Diet passes bill to accept more foreign workers

⁃ Enactment of the legislation paves the way for Japan to formally open its doors to blue-collar workers, in a major policy shift for a country that has basically granted working visas only to people with professional knowledge and high skills such as doctors, lawyers and teachers.

⁃ The new visa system for foreign workers is expected to start in April, covering 14 sectors, including construction, farming and nursing care, which are identified as suffering from labor shortages amid Japan’s aging population and falling birthrate.

⁃ The government will compile by year-end a set of measures for workplaces and municipalities to help the workers settle into communities.

⁃ Under the new visa system, two resident statuses will be created — the No. 1 type for people to engage in work that requires a certain level of knowledge and experience, and the No. 2 type for work that needs higher-level skills.

⁃ To apply for the No. 1 type visa, valid for up to five years, people will have to pass Japanese-language and technical exams. Those who have gone through the existing technical intern program for more than three years will be able to obtain the status without sitting for the tests, and the government expects many interns to apply for the visa.

⁃ But the visa holders will not be allowed to bring family members to Japan, which some critics see as a human rights issue.

⁃ The No. 1 type visa will be available for 14 sectors. As for the No. 2 type, the government plans to restrict it to two business fields — construction and shipbuilding — but tests may not be held for the time being as a limited number of applicants is expected.

⁃ Political experts say Abe is rushing to enact the legislation before key elections next year, hoping it will be welcomed not just by the business community but also regions struggling with labor shortages.

⁃ Some have expressed concern that Japan’s already ballooning social security costs may increase with the rise in the number of foreigners and the government is considering applying stricter eligibility rules for health insurance system benefits.

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https://japantoday.com/category/politics/Diet-passes-bill-to-accept-more-foreign-workers