Japan adds four more sectors to attract foreign workers

DNHN - According to the Japanese government, Japan is expected to accept around 820,000 foreign workers under the skilled worker visa programme over the next five fiscal years.

On 29 March, the Japanese government made a significant decision to add four new sectors to the skilled worker visa programme to address the current labour shortage. This brings the total number of sectors eligible for the specified skilled worker visa to 16, expanding into the fields of road transport, railways, forestry and lumber.

This marks the first expansion since the programme was introduced in 2019. Compared to the trainee visa, this new worker visa requires workers to have higher specialised skills and a basic salary on par with regular workers in Japan.

According to the government, Japan is expected to accept around 820,000 foreign workers under the skilled worker visa programme over the next five fiscal years, including preparing to accept workers and making efforts to integrate them into society.

Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi has asked relevant ministers to prepare for accepting foreign workers and to strengthen efforts to integrate them into Japanese society.

According to the Immigration Services Agency of Japan, as of the end of December 2023, there were over 200,000 foreign workers with a No. 1 visa and 37,000 with a No. 2 visa working in Japan. Workers with a No. 1 visa must pass a test demonstrating their specialised skills and Japanese language ability to start working immediately. Meanwhile, the No. 2 visa allows for unlimited renewals and provides a path to permanent residency, allowing workers to bring their families to Japan.

PV