JAPAN NEW WORK VISA POLICY 2019

Japan finally launched its new so-called ‘Specified Skill Visa’ (tokutei ginou, 特定技能) immigration policy from 1st April 2019. According to this new law, Japan will accept a large number of foreign workers. As an estimate, 345,150 international workers will be able to move to Japan to serve its labor market. Back in December 2018, the Japanese parliament passed this bill to bring more blue-collar and other labor workers into the labor market. The Japanese government has also established a new immigration services agency headed by ‘Shoko Sasaki’ that will have a look at this new immigration and visa system and will also help to settle the new incoming people.

You may also read here the latest immigration policy of Japan for Pakistanis.

TYPES OF WORK PERMITS INTRODUCED

According to the law, the work permit category has been distributed into 2 types of permits: Visa type 1 and Visa Type 2.

Visa Type 1 (Specified Skills Visa 1- SSV1)

Foreigners with Japanese language proficiency and industry specified skills can apply for this 5 years visa. This work visa type will allow international workers to work in 14 sectors of a middle and lower level of labor skilled jobs including:

1. agriculture
2. materials processing
3. nursing care
4. shipbuilding
5. restaurants
6. airport ground handling & aircraft maintenance
7. food and beverage
8. hotels
9. industrial machinery
10. electronics and electric machinery
11. building cleaning
12. construction
13. vehicle maintenance
14. fishery

The applicants of this visa type will have to pass a Japanese language test and technical exams. Furthermore, they should also hold good work experience in the intended workstream. This visa will be awarded at first for five years. Unfortunately, workers will not be able to bring their family members. It allows limited time visa renewals and cannot be extended until changed into visa type 2. The government has planned to give first-year 47,550 work visas and then over the time of 5 years this number will be more than 345,150. Surprisingly it includes 60,000 work visas for the nursing care sector. The Japanese government will hold a Japanese language test for the visa type one in 9 countries including Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, Mongolia, Nepal, the Philippines, Cambodia, Pakistan, and China. The government will sign a memorandum of understanding (MOUs) with all these 9 countries to make sure the investigative information sharing between Japan and the worker’s country.

Visa Type 2 (Specified Skills Visa 2- SSV2)

Workers staying on visa type 1 can apply for visa type 2 (starting in 2021) if they have acquired higher levels of specialization in their fields. Currently, applicants can only apply for 2 streams, construction, and shipbuilding. It allows visa holders to bring their family members with them and also allows the unlimited visa renewals and could possibly allow them to apply later on for permanent residency (that is given normally after 10 years of continuous stay in Japan) too. The quota has not been announced for this visa category. For this category, candidates do not need to show the language proficiency tests, instead, they will be tested in an exam against their skills. So first, work continuously, obey laws, and pay your taxes, and you will be then able to apply for this SSV2.

One excellent action was taken by the ‘Justice Ministry’  is that it has issued an ordinance requiring employers to pay wages equivalent to or higher than those of Japanese nationals. The wages will be paid directly to the bank accounts of workers.

To make sure the quality of this program and support foreigners in Japan, the government will open 100 consultation centers across the country addressing issues of employment, medical services, and child-raising in foreign languages.

Visa conversion processes seem to be straight away starting from April 2019 for those who are already living in Japan and want to apply for this new ‘Specified Skill Visa’ stream.

*Students from the ‘Technical Intern Training Program’ are also eligible to apply for this new visa.

INDUSTRY-WISE LIST OF VISAS DISTRIBUTION

SKILLS TEST DATES

All the above-mentioned industries will be required to arrange skill tests for the applicants. The test consists of language and knowledge skills. Till now, only 3 out of 14 are ready to conduct the test in April 2019 and others in the later part of the year. The expected skills test availability dates are as under:

INTRODUCTION OF NEW JAPANESE LANGUAGE TEST

Japan has introduced a new Japanese language proficiency test named Japan Foundation Japanese Basic Test (国際交流基金日本語基礎テスト). For both visa categories 1 and 2, the set aside required level of Japanese language proficiency is at the N4 level. However, some industries may ask for a higher score if they want. The ones with completing 3 years of practical training will be exempt from this requirement. 

IS IMMIGRATION INCREASING IN JAPAN?

Japan no doubt is well famous for increasing numbers of people immigrating to its big cities.  Japan has already hit a record of 1.28 million foreigners last year according to government stats. Out of these, most are those who hold permanent residency, and Japanese ancestry with a total number of 459,000. The second biggest number is for students and part-time temporary workers with 297,000 followed by 258,000 technical interns.

Learn the Japanese language online for free here.