Amid a declining birthrate and aging population, demand for foreign care workers is rising in the nursing care industry.

The baby-boom generation born between 1947 and 1949 during the first baby boom is said to number about 8 million today. By 2025, this generation will reach age 75 and older as latter-stage elderly, raising concerns about strain on medical care, nursing care, and the social security system.

The super-aged society arriving by 2025 is expected to affect many fields, and in the nursing care industry the need for nursing care welfare facilities and care workers who can respond to the increase in people requiring care is under scrutiny.

As a policy response to the challenges of a super-aged society, the Japanese government has begun a policy of accepting care workers from overseas.

Toward the super-aged society that will peak in 2025, the nursing care industry needs to consider hiring foreign care workers in order to ease labor shortages.

Causes of a Society with a Declining Birthrate and Aging Population

Causes of the declining birthrate progressing alongside the 2025 problem of a super-aged society include the advance of women in the workforce, which has increased unmarried and late-marriage trends and expanded lifestyle choices for women, as well as the fact that young people in non-regular employment, unable to expect economic stability, are distancing themselves from marriage and childbirth.

Aging is not only the phenomenon of more elderly people; it is also heavily influenced by the continuing decline in the birthrate of children and in the younger population. Japanese society is already seeing this phenomenon begin, and various measures are being considered in preparation for the “2025 problem.”

Current Status of Accepting Foreign Care Workers

According to the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare’s “Required Number of Care Workers Based on Long-Term Care Insurance Business Plans,” it has been announced that + about 220,000 in FY2023 / + about 320,000 in FY2025 / 690,000 in FY2040 additional care workers are needed.

The required number of care workers consists of care workers engaged at long-term care service providers and long-term care insurance facilities, and care workers engaged in preventive long-term care home-visit care services.

As part of the Japanese government’s efforts, comprehensive measures to secure nursing care personnel include preventing turnover through improved treatment of care workers and promoting retention in care jobs, as well as securing diverse talent and developing an environment for accepting international talent.

Four Statuses of Residence for Hiring Foreign Care Workers

When hiring foreign nationals in the nursing care industry, the four applicable visas are the statuses of residence “Nursing Care / Technical Intern Training · Nursing Care / EPA Nursing Care / Specified Skilled Worker (i) · Nursing Care.

● Status of residence “Nursing Care”

A status of residence that started in September 2017.

Requirements for acquisition include obtaining the certified care worker qualification / concluding an employment contract with a Japanese nursing care welfare facility / job duties being nursing care or guidance in nursing care / receiving working conditions and compensation equivalent to those of Japanese nationals / and so on.

A common path to obtaining the status of residence “Nursing Care” is coming to Japan on a student visa, obtaining permission to engage in activity other than that permitted under the status of residence, and working part-time in nursing care while obtaining the certified care worker qualification. The period of stay is a maximum of five years, and family accompaniment is also permitted, making it a visa that enables stable employment in nursing care.

※ Number of people with status of residence “Nursing Care” as of June 2020: 2,119

● Technical Intern Training · Nursing Care

A status of residence that started in July 2010.

After one month of training before entry and one month of training after entry, an employment contract is concluded with the accepting company, and it becomes possible to work at the place of employment while also undertaking practical training

The purpose of the Technical Intern Training Program is technology transfer so that foreign nationals can learn Japanese skills and contribute to developing countries. The period of stay is a maximum of five years. The first year after entry is Technical Intern Training (i); years 2–3 are Technical Intern Training (ii), requiring passage of practical and written exams and the Japanese-Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) N4 or higher. Years 4–5 are Technical Intern Training (iii), requiring passage of a practical exam and JLPT N3 or higher. In addition, the supervising organization and accepting organization must meet certain conditions.

From Technical Intern Training (ii) Nursing Care, transfer to Specified Skilled Worker (i) Nursing Care is possible, and the nursing care skills evaluation exam and nursing care Japanese language evaluation exam required for Specified Skilled Worker (i) are exempted.

※ Technical Intern Training · Nursing Care as of March 2020: 10,790 people

● EPA Nursing Care

A status of residence for foreign nationals of Vietnam, Indonesia, and the Philippines, countries with which Japan has concluded EPAs (Economic Partnership Agreements). The period of stay is four years until obtaining the certified care worker qualification, and three years of stay is permitted after obtaining the qualification. Passage of the Japanese-Language Proficiency Test at N3 to N5 or higher is required, and on the skills side, graduation from a nursing school in the home country is a condition.

For EPA Nursing Care, obtaining the certified care worker qualification is a fundamental premise, but if it is anticipated that obtaining the qualification within the period of stay will not be possible, transfer from EPA Nursing Care to Specified Skilled Worker (i) Nursing Care is one option. In that case, the nursing care skills evaluation exam, nursing care Japanese language evaluation exam, and similar requirements are exempted.

※ EPA Nursing Care as of March 2020: 5,026 people

● Specified Skilled Worker (i) · Nursing Care

A status of residence that started in April 2019.

A status of residence that allows companies to hire foreign nationals who can work as ready contributors in Japan’s 14 industries facing labor shortages. Foreign nationals who exceed the passing standards on Japanese language proficiency and skills evaluation exams can work at nursing care welfare facilities and similar workplaces.

The purpose of the Specified Skilled Worker system is a status of residence that enables foreign nationals to work in Japan’s 14 industries facing labor shortages. Under Specified Skilled Worker (i), the period of stay is a maximum of five years, employment is possible in the 14 specified industries, and passage of the nursing care skills evaluation exam and the Japanese-Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) N4 or higher is required.

For Specified Skilled Worker (i) Nursing Care, the process is to pass the Japanese language test / nursing care skills evaluation exam / nursing care Japanese language evaluation exam before entry, conclude an employment contract with a Japanese accepting organization (such as a nursing care welfare facility), and then be permitted to enter Japan.

※ Specified Skilled Worker · Nursing Care as of March 2021: 1,705 people

Summary

We have explained the statuses of residence required for foreign care workers.

When hiring foreign nationals in Japan’s industries facing labor shortages, including the nursing care industry, consider the required conditions and statuses of residence, make a plan, and proceed accordingly.