Japan to Allow Foreigners to Engage in Home Care Services

From Jiji

February 6 2025

TOKYO – The Japanese government Thursday presented to an experts panel a plan to allow foreign nationals to engage in home care services under the country’s specified skilled worker program as part of efforts to alleviate severe labor shortages. 

The government also proposed easing regulations so that more foreigners can work in the restaurant industry and at manufacturers of industrial products, which are also struggling with manpower shortages.

The proposals were submitted to the first meeting of the panel to discuss revisions to the country’s programs for accepting foreign workers. The government aims to amend related operational guidelines for each sector based on the immigration control law as early as this spring.

The specified skilled worker program, introduced in 2019, allows foreigners with certain skills to work in more than 10 sectors and stay in the country for the medium to long term.

In the nursing care sector, foreigners currently cannot engage in home care services. They would be allowed to do so if they meet certain conditions, such as receiving training, according to the proposal.