Japan to Offer Work Visas to Skilled Pakistanis

The Japanese Ambassador to Pakistan Kuninori Matsuda told journalists last Friday that Japan would add Pakistan to the list of nine other world countries eligible to apply for Japan employment visas.

While the employment scheme was initially announced for 9 countries – Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, Mongolia, Nepal, the Philippines, Cambodia, and China – Pakistan may soon become the 10 country part of the list.

According to Ambassador Matsuda,  Japan is about to open the working visas for skilled workers from Pakistan, in a bid to tackle the aging and shrinking population of the country.

“We are planning to hire Pakistani skilled workers in good numbers. We need skilled workers, as our population is shrinking by each passing day. We are to sign an MOU with the Pakistan government in a month’s time, enabling the Pakistan skilled workers to have an indefinite visa of Japan,” the ambassador said.

He also praised Pakistanis already working in Japan as very devoted, honest and skilled, and contributing to the development of the country.

However, the ambassador noted that those wishing to work in Japan must learn the Japanese language, adding that those who successfully get a visa will be able to take their families to Japan after five years of working in the country.

The new Japanese visa regulations, which intend to bring more foreign workers to fill job gaps in Japan, came into force on April 1.  Though Japan is known for its strict immigration policies, the country has been forced to undertake such a move in order to deal with the growing problem of labor shortages in the country.

The governing coalition of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe pushed the law to let foreign workers come to the country, last year in December. Now the new regulations permit two categories of foreign workers to come and work in Japan, skilled and unskilled workers. Each category has its own visa application rules and criteria.

It is estimated that about 345,150 international workers will be able to move to Japan to serve its labor market.