With just a few days before Japan’s new specified skills visa takes full effect in the country, the government has been sorting out preparations needed for the influx of the much-needed boost across various industries in the manpower resources of ageing Japan.
Other than legislative changes, infrastructural, service and logistical aspects have also been considered by the government for the upcoming entry of workers.
New Working Visa Skills Test Dates and Locations in Philippines and Japan Revealed
On Thursday (March 21), the Japanese government has confirmed the dates and locations for which the first round of skill tests for the new types of working visas will be conducted in the Philippines and Japan, as shared in a report by the Japan Times.
Tokyo, one of the country’s major cities, will be among the first ones to introduce the new visas by next month, in the hope of boosting the number of foreign workers with the needed skills to support the 14 industries largely impacted by the labour shortage in the country since last year.
As per the report, the first round of tests for the Specified Skills Type-1 Visa for those looking to work in the nursing care industry, which is said to be the most affected by the labour shortage, will be held in Manila from April 13 to 14. The applicants’ knowledge of Japanese words relevant in the field will be tested as well.
The nursing care industry is expected to take off through the employment of up to 60,000 foreign workers within five years through the new working visas.
The skills tests for prospective workers in food service industry to be held in Tokyo and Osaka will be on April 25, whereas those hoping to work in the hotel industry will take the skills test in Sapporo, Tokyo, Fukuoka, and four other cities on April 14.
Meanwhile, foreigners who have completed three-year on-the-job training programs can obtain a Type 1 visa without taking the skill tests.
Tests will be conducted for the nursing care, food service and hotel industries first because these were the identified industries which lack training programs provided in the country. Tests for the remaining industries will be conducted sometime in May.
Meanwhile, skills tests for foreign workers eligible for the type-2 visa, which requires higher levels of skill sets, will take place in fiscal 2021 for the construction and shipbuilding industries.