Government creating proposal to restrict foreign workers in seven sectors, including construction and restaurant, to work at least two-year before transferring to another job

The Japanese government is planning a new program called “Training and Employment” to replace the current Technical Intern Training Program for foreign workers. A draft proposal indicates that for seven sectors, such as construction and the food service industry, foreign workers will need to stay for two years at their initial workplace before they can change jobs. For the other ten sectors, this period will be one year. This change aims to allow more flexibility compared to the current system, where changing workplaces is generally not allowed, leading to some workers fleeing poor conditions. The goal is to allow job transfers after one year, but for now, the restriction will be set between one to two years depending on the sector. The plan is expected to be finalized by the government by the end of the year after further discussions.