FOCUS: Accepting More Foreign Workers Could Change Japanese Society

Tokyo, Dec. 8 (Jiji Press)--The enactment on Saturday of legislation to accept more foreign workers in Japan could bring about lasting changes to a society that is largely homogeneous. The revised immigration control law seeks to introduce two new visa categories in April next year, opening the door to an inflow of unskilled foreign workers into the country to alleviate serious labor shortages as its population is aging. This is "a historic policy shift" by the administration of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to keep the country's economic growth sustainable, a government official said. The number of foreign workers in Japan stood at 1,278,670 as of the end of October 2017, more than double the 486,398 marked in 2008, according to the labor ministry. The new system is likely to accelerate the pace of increase. Of the two new visa categories, type one will be granted to foreign workers with certain levels of knowledge or experience and type two to those with higher skills. Both types will require Japanese language skills adequate for everyday conversation. Holders of the type one visa will be allowed to stay in Japan for up to five years. The type two visa will be renewable without limit, effectively leading to permanent residency. Holders of the type two visa will also be allowed to bring their families to Japan. The type one visa will cover 14 sectors, including nursing care, agriculture, restaurant, construction, shipbuilding and airline. Eligibility for the type two visa is expected to be limited to construction and shipbuilding for the time being. A matter of concern is that details of the new visa system, including hoy many foreign workers will be accepted, have yet to be fixed. The government has said that up to 345,150 people are expected to receive the type one visa over the first five years. But this figure is only provisional. Official numbers will be set under sector-by-sector operational guidelines to be compiled by each government agency. The status of the official numbers is also ambiguous. Abe has told parliament that these numbers will be used as five-year upper limits, but added that things depend on the economy's performance, leaving room for possible changes. What will happen in the sixth and following years is also unclear. In addition, the number of sectors eligible for the type one visa may increase from the current 14 as convenience store and some other sectors are seeking to accept foreign workers under the new system. Preparations for Japanese language and skill tests that foreign workers need to pass to receive the new visas vary from sector to sector. The Foreign Ministry and the Japan Foundation are preparing to come up with unified Japanese language tests. For skill tests, the vehicle maintenance sector has already decided to use existing certification examinations to test foreign workers. But preparations by sectors with no certification exams, including restaurant and hotel, have made little progress. Another pending issue is related to social security. The government and the ruling Liberal Democratic Party are considering a proposal to exempt foreign workers' family members living overseas from the country's public health insurance program in order to prevent its abuse. In addition, there are complaints that it is unfair to force foreign workers allowed to stay in Japan for only limited periods to pay nursing care insurance premiums. The government plans to release a comprehensive package of measures to implement the new system, including ways to give foreign workers sufficient Japanese language education, by the end of the year. House of Representatives Speaker Tadamori Oshima asked the government to explain a whole picture of the new system before the revised immigration control law goes into force. END