Whether your current employment isn't working out, your contract is ending, or you simply want a better opportunity, finding a new Specified Skilled Worker (SSW / 特定技能) employer in Japan is a process that rewards preparation. The good news: changing employers within your SSW field is fully legal, and Japanese labor law gives you real protections during the transition. The challenge: the job market for foreign workers in Japan still has many low-quality employers, scams, and middlemen who exploit job seekers' lack of information.
This guide gives you a complete picture of where SSW jobs are listed, what to look for in a job offer, what red flags should make you walk away, and how to evaluate any opportunity before signing.
Why Choosing the Right Next Employer Matters
The choice of employer affects far more than your monthly paycheck. Your SSW visa status is tied to your employment, so a bad employer choice can put your entire stay in Japan at risk. The right employer, conversely, sets you up for higher earnings, qualification advancement, eventually the move to SSW Type 2 (特定技能2号), and a stable long-term life in Japan.
Four areas your choice of employer affects
- Visa security: A compliant employer files all required notifications with the Immigration Services Agency, supports your renewals on time, and protects your status. A non-compliant employer can cause your status to lapse.
- Income and growth: Salary, allowances, overtime policy, and the path to higher pay differ enormously. The same SSW field can pay 30–40% more at a well-run company.
- Work-life conditions: Hours, days off, accommodation quality, treatment by supervisors, and access to support staff — all of these decide whether your years in Japan are good ones.
- Career trajectory: Some employers help you earn certifications (技能検定), prepare for the SSW Type 2 exam, and build experience that opens better roles. Others give you no growth path at all.
5 Main Channels to Find SSW Jobs in Japan
SSW jobs are listed across several channels. Each has its own strengths and weaknesses. The most successful job seekers use 2–3 channels in parallel rather than relying on just one.
| Channel | Strengths | Weaknesses |
|---|---|---|
| Hello Work (公共職業安定所) | Free, government-backed, large database, also handles unemployment insurance | Limited multilingual support outside major cities; generic listings |
| SSW-specialized agencies (e.g., TGP) | Free for workers, vetted employers, multilingual, faster placements | Limited to agency network; quality varies between agencies |
| Online job boards | Wide selection, search filters, transparent salary info | Hard to verify employers; many low-quality or expired listings |
| Direct company sites | You control the application; best fit if you know the company | Time-intensive; limited reach |
| Community referrals | Trusted information from current workers; honest insider view | Limited to your existing network; hard to scale |
Hello Work (公共職業安定所)
Hello Work is Japan's government-run employment service. Several major locations offer multilingual support specifically for foreign workers, including the Tokyo Foreign Employment Service Center (Roppongi), Osaka Foreign Employment Service Corner (Umeda), and Nagoya Foreign Employment Service Center. Even if your local office has limited multilingual support, registering for the Hello Work Internet Service gives you access to nationwide listings 24/7.
SSW-Specialized Job Placement Agencies (有料職業紹介事業者)
Licensed agencies (like TreeGlobalPartners) specialize in matching SSW-eligible workers with qualified employers. Legitimate agencies are paid by employers, not by workers — their service is always free for you. Look for: a publicly displayed license number (e.g., 13-ユ-317879), staff who speak your language, willingness to introduce you to multiple employers, and transparency about how they operate.
Online Job Boards
Major foreign-worker job boards in Japan include NINJA Career, GaijinPot Jobs, Tokyo Hive, Daijob, and JapanCity. These are useful for browsing market salary ranges and discovering employers actively recruiting foreigners. Always cross-check job board listings against direct company information — some listings are recycled or outdated.
Direct Company Websites
Larger Japanese companies that hire SSW workers often have a recruitment page (採用情報 / Careers). Going direct is best when you know the company — for example, a chain hotel or a well-known construction firm. The downside is the time cost of researching companies one by one.
Community Referrals
Your network of fellow Vietnamese, Filipino, Indonesian, Nepali, or other foreign workers in Japan is a powerful information source. Workers who are happy at their company will often refer friends, and employers value referrals because they reduce hiring risk. Always cross-check community referrals with your own due diligence on contract terms.
Skip the Search — Let TGP Find the Right Employer for You
TreeGlobalPartners is a licensed placement agency (license 13-ユ-317879). We work with verified employers across multiple SSW fields and our service is completely free for foreign workers. Tell us your field, location preference, and salary expectations — we'll match you with the right opportunity.
