Eligibility Requirements for the “Automotive Maintenance” Specified Skilled Worker Program: Why Are the Companies’ Requirements So Strict?

The “Automotive Maintenance” category under the Specified Skilled Worker program imposes numerous field-specific requirements not only on foreign nationals themselves but also on the host companies and the registered support organizations responsible for providing assistance. Requirements include being a certified repair shop, joining the relevant council prior to application, and ensuring that the contracted registered support organization has a certified automotive technician on staff. In this article, we will explain the rationale behind these requirements. We will also introduce practical approaches to meeting the certified automotive technician requirement for registered support organizations that were actually approved in cases handled by our firm.

Requirements for Foreign Nationals and the Types of Work They May Perform

Foreign nationals are required to provide proof of both their skills and their Japanese language proficiency.

The types of work they can perform include daily inspections and maintenance, periodic inspections and maintenance, and specific maintenance, as well as related tasks. The operational guidelines cite the maintenance of electronic control systems and bodywork and painting as examples of related tasks. For more details on whether foreign workers with “Specific Skilled Worker” status can be assigned to bodywork and painting duties, please refer to our separate article titled “Can Foreign Workers with ‘Specific Skilled Worker’ Status Be Assigned to Bodywork and Painting?”

Why Are the Company’s Requirements So Stringent?

In the automotive maintenance sector, the following requirements are imposed on host companies.

Why Certified Workshops Are Needed

One of the main tasks performed by foreign nationals with “Specified Skilled Worker” status is “specified maintenance.” This involves maintenance that requires the removal of critical safety components, such as brakes and steering wheels, and by law, it can only be performed at certified facilities.

Since the “Automotive Maintenance” category of the Specified Skilled Worker program covers tasks that include specified maintenance, host workplaces are required to be certified. Therefore, under the current system, uncertified workshops that perform only bodywork and painting are not eligible to hire these workers.

Note that under the current Specified Skilled Worker program, workshops that have received limited certification—covering only specific types of equipment—are also eligible.

Reasons Why You Must Join the Council Before Applying

The Council is a mechanism established by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism to monitor hiring practices and conduct investigations and provide guidance to companies that hire foreign workers. As of June 15, 2024, even for first-time hires, a certificate of membership in the Council is required when applying for a status of residence.

In practice, there are cases where companies realize they have not yet joined the Council after extending a job offer and gathering the necessary documents. To be on the safe side, it is best to complete the membership application process early on, in parallel with the hiring process.

Requirements for Mechanics When Outsourcing to a Registered Support Organization

If the entire support plan is outsourced to a registered support organization, that organization must have on staff a person who meets one of the following criteria:

・A Level 1 or Level 2 automotive technician
・A person with at least five years of teaching experience at an automotive technician training facility

The registered support organization itself must also be a member of the council. Due to this requirement, even registered support organizations with a proven track record in other fields may not be able to provide support in the automotive maintenance field.

Do staff members need to be certified?

The requirement is that a mechanic “be assigned.” The operational guidelines also state that a support manager and support staff member must be “assigned as persons responsible for supporting foreign nationals,” meaning that the support manager or support staff member themselves do not need to be certified.

In a case handled by our firm, since one of the host company’s employees held a mechanic’s license, the requirement was met—and permission was granted—by having that individual enter into a service contract with the registered support organization. This is an example of how the requirement could be met through a service contract without having to hire the individual as a staff member of the registered support organization.

Please note that under the current notification, this requirement applies only when “all” support services are outsourced. It does not apply when the company provides the support in-house or outsources only a portion of the services.

Changes Effective April 2027

In accordance with the operational guidelines approved by the Cabinet on January 23, 2026, the following changes will take effect in April 2027 (the previous procedures will remain in effect until March 31, 2027).

・The job categories are divided into two: “Automotive Maintenance” and “Body Repair,” which involves panel beating, painting, and bodywork repairs. For more details, please see the separate article titled “Can Foreign Workers with ‘Specified Skilled Worker’ Status Be Entrusted with Panel Beating and Painting?”
・Body repair technicians will be added to the list of qualified personnel required at Registered Support Organizations. Specifically for the body repair category, individuals who have passed the Automotive Body and Electronic Control System Technician certification exam will also be recognized.
・The wording regarding technician requirements will change. Under the new operational guidelines, the phrase “when outsourcing the implementation of the support plan” is used, and the term “all” has been removed. The treatment of partial outsourcing must be confirmed pending revisions to the operational guidelines.
・The Training and Employment Program will begin. The job categories are the same as those for the Specified Skilled Worker program, and host companies are required to be certified repair shops.

We will update this article once revisions to the operational guidelines or procedures following the program’s launch are clarified.

Supporting Documents

This article is based on the following materials published as of November 2026.

• Operational Guidelines for Accepting Foreign Nationals with “Specified Skilled Worker” Status in Specific Fields (Automotive Maintenance Field), Revised February 15, Reiwa 6
• Operational Guidelines for the “Specified Skilled Worker” and “Training-Based Employment” Programs in the Automotive Maintenance Sector (Approved by the Cabinet on January 23, Reiwa 8)
• Operational Guidelines for the Training-to-Employment Program in Specific Fields (Automotive Maintenance Field), Partially Amended on September 30, Reiwa 8
• Japan Immigration Services Agency: “Automotive Maintenance Sector”

Whether an individual application is approved will be determined through a review based on the details of the application. If you have any questions regarding the acceptance process or how to select a registered support organization, please contact our office.