TOKYO -- Japan plans to more than double the number of foreigners eligible for skilled worker visas in the five-year period starting fiscal 2024 to over 800,000, as the government seeks to alleviate labor shortages in industries like manufacturing, construction and agriculture.
The expanded limit applies to participants in the Specified Special Worker program, which was launched in 2019 for foreign workers with specialized skills and Japanese language ability. Around 200,000 were working in Japan under this framework as of November 2023.
