JLPT December exam closed for all levels (N1–N5); Immigration Services Agency recommends JFT-Basic for SSW and Employment for Skill Development

What changes

According to the Immigration Services Agency, applications for the December 2026 JLPT exceeded capacity and all levels N1–N5 closed before the application period ended. People who plan to take JLPT N4 or N5 for a "Specified Skilled Worker (i)" or "Employment for Skill Development (育成就労)" residence application are told that passing JFT-Basic at A2.2 or A1 also meets the requirement, and are encouraged to use it.

From

Published October 5, 2026.

Who

People considering JLPT N4/N5, and receiving organizations. JFT-Basic is also among the tests accepted as proof of A1-level Japanese for the "Student" status.

What to do

Check JFT-Basic dates and booking on the official site (the notice says it is generally held several times a month at 11 locations in Japan). On this site, see the Specified Skilled Worker and Study (language school) pages and the JFT-Basic application guide.

Read the announcement by Immigration Services Agency of Japan ↗

Source: Immigration Services Agency of Japan (published 2026-10-05) ・ Last checked: 2026-10-07