Japan Lists 19 Job Sectors Where Foreigners Can Get a 5-Year Work Visa
- Japan opened its Specified Skilled Worker (i) programme to foreign nationals across 19 industries, from nursing care to logistics
- The Japanese government outlined key conditions attached to the five-year work visa, including restrictions on family members
- Employers under the scheme are required to pay foreign workers the same wages as Japanese nationals in equivalent roles
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Japan has released a detailed breakdown of 19 industries where foreign workers can qualify for a five-year work visa under its Specified Skilled Worker (i) programme, signalling a broad push to fill labour gaps across the country.
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The announcement outlines not only the eligible sectors but also the specific terms and restrictions tied to the visa, giving prospective applicants a clearer sense of what working and living in Japan under this scheme would involve.
Conditions Attached to Japan's 5-Year Work Visa
Under the Specified Skilled Worker (i) category, foreign nationals may stay in Japan for a total cumulative period of five years. One notable restriction is that visa holders cannot bring family members to live with them in the country during that period.
On pay, the Japanese government requires parity: employers must offer foreign workers the same wages they pay Japanese nationals in comparable roles. Employers also must provide Japanese language training and various forms of support throughout the worker's stay.
19 sectors under Japan's Work Visa Programme
The industries the Japanese government has approved for the programme cover a wide spectrum of the economy. They are: Nursing Care, Building Cleaning Management, Construction Industry, Industrial Product Manufacturing, Shipbuilding and Ship Machinery Industries, Automobile Repair and Maintenance, Aviation Industry, Accommodation Industry, Automobile Transportation Business, Railway, Agriculture, Fishery and Aquaculture Industries, Food and Beverage Manufacturing Industries, Food Service Industry, Forestry, Wood Industry, Resource Recycling Field, Linen Services Field, and Logistics Warehouse Field.
The scope of sectors included reflects Japan's effort to address acute shortages across industries ranging from healthcare and food production to transportation and construction. The country has increasingly turned to structured immigration pathways as a practical response to an ageing population and shrinking domestic workforce.
Source: YEN.com.gh
