Japan wood industry Specified Skilled Worker: council rules

A wood industry employer hiring a Specified Skilled Worker (i) must join the Wood Industry SSW Council, set up by MAFF, before filing any residence application, and the workplace must run an eligible industry such as sawmilling or plywood. Without the membership certificate the application fails the sector standard.

Why an application before council membership fails

The wood industry sector policy was adopted by Cabinet decision on 29 March 2024, and the joint Ministry of Justice and MAFF sector guideline was published on 30 September 2024. MAFF Notice No. 1780 of 2024 sets the sector standards, and its article 3 requires council membership.

The employer must join the Wood Industry SSW Council (木材産業特定技能協議会) before filing any residence application for the worker. A certificate of council membership goes to the regional immigration services bureau (地方出入国在留管理局) with the sector pledge form (分野参考様式第18-1号). A sawmill that files first has no certificate to attach, fails the article 3 standard and cannot accept the worker.

Where a registered support organisation (登録支援機関) is entrusted with the whole support plan, that organisation must itself cooperate with MAFF and the council. The employer writes this duty into the support contract when it chooses the organisation.

Eligible industries and permitted work

Under article 2 of the Notice, acceptance is limited to workplaces running the following Japan Standard Industrial Classification (JSIC) codes.

Sites that only sort or pack are also excluded. Before applying, the employer checks the JSIC code of the exact workplace where the worker will be employed and the work actually done at that site. The main work is wood processing. Log receiving, inspection, shipping and cleaning are allowed only alongside it, never as the sole duty.

Proof of skill and the document set

The worker needs the Wood Industry SSW (i) Skills Test (木材産業特定技能1号測定試験) plus the JFT Basic or the JLPT at N4 or higher.

Good completion of technical intern training (ii) in wood processing, mechanical sawing waives both tests. Completion in any other occupation waives the Japanese tests only. Proof of good completion is the practical test certificate of the wood processing intern evaluation test (expert level), or else an evaluation report (参考様式第1-2号).

The main documents prepared before filing:

• certificate of membership of the Wood Industry SSW Council
• sector pledge form (分野参考様式第18-1号)
• skills test and Japanese test certificates, or the intern practical test certificate or evaluation report (参考様式第1-2号)

The dispatch ban and no Specified Skilled Worker (ii)

Article 1 of the Notice bans dispatch. Dispatching a Specified Skilled Worker (i), or accepting one by dispatch, bars further acceptance for five years. The sector admits Specified Skilled Worker (i) only, and Specified Skilled Worker (ii) is not available, so long term staffing plans rest on the (i) period of stay.

The Immigration Services Agency sector page, stated as current on 30 September 2024, lists a five year intake estimate of 5,000 Specified Skilled Worker (i) holders.

Related reading on manufacturing hires: machine operators in general manufacturing and CNC operators in European manufacturing. Open roles are on the job board. The primary sources are the sector operating guidelines and the sector policy.