Japan plans to expand the number of foreign care workers eligible under its Specified Skilled Worker (i) status by shifting places from a new employment-and-training route. Officials presented the proposal at an expert panel on October 19, 2026.
The change would take effect in April 2027, alongside the launch of the new status, if the Cabinet approves it in December. The reallocation would raise the Type 1 cap for nursing care, but would not increase the overall care-worker ceiling.
The government says demand for care workers has come in “significantly higher than initially expected.” Officials warned that the existing limit could be exceeded during the current planning period, which runs through the end of March 2029.
About 80,000 people held the care-sector status at the end of July 2026, preliminary figures showed. That was about 64 percent of the current limit. The government said the figure could pass the expected acceptance ceiling in the second half of fiscal 2027.
The care-sector reallocation leaves its overall ceiling intact
The proposal shifts 20,000 places from the training-and-employment program, formally known as the Employment for Skill Development system, into the care-worker visa allocation. The two allocations would change as follows:
| Care-sector allocation | Current or planned limit | Proposed adjustment |
|---|---|---|
| Specified Skilled Worker nursing care | 126,900 | Increase to 146,900 |
| Employment for Skill Development care places | 33,800 | Transfer 20,000 places out |
| Overall care-worker acceptance cap | 160,700 | Remains unchanged |
Officials characterized the shift as a “last-resort measure.” Since the adjustment stays within the care category, the government would lower the new program's care allocation before that system begins operating.
The wider government plan retains a combined ceiling of 1.23 million people for specified skilled workers and employment-for-skill-development participants. The January allocation set about 810,000 places across 19 Type 1 sectors and about 420,000 for the new employment program.
A new status will start as the government trims its care allocation
The new route is scheduled to begin in April 2027, replacing the technical intern training program. Its stated concept is to accept foreign workers who do not yet have sufficient skills or Japanese-language ability, then train them toward qualification for specified skilled worker status. Moving places out of that route for care workers raises a question about how the reallocation fits that design.
Japan created the specified skilled worker program in 2019 to recruit foreign workers in industries facing severe labor shortages. It has two categories: Type 1 requires certain knowledge and experience, while Type 2 requires advanced skills.
The government sets field-specific expectations. Its support site lists 135,000 as the nursing-care field's expected intake, the maximum for the five-year period from April 2024 to March 2029. The official nursing-care information page lists the tests and language qualifications required for the field.
Applicants generally need to pass the Nursing Care Skills Evaluation Test, except those who satisfactorily completed Technical Intern Training (ii) in relevant job categories. They must also demonstrate Japanese proficiency through the Japan Foundation Test for Basic Japanese or the Japanese-Language Proficiency Test (N4 or higher), and pass the Nursing Care Japanese Language Evaluation Test.
Care providers warn the forecast missed conditions on the ground
Masayuki Saito, chairman of the Japan Federation of Kaigo Business Providers, questioned whether transferring places solves a planning problem. He said the initial estimate did not reflect conditions in the sector.
“Shifting the numbers around means the estimate was off. Isn't it necessary to draw up a more precise plan that reflects conditions on the ground?”
Officials argued that a pause in care-worker admissions could leave facilities unable to function, citing the food service industry, where acceptance was halted after its cap looked likely to be reached. The proposed increase responds to that risk while keeping the overall care limit fixed.
The plan also comes from an administration led by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, which has made tighter policies on foreigners a central platform pledge. One expert cautioned that repeated stopgap adjustments could undermine confidence in the system, saying, “if (the government) keeps taking these stopgap measures, the system will lose credibility.”
The panel also proposed reopening a route for institutional meal workers
At the same meeting, officials proposed restarting admissions for foreign workers who prepare meals at welfare facilities and schools. The sector-wide suspension began in April 2026 and had lasted six months by the time of the panel.
Those jobs fall under food service, where the government halted new Type 1 certifications after visa numbers were projected to exceed the 50,000 ceiling. Several thousand of the nearly 50,000 visa holders are said to work in institutional meal preparation.
The proposed fix would classify those duties under food and beverage manufacturing, a sector that has not reached its cap. Its limit would remain 133,500. Officials said keeping the suspension could “cause serious disruptions” to nutritional management for facility users, schoolchildren and students.
Construction workers could also gain snow-removal duties
The panel considered another proposed change: adding snow removal to the duties foreign workers can perform in construction under both specified skilled worker and employment-for-skill-development systems. The Cabinet is expected to consider the measures in December.
