05/06/2026
(Translated and republished from a Yomiuri Shimbun Online article dated June 5, 2026)
Immigration Service Agency Checks All Japanese Language Test Results for SSW Applicants to Prevent Use of Forged Certificates
As part of efforts to combat the use of forged Japanese-language test certificates, Japan’s Immigration Service Agency (ISA) began a new procedure in January this year requiring verification of the examination results of every applicant for the Specific Skilled Worker (SSW) status of residence with the organizations that administer the language tests.
Previously, such inquiries were conducted only for selected cases. This allowed some foreign nationals to obtain SSW status using counterfeit certificates, raising concerns about the integrity of the immigration system. The ISA stated, “We intend to respond rigorously in order to maintain confidence in the residence status system.” (Yuki Nagasawa, The Yomiuri Shimbun)
Two Main Routes to Obtain SSW Status
There are two primary pathways for obtaining SSW status.
The first is the “Technical Internship Route,” under which foreign nationals who have accumulated approximately three years of practical work experience under Japan’s Technical Internship Trainee Program (TITP) may transition to SSW status without taking additional examinations.
The second is the “Examination Route,” which requires applicants to pass both a Japanese-language proficiency test equivalent to everyday conversational ability and a skills examination relevant to their intended field of employment.
When the SSW system was introduced in 2019, more than 90 percent of SSW holders came through the Technical Internship Route. However, the Examination Route has expanded steadily as foreign workers seek higher wages and better opportunities without waiting three years to complete the TITP.
In 2019, only 115 foreign nationals held SSW status through the Examination Route, representing approximately 7 percent of all SSW holders. By 2024, the number had exceeded 100,000, and in 2025 it reached 182,248, accounting for 47 percent of all SSW holders. The ISA reportedly reviews tens of thousands of applications annually.
For applications submitted through the Examination Route, the ISA determines eligibility based on documents including Japanese-language test certificates and employment contracts with prospective employers.
Verification Expanded to All Applicants
Until recently, the ISA conducted verification inquiries with testing organizations only in selected cases, citing concerns over administrative burdens on both immigration officials and examination providers.
However, last year the Osaka Prefectural Police uncovered a case involving Vietnamese nationals who had obtained SSW status using forged Japanese-language test certificates. The investigation revealed that immigration authorities had failed to detect the counterfeit documents.
In response, the ISA changed its procedures in January and began verifying the examination results of all SSW applicants.
Since the implementation of the new policy, several applicants have submitted forged certificates, and their applications have been denied. The agency has stated that when a certificate is confirmed to be fraudulent, the matter may be referred to law enforcement authorities as appropriate.
The Japanese-language examinations accepted for SSW applications include the Japanese-Language Proficiency Test (JLPT), administered by organizations including Japan Educational Exchanges and Services (JEES), and the Japan Foundation Test for Basic Japanese (JFT-Basic), administered by the Japan Foundation.
Both organizations confirmed to The Yomiuri Shimbun that they are cooperating with the verification requests.
The ISA is also coordinating with the ministries responsible for various occupational skills examinations to establish a similar system for verifying all skills test certificates submitted in support of SSW applications.
About the Specific Skilled Worker Status
The Specific Skilled Worker status of residence was established in 2019 to address labor shortages in designated industries.
SSW (i) covers 16 sectors, including construction, nursing care, and the food-service industry, and allows foreign nationals to stay in Japan for up to five years.
SSW (ii), which requires more advanced skills, currently covers 11 sectors and effectively provides a pathway to long-term residence in Japan.
Vietnamese Fraud Case Prompted Stricter Screening
The forged-certificate case that prompted the stricter verification procedures resulted in the prosecution of three Vietnamese nationals on charges including violations of the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act through false applications. All three were convicted, with suspended sentences.
One man in his thirties submitted a forged JFT-Basic certificate to the ISA and obtained SSW status, allowing him to work in Japan.
The other two individuals acted as a procurement agent and intermediary. A woman in her thirties who procured the forged documents obtained counterfeit certificates for two individuals claiming to have passed the Nursing Care Japanese Language Evaluation Test, a qualification required for SSW employment in the nursing care sector.
During questioning at the Osaka District Court, she testified that she had arranged forged certificates for “fewer than 30 people.”
In its April ruling, the court noted that the forged documents were “presented in a form that could not easily be identified as counterfeit” and had “a considerable adverse impact on the immigration control system.”
In connection with the same series of cases, Osaka Prefectural Police also arrested other Vietnamese nationals who allegedly obtained SSW status fraudulently through the use of proxy test-takers in Japanese-language examinations.
The incidents have raised concerns about the credibility of Japanese-language testing systems.
In response, the Japan Foundation has strengthened identity verification procedures by photographing examinees and their residence cards at test venues on examination days and comparing the records to prevent impersonation and other forms of examination fraud.
【読売新聞】 日本語試験の合格証明書の偽造対策として、出入国在留管理庁は今年１月から、在留資格「特定技能」の申請者全員の合格状況を日本語試験の運営団体に照会する運用を始めた。従来は一部の照会にとどまり...
