Japan’s Immigration Services Agency announced on Tuesday that the number of foreign nationals working under the Specified Skilled Worker visa has surged to a record 336,196 as of the end of June, marking a significant milestone in the country’s labor policy.
The food and beverage manufacturing sector remains the largest employer of these workers, with around 84,000 staff. Vietnamese nationals account for approximately 40 percent of visa holders, followed by Indonesians and Myanmar citizens.
Introduced in 2019, the Specified Skilled Worker system was designed to address acute labor shortages across 16 industries, including agriculture, construction, and caregiving. The No. 1 visa allows foreigners to stay for up to five years, with the possibility of upgrading to the No. 2 visa, which requires advanced skills and offers a pathway to permanent residency.
The number of No. 2 visa holders has risen sharply to 3,073, an increase of 3.7 times since last year, reflecting a wave of No. 1 visa holders meeting eligibility requirements after completing five years of employment.
Notably, half of all No. 1 visa holders transitioned directly from Japan’s Technical Intern Training Program, bypassing examination requirements. The government has confirmed that this controversial trainee scheme will be abolished by fiscal 2027 and replaced with the Employment for Skill Development framework, intended to streamline the transition to the Specified Skilled Worker status.
The policy shift underscores Japan’s growing reliance on foreign labor to sustain critical industries while opening long-term residency pathways for skilled migrants.
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