Japan Allows Foreign Workers With These Skills To Stay, Work Indefinitely! Permanent Citizenship Allowed?

Human Resources are of much importance for the development of any country. They provide the necessary knowledge and skillset for keeping the wheel of the economy running. But what if your country is not producing enough human resources? What if the majority of the population in the country starts aging and what if the country starts experiencing a dearth of these precious human resources? In recent times Japan is facing all these questions. And to solve these problems the Japanese Government has decided to make it easier for immigrants to shift and settle in Japan.

In Japan, Immigrants now can stay indefinitely

What might be termed as a major shift for a country long closed to immigrants, Japan has decided to allow foreigners in certain blue-collar jobs to stay indefinitely. This decision will come into effect as early as the 2022 fiscal year.

Previously, under a 2019 law, a category of “specified skilled workers” in 14 sectors such as farming, nursing care, and sanitation have been granted visas. But stays of immigrants have been limited to five years and without family members for workers in all but the construction also shipbuilding sectors.

Various companies had cited these restrictions for their hesitancy to hire immigrant labor.

This step can solve many long term problems for Japan

Once this decision will come into effect, many workers from Vietnam and China would be allowed to renew their visas indefinitely. They will also be able to bring their families with them. However, this change would not mean automatic permanent residency. For that, there would be a separate application process.

In Japan, pressure has risen to open up its borders due to an acute labor shortage given its dwindling and aging population.

Toshihiro Menju, managing director of think tank Japan Center for International Exchange said, “As the shrinking population becomes a more serious problem and if Japan wants to be seen as a good option for overseas workers, it needs to communicate that it has the proper structure in place to welcome them,”

It should be noted that as of late 2020, Japan housed 1.72 million foreign workers, out of a total population of 125.8 million and just 2.5% of its working population.

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