Japan to Easy Work Permit Requirements for Overseas Workers who want to Work in Japan.
Japan has eased requirements for foreign workers through the Specified Skilled Worker (SSW) system, launched in April 2019, to address serious labor shortages across the designated fields:
- Agriculture
- Construction
- Lodging
- Nursing care
- Shipbuilding
According to government estimates, Japan’s working-age population (15 to 64 years) will shrink by about 15 million before 2040. Japan is therefore expanding policies to attract more foreign workers, as the labor shortage has become one of the biggest challenges for the country.
Japan introduced the Specified Skilled Worker (SSW) residence status in April 2019, opening work visas to workers with industry-specific skills and Japanese-language ability — a major change from a system that previously favored highly qualified degree holders.
Agriculture, construction, accommodation, nursing care and shipbuilding were among the first industries covered by the SSW system, which Japan has since expanded to more sectors to address labor shortages. According to Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, the number of foreign workers in Japan reached about 1.82 million as of October 2022.
As far as Japanese language is concerned, SSW applicants must generally pass a Japanese-language test (JLPT N4 level or the Japan Foundation Test for Basic Japanese) plus a skills test for their industry. The government sets five-year maximum intake numbers per field and revises them periodically; the original 2019 projections (such as the construction-sector targets for 2025) have since been superseded.
In the agriculture field, the government set initial intake targets for foreign farm workers when the program launched; these early projections have since been revised.
In nursing care, demand for elderly-care workers keeps growing as there are not enough domestic workers to fill the gap, so Japan continues to accept foreign caregivers through the SSW and related programs.
The SSW system applies to the designated fields, including construction, agriculture, nursing care and shipbuilding. Candidates need to pass the occupational skills test and Japanese-language test specified for their field by the industry bodies.
Under the Technical Intern Training Program, trainees in the advanced category could stay up to five years, and those who completed the program could move to SSW status without retaking the skills and language tests. Japan has since enacted a law replacing the Technical Intern Training Program with a new training-and-employment system.
The program was finalized in 2019: Specified Skilled Worker (i) grants a total stay of up to five years, while Specified Skilled Worker (ii) — expanded to more fields in 2023 — allows longer stays with family accompaniment. We will share more details and the application process; keep in touch with our blog for updates on visas and immigration worldwide.