Foreign skilled worker received Japan's first unlimited work visa

[thomas]

Demographics drive change: a skilled Chinese worker based in Gifu became the first person to be granted a resident status that effectively allows foreign blue-collar workers to stay in Japan indefinitely.

While politicians and academics ponder the pros and cons of immigration, the situation on the ground has begun to change.

Photo credit: Kyodo

A 35-year-old Chinese man has become the first person to be granted a residence status that effectively allows foreign blue-collar workers to stay in Japan indefinitely, the infrastructure ministry and a supporting organization said Thursday. Weng Fei, an employee of a construction company in Gifu Prefecture, obtained the Specified Skilled Worker No. 2 status on Wednesday. Introduced in 2019, Japan's Specified Skilled Worker No. 2 policy is intended to attract foreign workers and address the country's severe labor shortage. The system allows foreigners with certain Japanese language and vocational skills to apply for a resident status called Specified Skilled Worker No. 1, which grants working rights in 14 sectors, such as construction, farming and nursing, for up to five years. Proficient laborers in two sectors - construction and shipbuilding - can then further extend their stay by earning the Specified Skilled Worker No. 2 status, which allows holders to bring in family members and has no limit on the number of times they can renew their visa.

Chinese man gets Japan's first skilled worker visa with no time limit

Introduced in 2019, Japan's Specified Skilled Worker No. 2 policy is intended to attract foreign workers and address the country's severe labor shortage.

www.japantimes.co.jp

 

[Petaris]

Wouldn't it really be until they can no longer work? Or is the idea that once they meet the time requirements (as language is already a requirement for the SSW status I would assume they already meet that) they would go the citizenship route?

 

[thomas]

I know two Chinese residents who successfully applied for Japanese citizenship. One of them told me that it was, in fact, much easier to apply for citizenship than for PR (this is, of course, anecdotal and I have no way to verify that). And yes, I would assume that language skills posed no problem.

 

[mdchachi]

I know two Chinese residents who successfully applied for Japanese citizenship. One of them told me that it was, in fact, much easier to apply for citizenship than for PR (this is, of course, anecdotal and I have no way to verify that). And yes, I would assume that language skills posed no problem.

I heard this anecdotally as well.