SSW visa: what level of Japanese do you really need?
12 Jun 2026 · 6 min read
The Specified Skilled Worker route asks for JFT-Basic or N4 — but the interview expects far more.
On paper the language bar for SSW is the JFT-Basic test or JLPT N4. In practice, employers interview in Japanese and expect you to understand workplace instructions on day one.
We recommend targeting solid N3 listening even if you sit N4 for the paperwork. Listening is what separates candidates who settle quickly from those who struggle for six months.
Sector vocabulary matters: caregiving, food service and construction each have a couple of hundred words that appear constantly. Learn yours before the interview, not after.