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Technical Intern Training Program

“Trainee” Status of Residence

Training Approved under the “Trainee” Status of Residence

Activities that are permitted under the “Trainee” status of residence are stipulated by a Ministerial Ordinance concerning landing criteria for “Trainees,” but the requirements differ between (1) cases that include off-the-job training only, but no on-the-job training and (2) cases that include on-the-job training.

1Training that does not include on-the-job training (off-the-job training only)

  • 1.Skills cannot be acquired merely by repeating the same task.
  • 2.The trainee is eighteen years of age or older and is slated to engage in work that makes use of the skills acquired in Japan, after returning to his/her country.
  • 3.The trainee aims to acquire skills that are difficult to acquire at his/her place of address.
  • 4.Training instructors are regular full-time employees of the accepting organization, having five years or more of experience in the skills to be acquired.
  • 5.When a trainee becomes unable to continue the program, the accepting organization promptly reports the relevant facts and countermeasures to the Regional Immigration Bureau.
  • 6.The accepting organization or placement agency adopts a measure for securing the travel fee for the trainee’s return home.
  • 7.The accepting organization prepares and provides a written document on the implementation status of training, and stores it for more than a year after completion of training.

In addition to the obligation to satisfy the above requirements, training that does not include on-the-job training is also bound by stipulations concerning improper conduct and provisions regarding reasons for the disqualification of managers, supervisors, and training instructors in accepting organizations.
It should be noted that in the recent amendment to the Immigration Control Act, the definition of off-the-job training has been made more specific than before, such that, for example, training in the manufacturing of trial products is no longer considered off-the-job training unless it is performed in a pre-established location that is separate from the place of products manufacture, or at a pre-established time that is separate from when products are manufactured.

2Training that includes on-the-job training

Training approved under the revised “Training” Status of Residence

Training that includes on-the-job training is restricted to those approved as public training, as prescribed in Ministerial Ordinance No. 5 concerning landing criteria for “Trainees.”

  • 1.Training that is implemented by a national government agency, local government organization, or independent administrative organization
  • 2.Training that is conducted as a business of Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO)
  • 3.Training that is conducted as a business of Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)
  • 4.Training that is conducted as a business of the Japan Oil, Gas and Metals National Corporation (JOGMEC) Technology Research Center
  • 5.Training that is conducted as a business of an international organization
  • 6.

    Training besides those specified above in items 1 to 5 that is conducted as a business principally managed with funding from a national or local government body in Japan, and whose accepting organization satisfies all of the following requirements

    • I.Accommodation and training facilities are available to trainees.
    • II.A living guidance instructor is appointed.
    • III.Safeguards are in place, such as the purchase of insurance against the death, illness, etc. of trainees.
    • IV.Health and safety measures are in place in training facilities.
  • 7.

    Training that is conducted by receiving full-time employees of national or local government bodies in a country outside of Japan

    • I.The accepting organization satisfies all of the additional requirements specified above in item 6.
  • 8.

    Training that is provided to individuals designated by national or local government bodies in a country outside of Japan, with assistance and guidance from the Japanese government, and satisfies all of the following requirements

    • I.Applicants engage in duties to widely disseminate skills in the location of their address.
    • II.The accepting organization satisfies all of the additional requirements specified above in item 6.
  • 9.The implementation of such public training is bound by the requirements specified in (1) to (7) under section 1 above, as well as by stipulations concerning improper conduct and provisions regarding reasons for the disqualification of managers, supervisors, training instructors, and living guidance instructors in accepting organizations.

(Reference) Activities under the “Training” Status of Residence after the July 2010 Amendment to the Immigration Control Act
A new status of residence called “Technical Intern Training” was established under the July 1, 2010 amendment to the Immigration Control Act, and the activities permitted under the “Trainee” status of residence were revised as “Activities to acquire skills, etc. at a public or a private organization in Japan (except for the activities listed in item (1) in the column under “Technical Intern Training” of Appended Table I (2) and in the column under “Student” in Appended Table I (4) of the Immigration Control Act).”
By this amendment, activities relating to “Technical Intern Training (i)” were excluded from the scope of activities that were permitted to be performed under the “Trainee” status of residence before the amendment, and activities applying under the “Trainee” status of residence after the amendment have been limited to training that does not involve on-the-job training whatsoever and public training that is conducted as an operation managed principally by funding from the national government or local government bodies.
The period of stay has not changed from before the amendment and remains as either one year or six months for the present “Trainee” Status of Residence.

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