Find a New Employer with TGP →Red Flags to Avoid in Any Job Listing
The presence of any of the following signs in a job listing or recruiter conversation should make you pause and investigate further. Some are signs of poor management; some are signs of outright illegality.
Red flag #1: Salary far above market average. If a SSW construction job advertises ¥400,000+/month for entry-level work when the field average is ¥220,000–¥280,000, this is almost always a scam, a misrepresentation, or work conditions you would not actually accept. Always cross-check against our SSW salary comparison.
Red flag #2: Vague or missing job description. A legitimate employer can describe the actual daily work in detail. If the recruiter only says "general work" or "support tasks", the actual role may be very different from what you signed up for.
Red flag #3: Demand for any payment from you. Asking for "introduction fees", "training fees", "deposit", "passport handling fee", or any other payment from you is illegal under Article 33-2 of Japan's Employment Security Act for licensed agencies. Refuse, walk away, and report it.
Red flag #4: No accommodation details when accommodation is promised. If the offer says "company housing provided" but the recruiter cannot tell you the address, room size, monthly cost, who you'll share with, or how transportation to work works, this is a sign of a problem.
Red flag #5: Pressure to sign immediately. "You must decide today" or "the offer expires tonight" is a high-pressure sales tactic, not how legitimate employment offers work. Legitimate employers expect you to read the contract, ask questions, and take a few days to decide.
Red flag #6: Refusal to put terms in writing. All major terms — salary, work hours, days off, accommodation, support arrangements — must be in your written employment contract (雇用契約書). Verbal promises that are not in writing have no legal force.
Green Flags — What a Legitimate SSW Job Offer Looks Like
A good SSW job offer has these specific characteristics. The more of them you see, the more likely the employer is one you can trust.
Green flag #1: Clear written employment contract (雇用契約書) provided in advance, with translation in your language available on request. The employer expects you to read it carefully and ask questions.
Green flag #2: Specific job duties that match your SSW field skills certificate. The employer can describe what you will be doing on Day 1, Day 30, and Day 365.
Green flag #3: Pay equal to or above your prefecture's minimum wage, AND comparable to what Japanese workers in the same role earn at the same company. The Specified Skilled Worker basic standards (特定技能基準省令) require this.
Green flag #4: A named registered support organization (登録支援機関) or in-house support team identified, with contact information you can reach independently. You should know who to call when you need help.
Green flag #5: The company is verifiably real — you can find their corporate registration on the National Tax Agency website (国税庁法人番号公表サイト), they have a real physical address, they've been in business for several years, and they have a documented track record with foreign workers.
Recommended Job Search Timeline
Plan your job search backwards from your current contract end date or the date you want to start the new role. Acting too late puts you in the financial pressure of unemployment; acting too early may waste effort on opportunities that won't be available when you're ready.
3 months before contract end (or before you want to leave)
Update your Japanese-style resume (履歴書) and work history (職務経歴書). Begin researching the market — salary ranges in your field, regions you might consider, types of employers. Reach out to 2–3 placement agencies and register for Hello Work Internet Service.
2 months before
Start active applications. Contact employers and agencies for interviews. The 3-month rule means you can stay legally on SSW for up to 3 months without an employer in some circumstances, but this is not a buffer you should use casually — it is a safety net for genuine emergencies.
1 month before
Final negotiations on salary and start date. Confirm the new employer is preparing the visa change paperwork. Begin handover at your current job. If you are dismissed before your planned change, see our What to Do If You Are Fired guide.
Documents to Have Ready
Have these documents prepared before you start applying. Most can be obtained from your current employer or from your local ward office.
- Updated 履歴書 (Japanese-style resume) — templates are available online; use the standard JIS format
- 職務経歴書 (work history) — describe your duties, achievements, and certifications
- Copy of your Residence Card (在留カード) — both sides
- SSW skills exam certificate (技能評価試験合格証明書) — for your specific field
- JLPT N4 or JFT-Basic A2 certificate — or higher Japanese certification
- Recent payslips (last 3 months) — confirms your current salary level
- Tax certificates — 源泉徴収票 (annual tax statement) and 住民税課税証明書 (residence tax certificate)
- Recent 在留期間更新許可 (visa renewal record) if you've been renewed before
- Passport-size photographs — some employers require these for application
How to Evaluate a Job Offer (6-Step Checklist)
When you receive a written offer, do not sign immediately. Use this 6-step checklist to verify the offer is solid. If anything fails, raise it with the employer or move on.
