EXCLUSIVE: Nursing skill tests under new visa to start in Vietnam, Philippines

January 23, 2019

Tokyo--The Japanese government is considering conducting, in Vietnam and the Philippines for the time being, skills tests for foreigners hoping to work in the nursing sector under one of Japan's two new visa categories, informed sources told Jiji Press on Tuesday.

The sector is expected to attract the greatest number of workers from abroad under the so-called type one visa category, which is granted to those having certain professional skills. The new visa category, slated to start in April and covering 14 industries, is aimed at accepting more foreign workers in Japan amid serious labor shortages crippling the country.

Skills tests for three of the 14 sectors--the nursing, restaurant and hotel industries--are set to begin in April.

Tests for the restaurant industry will be held in Japan, and in Vietnam on a trial basis, the sources said.

Tests for the hotel industry will take place in Japan. The government also hopes to launch the tests for the sector abroad as early as possible, the sources said.

The government picked the countries as the test venues based on the nationalities of those who are working or have worked in Japan under the country's existing technical trainee program and requests from industry groups, according to the sources.

Skills tests for the other 11 industries, including construction, will start in May or later.

To obtain the type one visa, applicants are required to pass technical tests and have certain Japanese language skills.

Language proficiency tests newly created by the government will be conducted in a total of nine countries, including Vietnam, the Philippines and Indonesia.

Ahead of the launch of the language tests, Japan will exchange documents stipulating measures to shut out rogue labor brokers with the governments of these countries.

The nursing sector, which is expected to accept up to 60,000 workers over five years under the type one visa category, will conduct an independent language test to assess the levels of applicants' understanding of technical and other specific language required for the profession.

Nursing personnel from Vietnam and the Philippines are already working in Japan based on Japan's bilateral economic partnership agreements with the Southeast Asian countries. Jiji Press