Japan Added Meat Retail to the SSW Food Manufacturing Sector on April 15, 2026: Scope and Practical Points

On April 15, 2026, Japan revised the criteria for the Specified Skilled Worker system in the Food and Beverage Manufacturing sector and newly added “meat retail” to the eligible scope. This means that certain meat retail businesses may now be able to consider hiring foreign workers under the SSW framework, provided that the required conditions are met.

What changed on April 15, 2026?

On April 15, 2026, the Immigration Services Agency of Japan announced a revision to the sector-specific criteria for the Food and Beverage Manufacturing field under the Specified Skilled Worker system. The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries also updated its sector page on the same date.

The key point is that “meat retail” was newly added to the eligible scope of this sector. Until now, the Food and Beverage Manufacturing field mainly covered food manufacturing businesses, certain manufacturing-retail businesses, and the backroom food production sections of qualifying supermarkets. The new amendment expands that scope to include meat retail as well.

What exactly is covered?

However, not every meat retail shop automatically becomes eligible. According to the published public comment result, the scope is limited to businesses that actually engage in food manufacturing. In other words, stores that perform meat cutting or meat-processing work on site are considered within scope, while stores that merely sell pre-packaged meat products are not.

This means the important issue is not just the business name, but the actual operation. The business must genuinely engage in meat processing or related food manufacturing work at the store or facility.

Positions centered on sales require caution

In the Food and Beverage Manufacturing field, the core eligible duties are food manufacturing, food processing, and safety and hygiene work. Existing official guidance has already made clear, for example in the supermarket context, that eligible work is limited to the food production area such as the backroom, and does not include cashier work, customer service, shelf stocking, or other sales-oriented duties.

Based on that framework, employers should be cautious about placing SSW workers in roles that are mainly customer-facing or sales-oriented, even after the addition of meat retail. If the documents describe processing work but the actual job mainly consists of sales floor tasks, that may create immigration compliance issues.

Practical points to check before hiring

If a meat retail business is considering hiring a foreign worker under this category, it is wise to confirm at least the following points in advance:

• Whether the store or facility actually performs meat cutting, meat processing, or other food manufacturing work
• Whether the foreign worker’s main duties will be processing work rather than sales work
• Whether the employment contract, job description, and actual shift operation are consistent with each other
• Whether the company is prepared for sector-specific procedures, including council-related requirements
• Whether the candidate is likely to meet the skills and Japanese language requirements for SSW status

In practice, some workplaces may have mixed roles, such as “some processing, but mostly sales.” However, Japanese immigration practice places great importance on consistency between the documents and the actual work performed. It is therefore important to organize the job contents carefully before applying.

How this fits into the broader trend

In July 2024, the scope of this sector was already expanded to include certain qualifying supermarket backrooms. The new addition of meat retail can be seen as a further expansion toward retail settings that have real food manufacturing or processing functions.

That said, this does not mean that retail businesses in general have become eligible. A safer interpretation is that the scope has been expanded only within the core logic of this sector, namely food manufacturing and food processing.

Our view

This amendment is a positive development for meat retail businesses because it may increase their options for securing workers. At the same time, it would be risky to assume that “any meat shop can now use SSW.” The actual duties, the real processing functions of the business, and the consistency of the documentation all remain critically important.

At Tommy’s Legal Service, we support employers by reviewing whether the proposed duties fit the target sector, organizing job descriptions, and checking document consistency before filing. If you are considering hiring Specified Skilled Workers in a meat retail business, please feel free to contact us.

投稿者プロフィール

Daisuike Tominaga行政書士 (Immigration Lawyer)

日系理化学機器輸入商社、日系センサーメーカー、外資系真空機器メーカー、外資系化学装置メーカーでの国内外業務を経て、令和2年度行政書士試験に合格。令和3年4月、トミーズリーガルサービス行政書士事務所を開業。

現在は入管業務（VISA・在留資格）を中心とした専門事務所として、外国人の雇用・受け入れ、企業の国際人材戦略、在留手続のオンライン申請支援を行う。
企業・個人いずれのクライアントにも寄り添い、迅速・丁寧で負担の少ない手続きをモットーとする。

また、国際業務の経験を生かし、英語での各種案内・申請支援にも対応。

趣味： バイク（CB1300SB）、ツーリング、テニス、ゴルフ

English:
After working in Japanese and foreign-affiliated companies in the fields of scientific instruments, sensors, vacuum equipment, and chemical processing machinery, I passed the national Administrative Scrivener examination in 2020 and founded Tommy’s Legal Service Administrative Scrivener Office in April 2021.

My practice is specialized in immigration procedures—visa applications, extensions, changes of status, and online filings for both companies and individuals. I support employers and foreign nationals with fast, accurate, and stress-free application processes.
English guidance and bilingual documentation are also available.

Hobbies: Motorcycles (Honda CB1300SB), touring, tennis, golf

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