Japan’s November food-service eligibility certificate queue reaches applications filed by 16 February

Check the receipt date on your overseas application

Japan’s Immigration Services Agency said on November 10 that its November processing cohort for food-service Specified Skilled Worker (i) certificates reaches overseas applications received by February 16, 2026. If a restaurant or recruiter filed for you, ask for the agency receipt and compare its date with the agency’s table. A place in the cohort gives you a processing reference. Wait for the agency’s decision before treating a start date as firm.

The agency’s April suspension notice sets a different cutoff. It says certificates of eligibility will generally cease to be issued for applications received on or after April 13. For someone considering a fresh overseas application, the important date is when immigration receives the application. A job offer signed earlier or a test passed earlier is a different event. Ask the prospective employer whether it already filed a certificate application in your name before you pay for additional recruitment steps.

Use the separate schedule if you already live in Japan

The November table handles same-field employer changes and renewals through ordinary processing. For certain applicants completing meal preparation training at medical or welfare facilities, and for certain holders of preparatory Designated Activities status, the domestic change-of-status cohort reaches October 31. If you have a pending change and your current permission is about to expire, ask your regional office whether the temporary Designated Activities procedure in the notice applies to you.

The agency’s general worker FAQ says a person with Specified Skilled Worker status can move between employers within the same field. It also describes a notification due within 14 days after ending employment. A worker changing restaurants should keep the date the previous contract ended and discuss the new employer’s paperwork with that employer. A move into a different industry brings a separate skills question, including the test for the intended field.

Work with the employer on the application papers

The agency’s application guide distinguishes the overseas certificate, a change of residence status inside Japan, and an extension of existing status. The certificate feeds into the overseas visa procedure at a Japanese embassy or consulate. People already in Japan can use the applicable regional immigration procedure. Identify which application you have before comparing dates or assembling papers, especially if your employer has used “visa application” to describe the entire process.

The guide lists a jointly completed form, a health examination and evidence of relevant tests. Depending on the case, it also calls for records of taxes, pension and health insurance, plus documents the company supplies. Split the checklist with the employer early. For example, identify which municipal records you can request yourself and which records the employer must obtain. For an extension, the guide says to apply before the current permission expires.

The agriculture ministry’s food-service guidance adds an employer-side check. A company preparing to receive a specified skilled worker for the first time should join the relevant industry council before it makes its immigration filing. The ministry says membership review takes two to three months and currently lists no joining or annual fee. Ask whether the company is already a member and who at the company is handling the application.

Budget by filing date and permission length

Japan revised change-of-status and extension fees on October 1. The agency’s fee sheet says those applications received by September 30 keep the previous amount even when permission comes later. The earlier charges were ¥6,000 at the counter or ¥5,500 online. For applications received from October 1, the charge depends on the duration granted and the filing channel. For a one-year permission, the fee sheet shows ¥33,000 at the counter or ¥27,000 online before the online payment charge.

The same sheet covers domestic permissions. If your application is for a certificate from overseas, check the separate visa instructions of the Japanese mission where you will apply after the certificate arrives. Ask the employer to share any change in the application’s receipt status before you make a nonrefundable booking.