Foreigners with Specified Skill Status in Japan Hits Record High
Tokyo, Sept. 29 (Jiji Press)--The number of foreigners with specified skilled worker status of residence in Japan hit a record high of 444,256 as of the end of June, up 13.8 pct from the end of 2025, the Immigration Services Agency of Japan said Tuesday. Of them, those who have the Type 2 status, which is for workers with higher skills, increased 2.3-fold to 18,295. The specified skilled...
By the end of June, Japan saw a record 444,256 foreigners with specified skilled worker status residing in the country, representing a 13.8% increase from the previous year, according to the Immigration Services Agency. Among these, the number of those holding Type 2 status, which permits permanent residency and family reunification, surged by a remarkable 2.3-fold to 18,295.
Introduced in 2019 to address labor shortages, the specified skilled worker status system offers holders of Type 1 status up to five years of employment in Japan, while Type 2 allows for permanent residency and family inclusion.
The trend of foreign workers upgrading from Type 1 to Type 2 status has been steadily rising. As of the latest data, 425,961 foreigners held Type 1 residence status, a 11.4% increase. The largest groups of foreign residents come from Vietnam, Indonesia, and Myanmar.
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