The Verdict: Need More Info
It turns on passing the sector skills test and a Japanese test, which are held abroad as well as in Japan. Find the tests for your sector and aim for type (ii) from the start.
Specified Skilled Worker covers sectors including nursing care, building cleaning, food manufacturing, food service, construction, agriculture, fishery, accommodation, car maintenance, aviation and shipbuilding. No degree is needed.
Type (i) is capped at five years and does not allow family. Specified Skilled Worker (i) time, like Technical Intern Training, does not count towards the five years in a work status that permanent residence needs, though it counts towards the ten years of residence. Type (ii) does count, has no five-year cap and lets family join; it is reached by a harder skills exam. A draft ordinance would give type (ii) a five-year period of stay from January 2027.