Japan Work Visa for Pakistanis: SSW Tests, No Agent Needed and How to Apply
Japan Specified Skilled Worker visa for Pakistanis: JFT-Basic or JLPT N4, skills tests, the Pakistan and Japan MoC, CoE steps, protector fee and deposit scams.
To work in Japan under the Specified Skilled Worker (SSW) route from Pakistan, you pass two tests, a Japanese language test (JFT-Basic or JLPT N4) and a skills test in your field, sign a contract with a Japanese company, and apply for a visa once Japan's immigration agency issues a certificate of eligibility. Pakistanis do not have to use an agent, and nobody may take a deposit from you.
Pakistan signed a Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) on SSW with Japan on 23 December 2019 in Islamabad. The route is small but growing. The Bureau of Emigration and Overseas Employment (BEOE) registered 900 Pakistanis for jobs in Japan in 2022, then 1,184 in 2023, 1,518 in 2024 and 2,244 in 2025. From January to August 2026, it registered 1,171. Those figures cover every route to Japan, not only SSW.
We read the Immigration Services Agency of Japan's page on Pakistan, its SSW support website and test schedules, the 2023 commitments exchanged with Pakistan, and the Japanese Embassy in Islamabad's guidance on 30 September 2026. On the Pakistani side, we read the BEOE and Overseas Employment Corporation (OEC) websites.
Japan's Specified Skilled Worker visa in brief
Specified Skilled Worker is a Japanese residence status for work, not training. SSW (i) lets you work for up to five years in total without your family. SSW (ii), for more advanced skills, has no upper limit and allows your family to join you. You are paid the same as Japanese workers.
The SSW support website of the Immigration Services Agency lists 19 fields for SSW (i). They include nursing care, building cleaning, construction, industrial product manufacturing, farming, fishing, food and beverage manufacturing, hotels, car repair, aviation, truck and taxi driving, and railways. On 30 September 2026, it also said food service was not accepting new applications.
| Feature | SSW (i) | SSW (ii) |
|---|---|---|
| How long you can stay | Up to 5 years in total | No upper limit |
| Family | Cannot join you | Can join you |
| Tests | Japanese language test and skills test | SSW (ii) skills test, sometimes with work experience |
| Pay | Same as Japanese workers | Same as Japanese workers |
SSW is different from Technical Intern Training, which the embassy describes as on-the-job training that transfers skills to Pakistan. Interns who complete Technical Intern Training (ii) can skip the SSW (i) tests in the same field.
The Japanese language and skills tests
For SSW (i), you need the Japan Foundation Test for Basic Japanese (JFT-Basic) or the Japanese-Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) at N4 or higher, plus a skills test for your field. Nursing care also needs a separate care language test. Truck, taxi, bus and train driving jobs need JLPT N3.
Some tests are held in Pakistan. The SSW support website's schedule, updated 17 September 2026, lists JFT-Basic dates in Pakistan on 5 and 16 September 2026, and nursing care test dates in Pakistan in September and October 2026. Other fields may only test in Japan or other countries. Check each test body's own site before you book.
- Pick your field from the official SSW list.
- Pass JFT-Basic or JLPT N4 (N3 for driving and railway jobs).
- Pass the skills test for that field.
- Find a Japanese employer and pass its interview.
- Sign a contract that states your job, place of work and salary in writing.
The tests cost money, the Immigration Services Agency says, but fees differ by test and country. We did not find a fee for the Pakistan sittings on an official Japanese page, so we do not give one. Book the language test early, because dates in Pakistan are few.
How to apply from Pakistan, step by step
After you sign a contract, the Japanese company applies to a Regional Immigration Services Bureau for your Certificate of Eligibility (CoE). That takes one to three months. With the CoE, you apply for your visa at the Japanese Embassy in Islamabad or the Japanese Consulate in Karachi, then register with the Protector before you fly.
The Immigration Services Agency's Pakistan page says something important. Pakistanis do not have to use a licensed Overseas Employment Promoter (OEP) for SSW. Using one is optional. If you do use an agent, it must be on BEOE's list of active OEPs, which the Japanese agency links to itself.
