Special Measure Allowing Care Worker Certification Despite Failing National Exam Applied to Over 8,000 People in Seven Years; Many Are Foreign Nationals, but Rule Applies Regardless of Nationality
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It has come to light that more than 8,000 people have benefited from a transitional measure allowing graduates of certified care worker (kaigo fukushishi) training programs who failed the national certification exam to still obtain full certification, over the roughly seven years since the measure began. According to reports including one by the Yomiuri Shimbun, the measure allows graduates who fail the national exam to work under a time-limited quasi-certification, and grants full registration as a certified care worker without passing the exam if they continue working for up to five years. Originally intended as a temporary measure through 2021, it has been repeatedly extended amid severe staffing shortages in the elder care field, and currently covers graduates through the 2026 academic year.
Many of those who have benefited from this measure are reportedly foreign nationals, particularly international students who studied at training institutions. However, according to a Japanese fact-checking organization's review, claims suggesting that "only foreigners can obtain the certification despite failing the exam" have circulated online; this is inaccurate, as the transitional measure applies equally to Japanese citizens regardless of nationality.
Current status: The specific breakdown of the roughly 8,000 beneficiaries by nationality, and the outlook for further extensions of the measure, remain unclear as of this writing. This article will be updated as further details emerge.
Editorial Perspective
The Technical Intern Training Program is set to be replaced by the new Employment for Skill Development system in April 2027 (related article), and developments like this one can be seen as part of the institutional design process during that transition. Expanding acceptance also requires resolving practical issues such as broker problems in sending countries and building proper oversight systems among accepting employers. For the new system to work as intended rather than merely on paper, it will be important to continue examining how it actually operates once implemented.