Foreigners who planned to work in Japan’s restaurant sector will have to wait further or search for other new opportunities as the government of Japan officially suspended visas for foreign restaurant workers, according to a news report by Kyodo News.
To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the news report of Kyodo News. Some parts in boldface…
The Japanese government is no longer issuing visas for foreign specified skilled workers in the restaurant sector as the quota of 50,000 has nearly been reached — the first restriction of its kind since the current limit was set.
The Immigration Services Agency of Japan suspended issuing certificates of eligibility for Type I Specified Skilled Worker visa applications received from Monday. The agency said that, according to preliminary data, the number of foreigners with Type I status working in the food service industry reached roughly 46,000 by the end of February.
It said that for applications received before Monday, certificates will be issued in order up to the quota limit.
In January 2026, the government decided to accept up to 805,700 individuals, expanded to 19 sectors, under the specified skilled worker program through March 2029, with the caps decided based on the degree of labor shortage in the respective fields.
“The food service industry was quicker to employ foreign skilled workers than in other sectors,” said an official at the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries.
“However, there is room for debate as to whether efforts to secure domestic talent, a prerequisite of the system, are being carried out to the fullest extent,” said the official.
The Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act stipulates that the issuance of certificates of eligibility will be suspended if the number of foreign specified skilled workers is expected to exceed the quota.
The agency also said that, from Monday, requests from foreign skilled workers to switch to jobs in the food service industry are not being accepted in principle.
But technical interns who are already working in Japan and transitioning to a specified skilled worker visa in the sector will be given priority in the screening process, it said.
Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this development? Do you think the suspension of visas for foreign restaurant workers will not be harmful to the Japanese restaurant owners/operators? Do you think labor shortage in Japan’s restaurant sector is bound to happen sooner than later?
You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.
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