Verify the company is real and registered
Search for the company on the National Tax Agency's corporate number publication site (国税庁法人番号公表サイト). Confirm the company name matches exactly, the registered address matches, and the company is currently active. Look up the company on Google Maps to confirm the address is a real business location.
Check the contract terms in Japanese AND your language
The employment contract (雇用契約書) is the legally binding document. Ask for it in advance — not to sign on the spot. Confirm that the terms in your language version match the Japanese version exactly. Pay attention to: salary, work hours, days off, overtime calculation, accommodation cost, notice period for termination.
Confirm the support organization details
SSW Type 1 employers must provide support either in-house (only for qualifying companies) or through a registered support organization (登録支援機関). Get the support organization's name, address, and contact details. Verify they are registered on the Immigration Services Agency's public list.
Verify accommodation arrangements
If accommodation is provided, get the address, monthly cost (deducted from salary or separately paid), room size, who you'll share with, distance and transport to work, deposit/key money requirements, and conditions for moving out. The accommodation should be reasonable in cost relative to local rents.
Confirm the overtime policy and calculation
Japanese law requires overtime pay at 25% above base for hours over 8/day or 40/week, 35% above base for late-night work (10pm–5am), and 35% above base for legal holidays. Confirm in writing how overtime is calculated and paid.
Compare against the prefectural minimum wage and same-field salary data
Look up the minimum wage for the prefecture (each prefecture sets its own; ranges from around ¥920/hour in lower-cost areas to ¥1,170/hour in Tokyo for 2025–2026). Compare the offered salary against this minimum and against the field average from our SSW salary comparison guide.
Why Working with TGP is Different
TreeGlobalPartners is a licensed job placement agency (有料職業紹介事業者, license number 13-ユ-317879) based in Tokyo. We work specifically with foreign workers in Japan and the employers who want to hire them well.
- Free for workers, always: We charge employers a placement fee. We never ask workers for money — not for placement, not for support, not for anything.
- Employer vetting: Before introducing a worker to an employer, we verify the company's registration, tax compliance, prior worker reviews, and SSW track record.
- Multilingual staff: Our team supports Vietnamese, Indonesian, Filipino, Nepali, and several other languages in addition to English and Japanese.
- Group company support: Our group includes a registered immigration specialist (行政書士法人Tree) who handles visa applications, status changes, and registered support — a true one-stop service.
- Long-term placements: We focus on placements that work for both worker and employer over years, not just initial sign-ons.
Frequently Asked Questions
Summary
- Changing SSW employers is legal — you have real protections, but you also have responsibilities to act quickly and document everything
- Use 2–3 channels in parallel: Hello Work, SSW agencies (like TGP), online boards, direct company sites, and community referrals
- Six red flags to walk away from: salary far above market, vague job description, payment demands, missing accommodation details, pressure to sign, refusal to put terms in writing
- Five green flags to look for: written contract in your language, specific job duties, market-or-above pay, named support organization, verifiable real company
- Timeline: start 3 months before contract end, active applications at 2 months, finalize and switch at 1 month
- Documents to prepare: 履歴書, 職務経歴書, Residence Card copy, skills exam cert, JLPT/JFT cert, payslips, tax certificates
- Six-step offer evaluation: verify company, check contract bilingually, confirm support org, verify accommodation, confirm overtime, compare against minimum wage
- Legitimate placement agencies are free for workers — if anyone asks for money, refuse and report it
- SSW Type 1 visa allows approximately 3 months grace period after employment ends — use this only as a safety net
- TreeGlobalPartners offers free placement to foreign workers, with verified employers and group-company visa support
Finding a new SSW employer is a process you can control. The information and protections are there — you just need to use them. Whether you choose to search on your own through Hello Work and online boards, or work with a placement agency like TGP, the same principles apply: verify the employer, get terms in writing, compare against market data, and never pay anyone for placement.
Find a Better SSW Employer Through TreeGlobalPartners
If you've decided it's time for a change, we can help. Our placement service is completely free for foreign workers, and we work only with verified employers across multiple SSW fields. Tell us what you're looking for — we'll match you with the right opportunity.
Get Free Job Placement Support →Disclaimer: Information in this article is accurate as of May 2026 and is based on Japan's Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act, Employment Security Act, Labor Standards Act, and related regulations as currently in force. The SSW framework, employer requirements, and immigration policies are subject to ongoing government review and change. Always verify current requirements with the Immigration Services Agency and the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare. This article is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal or immigration advice.