The Japanese government decided to launch a new system that grants simplified entry visas to foreign workers, in a step to enhance the country’s economy and competitiveness, in addition to attracting foreign workers and investments.
Have you ever dreamed of traveling to live in Japan? The perfect and unique combination that is present strongly in many Japanese cities, along with the country’s picturesque nature and high wages, is an attractive factor for many foreign workers.
However, obtaining a visa or work permit to travel to the Asian country was not easy, of course, before the Japanese Immigration Services Agency announced that the government was about to launch a new system that grants simplified entry visas to foreign workers.
This step comes, according to the agency, to enhance the country’s economy and its competitiveness, in addition to attracting foreign workers and investments. The new decision is supposed to enter into force next June.
And Japanese media reported that the Tokyo government will grant visas to foreign applicants, and this change will include many sectors, at a time when the country suffers from a labor shortage.
Workers who meet certain conditions, such as having an annual income of 20 million yen (or about $151,000) and a master’s degree, will get preferential treatment and additional facilities.
Although immigration is a sensitive issue in Japan, where residents believe that immigrants are the cause of chaos and crime, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe announced in 2018 that his country would need about half a million foreign workers by 2025.
In 2019, a bill that sparked controversy in the country and was supported by the Abe government entered into force, and visas were granted to a number of highly skilled workers in 14 sectors, including agriculture, nursing and sanitation services.
Why?
Japan, like other European countries, suffers from a severe shortage of labor due to the rise in aging, which has become a direct threat to the labor market.
According to the government, the country is already feeling the effects, as it faces an acute shortage of workers in many sectors.
This shortage will have major repercussions on the economy years later.
Japan has one of the world’s oldest populations, with nearly 30 percent of its citizens over the age of 65.
A report published by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Social Affairs showed that the number of foreign workers in Japan reached a record level in 2022, reaching 1,822,725 people as of October 31.
However, the country needs to increase this number to nearly 7 million by 2040 to meet the challenges, after a study revealed that it could face a shortage of more than 11 million workers by this year.
