The Technical Intern Training programme (技能実習) is abolished and replaced by Ikusei Shuro (育成就労) on 1 April 2027. Where the intern programme was framed as skills transfer, the new system is openly about recruiting and training workers: after three years, a worker who reaches the required skill and Japanese level can move to Specified Skilled Worker (i). The biggest change for workers is that changing employer at your own request becomes possible when conditions are met.
Starts
2027-04-01
Sectors
17
Years before transfer
1〜2
Who is affected
- •Technical interns already in Japan — there is a transition period, so the old system does not vanish overnight.
- •People preparing to come to Japan as interns from 2027 onwards.
- •Anyone planning to move up to Specified Skilled Worker (i) afterwards.
What to know
- ✓Transfers are allowed, but conditionally: within the same work category, after a set period of work (1–2 years depending on the field), meeting a skill standard, and to a receiving organisation that qualifies.
- ✓Japanese-language requirements are set at three stages: before entry, after one year, and at transition to Specified Skilled Worker.
- ✓The 17 eligible sectors were fixed by cabinet decision on 23 January 2026 — care, construction, agriculture, food manufacturing, food service, forestry, railways, logistics and others.
- ✓Operational detail sits in ministerial ordinances and guidance, so check the agency’s latest publication before signing anything.
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Build CV freeFrequently asked questions
Can a technical intern change employer?
Under Ikusei Shuro from 1 April 2027, yes, if conditions are met: the same work category, a set period of work in the 1–2 year range, a skill standard, and a qualifying new employer. Under the old intern programme, transfers were in principle not allowed.
When does the intern programme disappear?
The new system starts on 1 April 2027 with a transition period, so the old programme does not end on a single day.
What comes after Ikusei Shuro?
After three years, a worker meeting the skill and Japanese requirements can move to Specified Skilled Worker (i).
Source: Immigration Services Agency of Japan (出入国在留管理庁) · moj.go.jp/isa/03_00163.html