Known to many countries across the globe, Japan is currently dealing with the effects of its aging population as a result of low birth rate and decline in inward migration. One of the most notable consequences of this social issue is the chronic labor shortage experienced by various sectors and industries in the Land of the Rising Sun.
In order to temper the impacts of the workforce setback in the country, the Japanese government through its National Diet ammended the strict immigration policies in the country that used to provide for stringent requirements in relation to visa application. At present, the New Immigration Control Act which took effect last April 2019 introduced the so called Specified Skilled Worker Visa in order to attract more foreign nationals who may not have high educational attainment but have considerable experienced and skills in certain blue collar jobs.
On the other hand, foreign professionals are granted more preferential treatment and additional benefits based on the new immigration act. They may bring their own parents as well as domestic helpers from their country of origin to enable them to focus on their current employment or jobs in Japan. In addition, they may apply for permanent residency after either one or three years of continuous stay in Japan depending on the number of points that they earn based on the Point Calculation System established by the Japanese government to evaluate the skills and accomplishments of potential foreign applicants.
Under the said system, certain points will only be awarded for the items that can be supported with sufficient documentation. The point system will take into account the foreign professionals academic and work related achievements such as but not limited to their relevant job experience, annual salary, academic accomplishments, rewards, recognitions and the particular university or school wherein he or she has attained his or her degree.
Reference: Highly Skilled Foreign Professional Visa