You can find a job directly through a Japanese company, at job fairs for foreign nationals, or through a sending organisation. The company must give you a written notice of your working conditions. Read it before you sign. The support website also points workers to a list of things Japanese companies must not do.
What the Pakistan and Japan MoC protects you from
The MoC exists to keep bad brokers out of SSW. Japan's four agencies, the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare and the National Police Agency, agreed with Pakistan's Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development to share information on deposits, penalty clauses and rights abuses by brokers.
The Japanese Embassy's guidance sets the rules plainly. You should not pay a deposit. You should not sign a contract that makes you pay a penalty. Any costs you do pay, such as travel, must be agreed in advance. Food and housing charges in Japan must be written down and close to the real cost.
On 27 October 2023, the two governments also exchanged notes on BEOE's duties. BEOE approves sending organisations, publishes their names, and investigates any agency Japan reports for improper activity. It can revoke an approval and tell Japan.
- A "security deposit" or "guarantee money". The MoC and the embassy both rule this out.
- A contract with a penalty if you leave. Walk away.
- "No test needed". SSW (i) needs both tests unless you finished Technical Intern Training (ii).
- An agent not on BEOE's active list. Check the licence with the steps to check an overseas job agency.
Protector registration and fees in Pakistan
A Japan work visa does not replace Pakistan's emigration step. Register with a Protectorate of Emigrants office before you fly. BEOE's fee is Rs 9,200 if you found the job yourself, or Rs 22,200 through a licensed agent, including the agent's Rs 15,000 service charge.
| Fee item | Direct employment | Through a licensed agent |
|---|---|---|
| Agent service charges | None | Rs 15,000 |
| Welfare fund | Rs 4,000 | Rs 4,000 |
| Insurance premium | Rs 2,500 | Rs 2,500 |
| Registration fee | Rs 2,500 | Rs 500 |
| OEC fee | Rs 200 | Rs 200 |
| Total | Rs 9,200 | Rs 22,200 |
Bring your visa, passport, CNIC, signed contract and State Life insurance certificate. The steps are in how to get emigrant protection. BEOE also lists a Community Welfare Attaché in Tokyo for Pakistani workers in Japan.
Other countries run their own legal routes with their own rules. The Portugal work visa for Pakistanis is one. None of them asks for a deposit to hold your place.
Common questions
Which Japanese test do Pakistanis need for SSW?
JFT-Basic or JLPT N4 or higher, plus a skills test in your field. Driving and railway jobs need JLPT N3.
Do I need an agent for a Japan SSW job from Pakistan?
No. Japan's Immigration Services Agency says using a Pakistani licensed agent is optional for SSW.
Can I take my family to Japan on SSW?
Not on SSW (i). Family can join you on SSW (ii), which needs more advanced skills.
How long does the Certificate of Eligibility take?
One to three months, according to the SSW support website, so the company should apply early.
Can an agent ask me for a deposit for a Japan job?
No. The Japanese Embassy says SSW workers should not pay a deposit or sign a contract with penalty payments.
How long can I work in Japan on SSW (i)?
Up to five years in total. SSW (ii) has no upper limit.
How we verified this
What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.
Last checked on 30 September 2026. SSW status, fields, tests, the CoE time and contract advice are read on the Immigration Services Agency's SSW support website, including its test schedule updated 17 September 2026. The MoC date, its aims, the optional use of agents and the 2023 note on BEOE's duties are read on the agency's Pakistan page. The deposit and penalty rules are read on the Japanese Embassy in Islamabad's guidance dated March 2020, which lists 14 fields; the agency's site now lists 19. Pakistani fees, protection steps, the Tokyo welfare attaché and Japan figures are read on the Bureau of Emigration's website. We could not read the MoC text itself, because Japan's PDF is a scanned image.
About the author
Public Services and Education Journalist
Fajr Riaz is a journalist and content writer at Pakistan Era, based in Lahore. She covers the questions people meet in everyday life in Pakistan: how a public service works, what a change in the rules means, and where to find a reliable answer.
