Japan to Require Proof of Japanese-Language Proficiency for Specified Skilled Worker Visa Applicants
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(Translated and summarized report) Migrant Times, an overseas outlet specializing in labor migration, reported that the Japanese government plans to newly require applicants for Specified Skilled Worker visas to prove their Japanese-language proficiency. The exact start date for the new requirement and the scope of fields it would cover had not been disclosed at the time of the report.
Confirmation of how Japanese-language proficiency would be certified will require an official announcement from the Immigration Services Agency.
This article is a translation and summary based on reporting from overseas media, and confirmation from Japanese primary sources had not been obtained as of this writing. It will be updated once further reports are confirmed.
Under the Specified Skilled Worker program, Japanese-language requirements have so far varied by field, and some fields have not necessarily required passing a language test. If the reported plan to make this mandatory is implemented, it could help ensure the quality of accepted workers while also helping prevent communication problems in the workplace and difficulties in daily life after employment begins.
This policy may be part of the measures to ensure the quality of acceptance outlined in the existing "Comprehensive Measures for Accepting Foreign Nationals and Achieving Orderly Coexistence" (related coverage).