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To cope with the ongoing labor crisis, the Japanese government has announced the inclusion of four additional industries into its foreign-skilled worker visa program.
This decision, announced on Friday, aims to address the need for more qualified workers by giving more people the chance to stay in Japan for up to five years.
The government’s decision expands a program called the Specified Skilled Worker No. 1 visa program, which now includes a total of 16 different industries. This expansion covers industries like road and railway transportation, as well as forestry and timber sectors. It’s the first time the program has been expanded since it started in 2019.
Japan’s need for more workers, especially in transportation and logistics, has been growing due to factors like a declining birthrate. While this new measure might help the industry somewhat, there are still concerns, especially as new rules limiting overtime hours for drivers are set to start in April.
Japan has also been considering revoking permanent residence permits for foreigners who don’t pay taxes or social security contributions in the country, which has sparked criticism. The government plans to submit a bill to revise immigration laws during the current session of parliament.
On a separate note, Japan is planning to make it easier for foreign workers to become residents. They’re going to introduce a new training program to replace the existing technical intern program. This new program will provide training for unskilled foreign workers, allowing them to get Type 1 residency status, which lets them work in Japan for the medium to long term. These changes are expected to be made as early as 2027, pending approval during the ongoing parliamentary session.
