Japan Immigration News

Immigration in Japan: Accepting Foreigners to Secure a Workforce

Release Date: 2025-06-16
Media: JAPAN Forward
Summary: In her book Is Japan Unwelcoming to Refugees?, Fusako Yanase explores how people of diverse backgrounds—by nationality, language, culture, or appearance—can live and thrive together in Japan. She emphasizes seeing foreign workers, international students, and refugees as equal members of society.

The article focuses on Japan's immigration and labor visa systems, highlighting three key programs:

Specified Skilled Worker (SSW):
Introduced in 2019 to address labor shortages in 16 industries. While it requires technical and language skills, standards are more flexible. Visa holders receive structured support for daily life, language learning, and workplace issues. Job changes within the same industry are allowed.

Technical Intern Training Program:
Initially aimed at aiding developing countries through skill transfer, this program now serves mostly as a source of low-cost labor, often involving worker exploitation. Around 410,000 workers are under this system.

Employment for Skill Development:
Announced in 2024 to replace the flawed Technical Intern Program by 2027. It focuses on training workers to reach the SSW level over three years. A transition period will last until 2030.

As of October 2024, Japan had over 2.3 million foreign workers, mainly from Vietnam, China, and the Philippines. To promote integration, the government has expanded support for legal foreign residents in areas like employment, language education, and community participation. However, these benefits do not extend to undocumented residents.
Tags: Immigration Policy

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2025-06-16

Immigration in Japan: Accepting Foreigners to Secure a Workforce(JAPAN Forward)

Immigration Policy

2025-06-14

Immigration in Japan: Can Foreigners Live Here?(JAPAN Forward)

Immigration Policy

2025-06-12

Cultural anxiety and Japan's immigration pains(Japan Times)

Immigration Policy

2025-06-10

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Immigration Policy,Business Manager

2025-06-09

Japan to Tighten Immigration, Welfare for Foreigners, and Land Rules(JAPAN Forward)

Immigration Policy

2025-06-06

Japan to Deny Entry of Foreigners with Unpaid Medical Bills(nippon.com)

Immigration Policy

2025-06-05

Japan’s Immigration Policy and the Kurdish Population(Foreign Policy Research Institute)

Kurdish,Immigration Policy

2025-05-28

Institutional barriers hinder the integration of Japan’s foreign population(EAST ASIA FORUM)

Immigration Policy

2025-04-25

Associations voice greater need to recognize Japan’s foreign residents(KYODO NEWS)

Coexistence,Immigration Policy

2025-01-28

Immigration Systems in Labor-Needy Japan and South Korea Have Evolved—but Remain Restrictive(Migration Policy Institute)

Immigration Policy

2024-12-29

Breaking Down Japan's Immigration System From a Former Insider's Perspective(JAPAN Forward)

Immigration Policy

2024-12-15

Indian-born CEO of Japanese company says nation needs immigration to thrive(Japan Times)

Immigration Policy

2024-11-23

Japan Job Market Points to Shift on Immigration(Newsweek)

Immigration Policy, Specified Skilled Worker

2024-11-14

Opening Borders For Workers: Abe’s Profound Influence On Japan’s Immigration Regime(eurasia review)

Immigration Policy

2024-11-08

Local approaches to Japan's immigration challenges(EAST ASIA FORUM)

Immigration Policy

2024-10-30

Improved Immigration: Japan’s Solution to Its Population Crisis(Harvard International Review)

Immigration Policy

2024-09-30

FY2024 International FPCJ Webinar: Population Decline and Immigration Policy: How Can Japan Become a Country To Be Chosen?(Foreign Press Center Japan)

Immigration Policy,Technical Intern Training,Training employment,Specified Skilled Worker

2024-09-15

For investors, intellectuals leaving China, it's Japan -- not US -- that's the bigger draw(The Mainichi)

Immigration Policy,China

2024-07-28

Less than half of foreign workers want to remain in Japan's countryside(NIKKEI Asia)

Immigration Policy

2024-07-04

Japan headed for shortage of 970,000 foreign workers in 2040(NIKKEI Asia)

Population,Immigration Policy

2024-06-21

Japan to launch online travel authorization system for visitors(Japan Times)

Immigration Policy,Temporary Visitor

2024-06-15

On topic: Japan's challenges in boosting immigration(NIKKEI Asia)

Immigration Policy

2024-06-14

Japan's new foreign worker program sets off scramble for talent(NIKKEI Asia)

Immigration Policy

2024-06-07

Japan to enroll all foreign residents in national pension system(NIKKEI Asia)

Immigration Policy

2024-05-27

Yoroku: Can Japan keep saying immigration rules trump foreigners' constitutional rights?(The Mainichi)

Court,Immigration Policy,Immigration Law

2024-05-15

No, Japan’s actually not a xenophobic country(Asia Times)

Immigration Policy

2024-05-14

Foreign workers in Japan climb the ladder at smaller firms(NIKKEI Asia)

Immigration Policy,Population

2024-05-07

Japan defends its immigration policy, amid Joe Biden's accusations of xenophobia(Le Monde)

Immigration Policy

2024-05-07

Japan tells U.S. that Biden’s ‘xenophobia’ comment is regrettable(The Asahi Shimbun)

Immigration Policy

2024-05-07

Biden's labeling of Japan as xenophobic 'regrettable,' gov't says( KYODO NEWS)

Immigration Policy

2024-05-03

Joe Biden calls US allies India and Japan 'xenophobic'(BBC)

Immigration Policy

2024-05-02

Biden Calls Japan and India ‘Xenophobic’ in Defending U.S. Immigration(The New York Times)

Immigration Policy

2024-05-02

Biden calls US ally Japan ‘xenophobic’ along with India, Russia and China(CNN)

Immigration Policy

2024-04-11

Japan targets India and Southeast Asia to recruit tech workers(Nikkei Asia)

Immigration Policy

2024-04-08

Indian business leader hopes more young Indians work in Japan(NIKKEI Asia)

Immigration Policy

2024-03-30

News in Easy English: Japan ready to accept many more foreign workers(The Mainichi)

Immigration Policy,Specified Skilled Worker

2024-03-19

Japan to help employers spot labor issues faced by foreign workers(NIKKEI Asia)

Immigration Policy,Training employment

2024-03-17

Cabinet OKs new foreign trainee program to promote longer stays(Japan Today)

Immigration Policy

2024-03-16

Japan battles Taiwan and South Korea for foreign workers(NIKKEI Asia)

Immigration Policy

2024-03-06

Opinion: Japan must reform its refugee and immigration system to avoid further tragedies(The Mainichi)

Immigration Policy

2024-02-07

Japan bets on tech, immigration as labor crisis worsens(DW)

Immigration Policy,Specified Skilled Worker

2024-02-07

Record 2 million foreign workers are changing the face of Japan(Japan Times)

Immigration Policy

2024-01-16

Immigration consultations to be held in Kanazawa on Thursday(NHK)

Immigration Policy

2024-01-09

Japan’s Immigration Agency Eases Entertainment Visa Rules; Application Process Streamlined, Maximum Stay Increased(The Japan News)

Immigration Policy,Status of Residence

2024-01-07

Is Japan finally embracing immigration?(The Spectator)

Immigration Policy

2024-01-04

2023 Rewind: Is Japan ready to accept foreigners as part of its society?(The Mainichi)

Immigration Policy

2023-12-26

Japan could relax immigration policy as Abe faction wanes in LDP(NIKKEI Asia)

Immigration Policy

2023-10-14

Number of foreign residents in Japan rises to record 3.2 million(KYODO NEWS)

Immigration Policy