Business
Support services for foreign nationals with specific skills
Launched in April 2019, the ‘Specified Skills’ is a new foreign worker residency status. This system was introduced to address industries where there is a serious shortage of human resources.
The 14 industries covered by this system are: nursing care, building cleaning, agriculture, fishing, food and beverage manufacturing, restaurant industry, food service, materials industry, industrial machinery manufacturing, electrical and electronic information-related industry, construction, shipbuilding and marine equipment industry, automobile maintenance, aviation industry, and accommodation industry. The government has identified approximately 34.5 million people as having specific skills over the next five years.
The Government has a policy of accepting approximately 345,000 foreign workers over the next five years.
Description of support services
01.Pre-arrival orientation
Information to be provided to foreign workers includes the following items (extract)
- ・Job description, amount of remuneration and other working conditions
- ・Possible activities in Japan
- ・matters relating to immigration procedures
- ・Support costs not to be borne directly or indirectly by the foreign worker
- ・Picking up and transferring the foreign worker upon arrival in Japan
- ・assistance in securing suitable housing
- ・Consultation and complaint handling concerning professional life, daily life and social life
- ・Name and contact details of the person in charge of support at the organization to which the specified skills belong.
02.Pick-up and drop-off on arrival and departure
Pick-up and drop-off on arrival and departure Foreign workers are required to be picked up at airports and ports when they enter and leave the country.
03.Assistance with contracts for housing and living needs.
Assistance in securing suitable housing includes having the organisation to which the person belongs act as guarantor. Support is also needed for the necessary contracts for daily living (electricity,gas, water, etc.).Joint support for housing and other living needs
04.Conducting orientation for daily life
To ensure that foreign workers are able to live stably in Japan, a living orientation should be provided promptly after entry or change of status. Information to be provided includes (extracts)
- ・how to use financial institutions/li>
- ・how to use medical facilities
- ・traffic rules and how to use transport
- ・rules and manners of living
- ・Examples of activities that are illegal in Japan
05.Providing opportunities to learn Japanese
Opportunities to learn the Japanese language necessary for life in Japan must be provided.
06.Consultation and complaint handling
When consultations or complaints are received concerning professional, daily or social life, they are dealt with promptly and appropriately, and advice and guidance are given to foreign workers where necessary.
07.Support for promoting exchanges with Japanese people
To promote exchanges with local residents, information on events organized by local authorities and voluntary organization is required, as well as information on neighbourhood associations.
08.Support for changing jobs
When an organization with which a foreign national belongs to a specified skilled labor organization terminates an employment contract with a foreign national with the specified skills for the first time due to reasons such as personnel reduction or bankruptcy of the receiving organization, it is necessary to provide support so that the foreign national can conclude a specified skilled employment contract with another domestic public or private organization and continue his/her activities as a specified skilled foreign national.
09.Periodic Interviews and Reporting to Administrative Agencies
The person in charge of support or the person in charge of support is obligated to conduct regular interviews with foreign workers and their supervisors, and to promptly report to the Labor Standards Inspection Office or other relevant administrative agencies any violations of the Labor Standards Law or other labor-related laws and regulations or any other problems that come to light.
10.Visa Application
Visa application, residence status acquisition, and related support for foreign job seekers.
11.Apartment Hunting for Foreigners
Apartment hunting, consultations, and related assistance for foreign job seekers.
