From Technical Intern Training to Ikusei Shuro

From Technical Intern Training to Ikusei Shuro

Per October 2026, the Technical Intern Training Program (技能実習, ginou jisshuu) is in its final months. From 1 April 2027, it is replaced by the Employment for Skill Development system (育成就労, ikusei shuurou). The course "Mengenal Jalur Kerja ke Jepang" gave a short overview. This course looks more closely at how the new system works and what it means for you as a candidate.

Why Japan changed the system

Technical Intern Training officially aimed at international cooperation: interns learned skills in Japan and took them home. In practice, many interns worked in industries that needed workers, and several problems were reported over the years:

• Interns could, in principle, not change employers, even when working conditions were poor.
• Some interns paid large fees to brokers and started work in Japan with debts.
• Learning Japanese was not a clear goal of the program.
• The skills learned did not always lead to a longer career in Japan.

After a review by a government expert panel, a law revising the immigration act was promulgated on 21 June 2024. The government then decided the basic policy (March 2025) and the field-specific policies (January 2026) for the new system.

The new purpose

Ikusei Shuro states openly what it is for: to develop and secure talent in industrial fields that face labor shortages. Workers are hired as employees, build skills over about three years, and aim to reach the level of Specified Skilled Worker i (特定技能1号, tokutei ginou ichigou). In other words, the system is designed as the first step of a career in Japan, not a one-time training visit.

Main differences at a glance

Some things stay the same: each worker is accepted through a written plan approved by a public body, and family members cannot join the worker in Japan under this status.

Rules may still change before and after April 2027. Check the latest information on moj.go.jp/isa and mhlw.go.jp.