From April 1, 2026: quarterly → once a year, due May 31 of the following year
The Immigration Services Agency (ISA) substantially revised the periodic reporting rules of the Specified Skilled Worker (SSW) system as of April 1, 2026. Until then, accepting organizations (host companies or sole proprietors) had to report the status of acceptance, activities and support once every quarter; the filing due by April 15, 2025 was the last quarterly one. Under the new rules, the reporting period is consolidated into one year running from April 1 to March 31 of the following year, and the submission window is once a year, ending May 31 of the following year (or the next business day if May 31 falls on a weekend or holiday). Fewer filings means each filing now covers twelve months of records, so day-to-day record keeping matters more than before. Where all support is outsourced to a registered support organization, that organization's support implementation record (reference forms 3-6 Attachments 1 and 2) must also be compiled and submitted by the accepting organization. To smooth the transition, ISA has released preparation guidelines (January 26, 2026), revised document checklists, awareness leaflets, a list of common mistakes (May 8), a Q&A and a notice on attachments (May 20), and video guides for online filing (April 28). Ad-hoc reports — for changes or termination of employment contracts, difficulty continuing acceptance, and similar events — remain unchanged and keep their own deadlines, such as within 14 days of the triggering event.
The filings are the employer's job, but the consequences land on the worker. ISA states plainly that if an accepting organization fails to file properly, it can no longer accept Specified Skilled Worker employees — so if a company you plan to move to has neglected its reports, the hire itself may stall. Likewise, when all support is outsourced but the support implementation record is never submitted, the registered support organization's registration can be revoked, which may abruptly change the counter you rely on for daily-life consultations or Japanese-language support. If you resign, or if something keeps you from working for a month or more (injury or illness at work or in private life, leave for pregnancy, childbirth or childcare, a production-line cutback), the company must file a "difficulty in continuing acceptance" report within 14 days — regardless of whether you actually leave. That report is not a penalty against you; it is the formal trigger for support and job-transfer assistance. Because filings are now annual, the company must hold a full year of records, so keeping your own copies of payslips, working-hour records and interview notes is a sensible safeguard.
Japan's Immigration Services Agency published an 80-item Q&A on Ikusei Shuro, the work status starting April 1, 2027: three years of training toward Specified Skilled Worker (i) level, conditional worker-initiated transfers, and pre-launch filings from 2026.
Japan's Ikusei Shuro system starts April 1, 2027: A1-level Japanese before work and A2 within three years. The Immigration Services Agency has published a June 2026 list of institutions offering the required courses.
OTIT has published the sector operational guidelines for logistics and warehousing under Japan's Employment for Skill Development system, due to start in April 2027 with extra standards for supervisors.