The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries has instructed us to suspend the Skills Needed for Specific Activities No. 1 examination for the restaurant industry, both domestically and internationally. Therefore, we will suspend the reservation procedure for the said examination until further notice of resumption.
Regarding the Specified Skills in the Food Service Industry2The specified skills 1 and 2 examinations for the test and food and beverage manufacturing industry will proceed as scheduled, and we will accept the necessary procedures for exam reservations.
This suspension of the examination is due to the anticipated exceeding of the 5-year cap (50,000 individuals from fiscal year 2024 to 2028) set by the Japanese government for the number of foreign nationals with the Specified Skilled Worker (i) visa status in the restaurant industry. (*). The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries has not indicated when the examinations will resume.
For more details, please refer to the websites of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries and the Immigration Services Agency of Japan.
Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries announcementRegarding the acceptance of foreign human resources in the food service industry: Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries
Immigration Services Agency announcementOperational Guidelines for Acceptance Limits in the Specified Skills "Food Service Sector" | Immigration Services Agency of Japan
Regarding inquiries about this testing suspension policy,
Please use the inquiry form for the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Food Industry and Food Culture Division. (Link) Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and FisheriesContact Form
