Japan Mulls No Stay Limits for Skilled Foreign Workers in More Fields
Japan is considering expanding the scope of fields for foreign workers skilled in specific blue-collar jobs that will allow them to stay in the country indefinitely, the justice minister said Friday.
The move aims to address a severe labor shortage in Japan faced with a rapidly graying population and declining birth rate.
If realized, the new policy will upgrade the conditions of people with a resident status called Specified Skilled Worker No. 1, introduced in April 2019, which grants working rights in 14 industry fields, such as construction, farming, and nursing care.
Currently, out of these 14 sectors, only those with proficient skills in the construction, shipbuilding, and ship machinery sectors can extend their stay beyond five years by earning Specified Skilled Worker No. 2 status.
Under the new policy, the government aims to expand the privilege to 11 other fields, including farming and food services.
The Specified Skilled Worker No. 2 status holders are also allowed to bring in family members, and if they satisfy certain conditions, such as staying in Japan for 10 years, they could earn permanent resident status as well.
Other specified skilled workers can stay in Japan for up to five years in total.
As for workers in nursing care, which carries a different residence status, the government will continue to discuss whether care workers can fall under the new policy.
Justice Minister Yoshihisa Furukawa told a press conference that he is studying the possibility of expanding the scope of the privileged status by hearing opinions from the ministries and agencies concerned.
“We would like to make sure that the new policy will be utilized properly to address the acute labor shortage,” said Furukawa, while adding the No. 2 status is not a system for allowing foreign workers to stay in Japan permanently.
As of late September, foreigners with the Specified Skilled Worker No. 1 status increased to 38,337, up 31.5 percent from late June, according to data released by the Immigration Services Agency of Japan.
Data show there are no No. 2 status holders yet since the test needed to obtain the privileged status has not started.
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