Work flexibility to expand for foreigners at Japan local governments

April 7, 2019

Tokyo--Japan will allow foreign employees of local governments to engage in a wider range of work amid increasing demand for workers who can handle overseas-related assignments, informed sources have said.

Such assignments are increasing at many local governments. Some face growth in visitors from abroad, while others hope to launch campaigns to promote exports of local specialties.

At present, Japan has three residency categories for foreigners employed by local governments--instructors, specialists in engineering, humanities and international services and skilled laborers.

Those with the instructor status work mainly as assistant language teachers at schools, those with the specialist status as interpreters, marketing staff and tourism planners, and those with the skilled-laborer status as sports instructors and workers in other fields requiring special skills.

Foreign employees can work in fields other than those permitted under their own status.

But they need to go through cumbersome procedures. In addition, there is a 28-hour cap on the number of weekly work hours for jobs outside their own status.

The Justice Ministry is reviewing its rules to let foreign employees with a status also engage in work under the other two statuses freely, the sources said.

The 28-hour cap will remain intact. But the reviewed rules will allow local governments to utilize their foreign employees flexibly, the sources added.

The ministry has already sought public comments on the review. It plans to implement the reviewed rules late this month.

The review is in line with a basic government policy for regional revitalization adopted in June 2018. Jiji Press