[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":42},["ShallowReactive",2],{"news-ssw-b1-requirement-start-2027-04-en":3},{"data":4},{"slug":5,"published_on":6,"announced_on":7,"effective_on":8,"is_pre_effective":9,"source_url":10,"updated_on":11,"verified_at":6,"title":12,"summary":13,"sum_what":14,"sum_when":15,"sum_who":16,"sum_todo":17,"body":18,"effective_note":19,"source_org":20,"source_title":21,"update_note":11,"content_lang":22,"exams":23,"purposes":30,"locales":34},"ssw-b1-requirement-start-2027-04","2026-10-12","2026-10-01","2027-04-01",true,"https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/03_00198.html",null,"Specified Skilled Worker (No. 2 and some No. 1 fields): Japanese \"B1 or equivalent\" to be required from April 2027","The Immigration Services Agency announced when it will start checking for Japanese at \"B1 or equivalent\". It applies to Certificate of Eligibility applications filed on or after April 1, 2027.","Checking for Japanese at \"B1 or equivalent\" begins.","For COE applications filed on or after April 1, 2027. How change-of-status and extension applications are handled is still under review and will be announced later.","Specified Skilled Worker (ii) applicants. For No. 1, the requirement in road transport (bus, taxi) and railway (transport staff) changed from JLPT N3 or higher to \"B1 or equivalent\".","If you plan to apply in these fields, check the Agency's guidance for which tests count as B1 and the required results. The page names no specific test.","The basis is the Cabinet meetings of March 11, 2025 (basic policy for SSW and Employment for Skill Development) and January 23, 2026 (field-specific operating policies). For No. 2, an amendment to the related ministerial ordinance takes effect on April 1, 2027. The announcement does not name which tests meet \"B1 or equivalent\".","COE applications from April 1, 2027 (change/extension: undecided)","Immigration Services Agency of Japan","Timing for confirming Japanese proficiency at \"B1 or equivalent\"","en",[24,27],{"slug":25,"name":26},"jlpt","Japanese-Language Proficiency Test (JLPT)",{"slug":28,"name":29},"jft-basic","JFT-Basic (Japan Foundation Test for Basic Japanese)",[31],{"key":32,"title":33},"ssw","Work as a Specified Skilled Worker (i)",[22,35,36,37,38,39,40,41],"fil","id","ja","ko","th","vi","zh-CN",1793099967245]