Government Proposes Shifting 20,000 Nursing Care Slots From New Training Program Into Specified Skilled Worker to Avoid Intake Freeze
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At an expert panel meeting on October 19, 2026, the Japanese government presented a proposal to raise the projected intake for the Specified Skilled Worker (i) residency status in the nursing care sector from 126,900 to 146,900, an increase of 20,000. According to the Mainichi Shimbun, the increase would come by reallocating 20,000 slots from the nursing care quota of the employment for skill development system that begins in April 2027, which stands at 33,800, leaving the overall nursing care ceiling of 160,700 unchanged.
The government says demand for Specified Skilled Worker personnel has proven markedly higher than initially projected, and that the ceiling could be exceeded as early as the second half of fiscal 2027 under the current allocation. New intake in the food service sector has already been suspended as its ceiling came into view, and the measure is intended to avoid the same outcome in nursing care. An executive at the National Federation of Nursing Care Providers, however, noted that shifting numbers around amounts to an admission that the original projections were off.
Relatedly, Justice Minister Takashi Yamashita told a post-cabinet news conference on October 20 that the government is not considering revising the combined ceiling of 1.23 million for Specified Skilled Worker (i) and employment for skill development through the end of fiscal 2028. He said the government does not simply accept industry's stated needs at face value, and explained that sector ceilings are set taking into account industrial demand, productivity improvements, and measures to secure domestic workers. He said there had been no major change in economic conditions warranting a revision of the ceiling, and that it was necessary to protect employment opportunities for Japanese workers and prevent a deterioration in working conditions.
Current status: The reallocation remains a government proposal and has not been adopted by cabinet decision. The specific timing of any decision is unclear as of this writing. This article will be updated as further details emerge.
The same panel also considered a proposal to move catering work at hospitals and welfare facilities from the food service sector into food and beverage manufacturing so that intake can resume. Related coverage
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.