How do you prepare for a suspension of intake under 特定技能 or 技能実習?

This article is a translation of the Japanese original. Where the two differ, the Japanese version prevails. Read the Japanese original（日本語版を読む）

What is this guide about?

A guide for staff at companies that take on foreign nationals under 技能実習 or 特定技能, or that plan to.

Why did new intake stop in the food service field?

Because the projected intake was expected to reach its upper limit of 50,000 people (受入れ見込数5万人), and the issue of 在留資格認定証明書 (Certificates of Eligibility) was suspended from 13 April 2026 (令和8年4月13日).

In the food service field, the number of people residing under 在留資格「特定技能1号」 was expected to reach the upper limit set for the projected intake, 50,000 people (受入れ見込数5万人の上限). Following this, the issue of 在留資格認定証明書 has been suspended from 13 April 2026 (令和8年4月13日). A suspension of issue because the upper limit has been reached is the first since the 特定技能 system was created.

• What has stopped　The issue of 在留資格認定証明書. In practice, you cannot recruit anyone new from overseas
• What has not stopped　For people already working in the food service field, extensions of the period of stay are being granted as usual. There is no obstacle to going on employing the people you already have
• When it may restart　The date has been published as "undecided", and the suspension is still in place as of August 2026

For a system that is presented as a way of easing labour shortages, this is a highly unusual situation. Please check the latest information published by the 出入国在留管理庁 (Immigration Services Agency of Japan) for whether intake is currently possible in each field.

When does a suspension of intake by administrative disposition happen?

When improper operation comes to light — unpaid wages, taking deposits, false entries in the records.

The 外国人技能実習機構 (Organization for Technical Intern Training) and the 厚生労働省 (Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare) are imposing 「受け入れ停止処分（認定取消）」 (suspension of intake, that is, withdrawal of accreditation) on companies that operate the system improperly, in order to secure a smooth move to the new system. In the administrative dispositions that have been published, the following reasons stand out.

• Unfair skimming and non-payment of wages　Cases where the company did not follow the rise in the minimum wage, and paid trainees only at the old level
• Taking deposits　Cases where the company worked together with a 送り出し機関 (sending organisation) and took a deposit from trainees, described as being "to stop them running away"
• False entries in the records　Cases where training diaries and wage ledgers were forged in order to escape an audit

Companies that receive these dispositions are completely barred, for the next 5 years, from taking on technical intern trainees and from taking on anyone under the new system.

Can intake stop because of a 送り出し機関?

Yes. If the 送り出し機関 you work with has its accreditation withdrawn, the entry of the trainees you are preparing for stops.

The risk of intake stopping does not lie in Japan alone. In the main sending countries, such as Vietnam and Myanmar, one 「送り出し機関」 after another has had its accreditation withdrawn. The Japanese authorities are also strengthening measures to blacklist sending organisations that charge unfair fees, and to stop new intake from them.

However good a company itself may be, if the local 送り出し機関 it works with receives a suspension, the entry of the trainees it was preparing for stops. Companies are now expected to check more strictly than before whether the local organisation is being run properly.

What will change when the 特定在留カード is introduced?

Because improper practice shows up in the data at once, decisions on suspension measures come sooner.

When the 「特定在留カード」 (Specified Residence Card), which combines the 在留カード (Residence Card) and the マイナンバーカード (My Number Card), is introduced, improper practice that used to come to light through checks such as audits held 1 time a year will instead be exposed in real time through digital linkage.

• Not being enrolled in social insurance　A missing enrolment shows up in the data at once, and if the company does not follow a recommendation to improve, suspension of intake is considered straight away
• Leaving a person's address unknown　If a trainee disappears and the company fails to make the notification, this comes to light at once from inconsistencies in the data

What should a company do from now?

3 things: watching the upper limits, going back over compliance, and preparing early for the 育成就労制度.

1. Watch the 「上限数」 (upper limits) in fields other than food service too
   The suspension in food service suggests that the same thing may spread to other fields, such as the manufacture of food and beverages, and agriculture. Recruitment plans need to be made with time to spare.
2. Go back over compliance
   "It has been fine like this until now" no longer works. Please check wages, working hours and living conditions again, all against the latest standards.
3. Prepare early for the 育成就労制度
   Rather than waiting for it to come into force in 2027, starting now to build a workplace that meets the standards of the new system — under which 転籍 (transfer to another workplace, that is, changing jobs) is allowed — is in the end the strongest defence against an administrative disposition.

To avoid a sudden suspension of intake, accurate information and legal management are essential. If you are worried about the risk of a suspension, please consult a specialist early on.

Frequently Asked Questions

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This article provides general information. Immigration rules change, and outcomes depend on individual circumstances. Please check the Immigration Services Agency website or consult a qualified specialist.
This page is a translation of the Japanese original. Where the two differ, the Japanese version prevails.