fundamentally reviewed and“Employment for Skill Development (ESD)” program is established to develop and secure human resources in industrial fields with labor
shortages (ESD program will come into effect on a date to be specified by Cabinet Order within three years from June 21, 2024).

Purpose ofESD Program

Develop human resources with skills at the level of Specified Skilled Worker（SSW) (i) throughemployment for three years in Japan in the ESD industrial fields* (fields that accept foreign nationals underESD program)”, and secure human resources in these fields.
*Those should be fields which enables employees to acquire skills appropriately through employment among thespecified industrial fields of the SSW system.

Basic policy・
field-specificoperationpolicies

Establish a basic policy for ESD program and field-specific operation policies for each ESD industrial field(with hearing opinions from advisory panel comprised of experts and representatives of labor andmanagement in formulating the policies).
In the field-specific operation policies, set the expected number of acceptance for each field based on theshortage of human resources despite improving productivity and securing domestic human resources, and use
the number as the upper limit of acceptance.

Accreditation
system for
ESD Plan

Establish an accreditation system by Employment-for-Skill-Development Organization (ESDO) for theESD Plan prepared for each foreign national (ESD Plan includes the term of skill development (within 3 years),
job category, goals (skill level, Japanese language proficiency, etc.), and details, etc.

License system
for Supervisingand SupportOrganization

Establish a license system for supervising and support organization that are responsible for such roles
as supervising whether the plan is being properly implemented (and also mediating employment relationshipbetween foreign nationals and implementing organizations) (Criteria for license will be tightened. Supervisingorganizations in TITP are not allowed to provide supervising and support services without obtaining a licenseof supervising and support organization.).

Efforts toimprove thesending
mechanism anddevelop theaccepting
environment

・Ensure improvement of sending mechanism through Memorandum of Cooperation (MOC) with sending
countries and introduction of mechanisms to ensure that fees paid to sending organizations are notunduly high.
・Appropriately protect the rights of foreign nationals by allowing them to change employer at their willwith certain requirements, etc.
・Promote the development of the local accepting environment by organizing regional councils, etc.

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Overview of Employment for Skill Development
Pr o g ra m a n d S p e c i f i ed S k i l l e d Wo r ke r Sy st e mHigh

Skill Level(Before starting to work)○Passing A1 or higher
level of Japanese
language proficiency
test (e.g., JLPT N5)
or○Taking Japanese
language classes
equivalent to thelanguage proficiency
certified by above tests○Basic grade of Trade
Skill Test+○ Japanese language
proficiency test (set for eachfield within the range from A1to the level required attransition to Specified SkilledWorker(SSW)(i))⇒Passing the above exams is
one of the conditions forvoluntary change ofemployers

ESD(3 years)(Note 1)
Scope of acceptance: ESD industrial
fields (Note 2)○Grade 3 of the Trade Skill Test orSSW(i) Evaluation Test+
○A2 or higher level of Japanese
language proficiency test
(e.g., JLPT N4)* It is also possible to take the test abroad
without undergoing ESD program andenter Japan as SSW(i).

SSW(i)(5 years)○SSW(ii) Evaluation
Test+○B1 or higher level ofJapanese language
proficiency test
(e.g., JLPT N3)

SSW(ii)(No upperlimit on thetimes ofextension)(Note 1) Those who fail the tests required for transition to SSW(i) will be allowed to stay for up to one year additionallyin order to retake the tests.
(Note 2) In principle, ESD industrial fields are the same as the fields of the SSW system. However, some fields of the SSW
system will be excluded because it is not suitable for skill development in those fields in Japan.

2Outflow of the organizations involved in
Employment for Skill Development Program
Government ofSending Country

Competent Ministry
Make new MOC
Regional Immigration ServicesBureau

In principle,accept foreignnationals only fromcountries with singed MOCs.

collaboration
Accredit ESD Plans and conduct onsite inspections to check whether
Employment-for-Skill-Development
employment and development based onOrganization(ESDO)
the plan are properly being
Accredit ESD Plans, on-site
implemented.
inspection, guidance and advice, etc.

Supervising and support
organizations

Sending organization

Recruit those who want to beemployed under ESD programand provide training to themin advance

Act asintermediaries forjob applications
from foreigners
who want to beemployed under ESD
program

Implementing organizations
for ESD(accepting organization)
Employ and develop foreign nationals
as human resources who will support
the industries for the long term
(Aiming to develop and secure humanresources in labor shortage fields)

Skill Development
Employee(foreign nationals
accepted under ESD program)

Mediate employment relationships
between foreign nationals andimplementing organizations for ESD,and conduct audit to ensure that ESD
plan is properly being implemented.
(no involvement under individualenterprise-type)

Hello Work
（Public Employment
Security Office）
Support employer change incooperation with supervisingand support organizations andESDO.

3Schedule for emforcement (planned)
2024

2025

2026

2027

Establish basic
policy, ministerial
ordinances, etc.

Receive pre-application(License for supervisingand supportorganizations, etc.)

Enforcement ofESD program

Establish fieldspecific operation
policies (settingof fields, etc.*)

Negotiate, draft and sign MOCs with sending countries* ESD industrial fields and specified industrial fields can be additionally set if necessary even after
establishment of fields at this point.

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Concept of transitional measures forTe c h n i c a l I n t e r n Tr a i n i n gIn the case where you fall under either ① or ② below, you will be able to continue your technical intern training evenafter the enforcement date of the revised act. Besides, if you meet the requirements, you will also be able to continue yourtechnical intern training to the next stage(Note 1). In this case, the rules of the Technical Intern Training program will
be applied but you will not be allowed to transit from Technical Intern Training to Employment for Skill Development.
(Note 1) With the accreditation of the plan, the transition to “Technical Intern Training (ii)” will be available for those residing with the statusof residence “Technical Intern Training (i) ” as of the enforcement date of the act. On the other hand, the transition to “Technical InternTraining (iii)” is limited to a certain scope for those residing with the status of residence “Technical Intern Training (ii) ” as of theenforcement date of the revised act.

Entry Enforcement date (scheduled in 2027)① If you enter Japan before theenforcement date and are engaged intechnical intern training as of that date, youwill be able to continue your technical interntraining.

Application

EntryDeparture

Entry② As long as you apply for accreditation of your technical intern training plan
(Note 2) before the enforcement date, you may be able to enter Japan as atechnical intern trainee after that date.
(Note 2) Accrediation is made only for technical intern training plans that start
the training within 3 months from the enforcement date.
Technical intern training plans may be accredited after the enforcement date.

If you complete your technical intern training and leave Japan before theenforcement date, you will not be allowed to enter Japan as a technical interntrainee (Note 3).
(Note 3) Depending on the period of technical intern training and job
categories, you may be allowed to enter Japan under ESD program.

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