SSW Exam Schedule in Vietnam and How to Change Employers on the Tokutei Gino Visa

Two questions come up constantly among Vietnamese workers preparing for the SSW (Tokutei Gino) visa: when exactly are the tests held in Vietnam, and what happens if you want to switch employers once you are already in Japan? Both questions have specific answers that matter enormously for planning.

SSW Skills Evaluation Tests in Vietnam: What Is Available and When

The SSW system requires two tests: a Japanese language test and an industry-specific skills evaluation test. These are separate examinations with different schedules and registration processes.

Japanese Language Tests

JFT-Basic (Japan Foundation Test for Basic Japanese) This is the preferred option for most SSW applicants. It is computer-based (CBT), results are available the same day, and it runs approximately five to six times per year in Vietnam. Testing venues include IIG Academy in Hanoi and IIG Vietnam in Ho Chi Minh City. The test fee is approximately 1.2 million VND.

The JFT-Basic assesses listening and reading at the A2 (CEFR) level, which corresponds roughly to JLPT N4. You do not need to choose between the JFT-Basic and JLPT — passing either one satisfies the language requirement.

JLPT (Japanese Language Proficiency Test) The JLPT runs twice a year in Vietnam — once in July and once in December — at major test centers in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. Registration windows open approximately two months before each test date. N4 is the minimum required level for SSW Type 1; N3 is strongly recommended for any role involving customer interaction.

For planning purposes: if you are targeting a departure in the first half of the year, the JFT-Basic is your only language test option unless you passed the JLPT the previous December.

Industry Skills Evaluation Tests

These are administered by sector-specific Japanese organizations and held at Prometric testing centers in Vietnam. Each industry has its own schedule, and dates are published on the Japanese Embassy in Vietnam's website as well as on each administering organization's portal.

Common industries with regular exam sessions in Vietnam:

• Food manufacturing and beverages (Inshokuryohin): Multiple times per year, announced by the administering body OTAFF. The exam covers 45 questions on hygiene, food safety, processing, and customer service.
• Construction (Building and Civil Engineering): Held several times annually; separate exams exist for different construction sub-specialties.
• Agriculture (Crop and Livestock): Schedule varies by specialty area.
• Nursing Care (Kaigo): Also requires the care worker's skills test in addition to a higher language standard; N4 with care-specific terminology is the practical minimum.
• Building Cleaning: Regular sessions throughout the year.

The specific exam dates for each industry change quarterly. The most reliable source is the official schedule published by the Japanese Embassy in Vietnam (vn.emb-japan.go.jp) and the OTIT portal. IIG Vietnam also maintains a local schedule for tests they administer.

Registration: Most industry tests register through Prometric's Vietnam portal or directly through the administering organization's Vietnamese language registration page. Slots fill quickly — especially for construction and food manufacturing in Hanoi — so register two to three months before your target date.

The TITP Exemption

If you completed TITP (or Ikusei Shuro from 2025 onward) at Type 2 level in the same industry where you want to work under SSW, you are exempt from both the skills test and the language test. The TITP completion certificate substitutes for both.

Changing Employers on the SSW Visa in Japan

This is one of the most significant legal changes the SSW system introduced compared to the old TITP framework. Under TITP, workers were essentially locked to their sending organization and the designated employer. Under SSW Type 1, you have the legal right to change employers — but only within the same designated industry.

How the Job Change Process Works

1. Find a new employer in the same industry. The job duties must remain within your designated SSW sector. A food manufacturing SSW worker cannot switch to construction, for example.

2. Notify your current employer. There is no legal obligation to give a specific notice period under SSW law, but your employment contract may specify one (often one to three months). Review your contract before beginning the process.

3. The new employer files a notification (届出) with the Regional Immigration Bureau. This is a change-of-employer notification, not a new visa application. Your current residence status remains valid.

4. Update your Registered Support Organization (RSO) if applicable. If your original employer contracted with an RSO to provide support services, the new employer must either continue that arrangement or engage a new one.

5. Update your address registration at city hall (役所) if you relocate. If the new job is in a different city, you must notify the local government within 14 days of moving.

The key point: your SSW visa itself does not expire or require renewal when you change employers. The visa status continues until its current expiry date.

What Is Not Allowed

• Moving to a different designated industry without passing that industry's skills test from scratch
• Working for two employers simultaneously without explicit permission (though some SSW categories permit side work with ISA approval)
• Taking work outside the designated SSW sector entirely (this is treated as a visa violation)

Job Change and the Ikusei Shuro Transition

For workers in the new Ikusei Shuro (training) program — the replacement for TITP — the right to change employers is more restricted than under SSW. The Ikusei Shuro framework allows a "right to transfer" (tenshoku) after one to two years, but only within the same industry and only if the worker has met both language and skill benchmarks. This is a significant improvement over TITP (which had no right to transfer at all) but still more restricted than the full SSW portability rights.

Renewing the SSW Visa and the Path to Permanent Residency

Renewal

SSW Type 1 visas are issued for periods of one, three, four, or six months to up to one year, renewable up to a total stay of five years. Renewal applications are submitted to the Regional Immigration Bureau where you reside in Japan, typically two to three months before expiry. Your employer supports the renewal with updated company documentation and proof of continued employment.

If you change employers between renewal cycles, the new employer handles the renewal support documentation.

SSW Type 2 and Permanent Residency

SSW Type 2 is the strategic endpoint for workers who want to stay in Japan long-term. It has no five-year cap, allows unlimited renewals, and permits family members — spouse and children — to live in Japan. As of 2025, eleven industries offer Type 2 status.

Transitioning from Type 1 to Type 2 requires:

• Passing the industry-specific "Grade 1" or advanced-level exam (tests management skills and advanced technical knowledge, not just operational skills)
• Demonstrating supervisory or team-leader experience in the relevant industry
• Maintaining a clean immigration compliance record throughout the Type 1 period

Once you hold SSW Type 2 and accumulate the required years of residency (generally ten years total, with the last five years under SSW or equivalent long-term status), you become eligible to apply for permanent residency. The HSP (Highly Skilled Professional) track offers a faster PR pathway for those who qualify, but SSW Type 2 is the more accessible route for the majority of Vietnamese workers in skilled labor categories.

The Vietnam to Japan Work Visa Guide includes the complete SSW application timeline, the exam registration links for each industry, and the documents required for both the initial application and renewal — organized by pathway so you can follow the section that applies to your specific industry.

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