When hiring foreign workers at hotels, ryokan, and other lodging facilities, you need to check together whether the advertised position falls within the scope of duties for Specified Skilled Worker “accommodation,” the candidate’s exam and Japanese-language requirements, employment conditions, council membership, and support systems. Imai Administrative Scrivener Office accepts inquiries from companies nationwide about recruitment, job postings, and Status of Residence procedures, taking the specific facts of each case into account. Whether employment placement is available and its scope must be confirmed separately.
Preparing to hire for a hotel or ryokan starts with the planned placement
For recruitment at accommodation facilities, clarify the actual assignments, including front desk and customer service, as well as shifts, training and the required Japanese-language ability. The job posting should explain how the different duties relate to one another and whether night shifts are involved, so candidates understand the work. If the planned role is different from accommodation services—for example, if it is mainly room cleaning—also check the distinction between fields, including building cleaning.
Check duties and define roles around front desk work
For Specified Skilled Worker (i) in the accommodation field, the core duties are work involved in providing accommodation services at accommodation facilities, such as front desk work, planning and public relations, customer service, and restaurant service. The Immigration Services Agency’s Q&A states that the basic activity is engaging broadly in these duties, rather than performing only one specific duty. Do not assume that a position limited to room cleaning, bed-making, or work unrelated to accommodation services is eligible as described; check the actual proportion of duties and the work arrangements before designing the role.
Review candidate requirements and the job posting together
As a general rule, candidates must meet the accommodation-field Specified Skilled Worker skills test and Japanese-language requirements. Candidates who have satisfactorily completed Technical Intern Training (ii), for example, may be exempt from tests; check their residence history and completion status against supporting documents. Job postings and employment-conditions documents should accurately state the duties, workplace, wages, working hours, days off and scope of possible changes to duties. Also check consistency with contractual and legal requirements, including remuneration at least equivalent to that of Japanese workers.
Receiving-company requirements, council membership and support arrangements
In addition to meeting the standards for Specified Skilled Worker employment contracts and for the accepting organization, the receiving company must provide, at the time of the residence application, documentation showing that it is a member of the Accommodation Field Specified Skilled Worker Council. For Specified Skilled Worker (i), a support plan must be prepared and implemented. Even if support duties are entrusted to a Registered Support Organization, check the validity of its registration, the scope and cost of the services, membership in the accommodation-field council, and the division of responsibilities for communications and notifications before signing a contract. The Japan Tourism Agency states that, from June 15, 2024, proof of council membership is required even for first-time acceptance.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can we recruit under Specified Skilled Worker (Accommodation) for hotel room cleaning alone?
In the accommodation field, core duties involve providing accommodation services, such as front desk work, planning and public relations, customer service, and restaurant service. A position focused solely on cleaning is not automatically treated as eligible; we assess the actual duties to determine whether the candidate will undertake a broad range of accommodation services.
If we entrust support to a Registered Support Organization, does the receiving company no longer need to make its own checks?
When all support-plan duties are entrusted to a Registered Support Organization, the receiving company is treated as meeting the support-system standards. However, the company cannot leave to the organization all checks that remain the company’s responsibility, including employment contracts, proper acceptance, council membership and notifications. We check the registration’s validity and the division of responsibilities.
Are personnel placement and consultations about status of residence applications the same service?
They are different. Paid employment placement is a business requiring authorization under the Employment Security Act, while preparing documents and providing procedural advice concerning status of residence are separate roles performed by an administrative scrivener. This website does not assume that we conduct placements, hold an employment-placement license, or can immediately introduce personnel. Please ask us individually about recruitment or procedural consultations.
Official Resources and Related Consultation Services
Systems and public consultation services may change. Please check the latest official information when proceeding with an application. Public consultation services are separate from our office.
- Japan Tourism Agency | Accepting Foreign Workers in the Accommodation Field (Status of Residence: Specified Skilled Worker)
- Immigration Services Agency of Japan | Q&A on the Specified Skilled Worker System
- Immigration Services Agency of Japan | Basic Policy on the Operation of the Specified Skilled Worker Status of Residence System and Field-Specific Operational Policies
Let's start by organizing your hiring plan and job duties.
We accept inquiries from companies nationwide about hiring foreign workers, job openings, and checking statuses of residence. We do not guarantee successful recruitment or approval of a status of residence.
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