visas

Japan will implement a new visa program for highly skilled foreign workers in order to help address the country’s chronic labor shortages. If workers can pass certain exams, they will be granted residency for five years, and could extend this status indefinitely. Additionally, if they pass more tests, their families would also be eligible to live in Japan. One part of the article I found particularly interesting is that Japan is committed to providing cultural and linguistic support to these foreign workers, in order to better integrate them into Japanese society. I think this article provided an interesting comparison to the way immigration has traditionally happened in the United States. Although trends have been changing recently, immigrant to the United States were traditionally unskilled workers, whose children were the generation that ultimately assimilated to American culture. This program seems very different, in that it will be available only to highly skilled workers and it will immediately assist them in adapting to Japanese culture.

This program is also meant to only target certain industries which experience repeated struggles to meet the demands for workers. Over time, as the Japanese economy changes, the list of approved industries may train. Overall, this new political initiative seems like an effort to balance the need to improve the national economy without hurting the Japanese worker.