TOKYO: According to a report by news agency Kyodo News, Japan has expanded its foreign worker visa program to alleviate labor shortages in the country.
The expansion encompasses four new sectors: road and railway transportation, forestry, and timber industries. Japan has been grappling with a declining birth rate and shortages in transportation and logistics sectors in recent years.
To tackle these shortages, the government is implementing new regulations to limit overtime hours for drivers.
Japan plans to welcome up to 820,000 foreigners under the skilled worker visa program over the next five fiscal years, starting from April. This figure exceeds the previous estimate for the five years leading up to fiscal 2023, which ended in March.
Additionally, the government aims to revise relevant regulations, including those under the justice ministry, to streamline the acceptance of skilled workers in the newly included sectors.
Under the updated program, skilled foreigners can pursue employment as bus drivers, taxi drivers, and truck drivers in the transportation sector, provided they are employed by companies certified by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport, and Tourism.
Proficiency in Japanese at the N3 level is required for roles involving communication with passengers.
