PROGRAM · HIRING
Career-Up Grant
キャリアアップ助成金（正社員化コース）“Career Up Joseikin” — Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare
Move part-time, contract or temp staff to regular employee status and receive up to ¥800,000 per person. Applications run all year — but the paperwork has to start before the conversion.
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Per person
¥800K
SMEs, contract → regular, priority worker
Paid in
2 parts
¥400K after each 6-month period
Applications
All year
File a plan before converting
Who can apply
Employers
Workplaces with employment insurance
What it is
The Career-Up Grant pays employers who improve the careers of non-regular staff — fixed-term, part-time and dispatched workers. It has several courses. This page covers the most used one: converting staff to regular employees (正社員化コース).
| Course | What you do |
|---|---|
| Regular employee conversion正社員化コース | Convert non-regular staff to regular employees |
| Wage rules revision賃金規定等改定コース | Raise the base-pay rules for non-regular staff by 3% or more |
| Common wage rules賃金規定等共通化コース | Apply the same wage rules to regular and non-regular staff |
| Bonus & retirement pay賞与・退職金制度導入コース | Introduce bonuses or retirement pay for non-regular staff |
| Longer working hours短時間労働者労働時間延長支援コース | Bring part-timers into social insurance while raising their income |
Can foreign-owned businesses apply?
Yes. The grant looks at your workplace and your staff, not the owner's nationality. You need:
- A workplace covered by employment insurance (雇用保険適用事業所)
- A Career-Up Plan filed with the Labour Bureau before the conversion
- Work rules (就業規則) that include a system for converting staff to regular employees
Your foreign staff count too
Workers of any nationality can be converted, as long as they meet the same conditions as Japanese workers.
How much you can get
| Conversion (SMEs) | Priority workers | Others |
|---|---|---|
| Fixed-term → regular有期 → 正規 | ¥800,000 ¥400,000 × 2 periods | ¥400,000 1 period |
| Indefinite-term → regular無期 → 正規 | ¥400,000 ¥200,000 × 2 periods | ¥200,000 1 period |
Priority workers (重点支援対象者) include fixed-term staff employed 3+ years, people with little regular employment in the last 5 years, dispatched workers, single parents and some trainees.
Large companies receive less: priority workers ¥600,000 (fixed-term) or ¥300,000 (indefinite-term), others ¥300,000 or ¥150,000. Amounts checked against the official leaflet dated April 8, 2026.
| One-time extra per workplace | SMEs | Large companies |
|---|---|---|
| New conversion system in your work rules正社員転換制度の新設 | ¥200,000 | ¥150,000 |
| New “diverse regular employee” system多様な正社員制度の新設 | ¥400,000 | ¥300,000 |
| Publish conversion data (new from April 8, 2026)情報公表加算 | ¥200,000 | ¥150,000 |
“Diverse regular employee” means location-limited, job-limited or short-hours regular staff. Data is published on your own website or on しょくばらぼ (the government workplace information site). Each extra is paid once per workplace.
Conditions for the conversion
Required
- The worker was non-regular for 6+ months before conversion
- Pay rises by 3% or more after conversion
- You keep and pay them as a regular employee for 6+ months
- You apply within 2 months after that 6-month period
Not eligible
- Converting before filing your Career-Up Plan
- Relatives of the owner (within the third degree)
- Staff hired on the understanding they would be regular from the start
Rule change from October 1, 2026
For conversions on or after October 1, 2026, the way the 3% pay increase is calculated changes. Check the latest Q&A before you set the new salary.
Before you convert anyone
First
Career-Up manager
キャリアアップ管理者
Appoint a person responsible for non-regular staff careers.
Before converting
Career-Up Plan
キャリアアップ計画
Write it after hearing from staff representatives, and file it with the Labour Bureau.
Before converting
Work rules
就業規則
Add a conversion system and the rules for regular employees.
How to apply, step by step
- 01
Appoint a manager and write the plan キャリアアップ計画
Hear from staff representatives first.
- 02
File the plan 計画届
Submit it to the Labour Bureau or Hello Work by the day before the conversion.
- 03
Update your work rules 就業規則
The conversion system must be written in your rules.
- 04
Convert and raise pay 3%+ 正社員転換
Follow your own written conversion system.
- 05
Pay 6 months as a regular employee 6か月分の賃金
Keep payroll and attendance records.
- 06
Apply within 2 months 支給申請
For priority workers, apply again after the next 6 months for the second part.
Timing
| Step | When |
|---|---|
| Career-Up Plan | By the day before the conversion |
| 1st application | Within 2 months after 6 months of regular-employee pay |
| 2nd application | Within 2 months after the next 6 months (priority workers) |
There are no fixed rounds — timing depends on when you convert each worker.
Common mistakes
- Converting first, planning later. Without a plan filed in advance, you cannot apply.
- Work rules without a conversion system. The rules must exist before the conversion.
- Pay rise just under 3%. Check which allowances count, especially after October 1, 2026.
- Missing the 2-month window. Late applications are not accepted.
FAQ
Can a foreign-owned company get the Career-Up Grant?
Yes. Any employer with a workplace covered by employment insurance can apply. The owner’s nationality does not matter.
Can I convert my foreign employees?
Yes. Foreign workers can be converted to regular employees and counted for the grant, as long as they meet the same conditions as any other worker.
When do I receive the money?
After the worker has been paid as a regular employee for 6 months and your application is approved. For priority workers the second half follows after another 6 months.
Is there a deadline?
There are no fixed rounds. The key dates are personal: file the Career-Up Plan before the conversion, and apply within 2 months after each 6-month period.
Sources
- Career-Up Grant (キャリアアップ助成金) — Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare
- Career-Up Grant, Regular Employment Course leaflet (April 8, 2026)
- Wage-increase support grants package (賃上げ支援助成金パッケージ)
This page is a plain-English summary, not legal advice. The official Japanese guidelines always take priority.
NEED HELP IN ENGLISH?
Talk to an English-speaking expert
Labour and social security attorneys (sharoshi) who prepare Career-Up plans and applications in English.
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