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The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) began accepting applications on October 19, 2026, for the 2026 “Construction Future Award with Foreign Talent” (Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Award). This system recognizes Specified Skilled Worker foreign nationals who are active on construction sites, accepting companies and industry organizations that train foreign human resources, and initiatives for coexistence and co-creation with foreign human resources.
This year, a new “Co-creation Category” has been established for the “Future Initiatives Award,” targeting initiatives where foreign nationals and Japanese people collaborate to create new value. Applications are submitted via the application form (web application) on the MLIT website, and the deadline is Monday, November 30, 2026.
This article, based on MLIT’s press release and application page, organizes the application targets for the three awards, the points considered in the screening, the application process, and cases where awards are not granted, for both construction company personnel and foreign skilled workers themselves.
The “Construction Future Award with Foreign Talent” is a Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Award established by MLIT in fiscal year 2023 (Reiwa 5). The application page states the two purposes of the award as follows:
The selection process involves a preliminary screening by the secretariat, followed by a main screening by the “Construction Future Award with Foreign Talent Review Committee,” composed of academics and experts, to select the award recipients. It is stated that in any category, if there are no outstanding applications, “no recipient” may be chosen.
Previous award numbers include 7 Excellent Foreign Construction Skilled Worker Awards, 5 Foreign Human Resources Development Awards, and 4 Business Development Awards in fiscal year 2023, and 6 Excellent Foreign Construction Skilled Worker Awards, 6 Foreign Human Resources Development Awards, and 5 Future Initiatives Awards in fiscal year 2025 (all according to MLIT press releases).
| Award | Application Target | Main Screening Criteria |
|---|---|---|
| ① Excellent Foreign Construction Skilled Worker Award | Foreign nationals with Specified Skilled Worker (i) or (ii) Status of Residence at the time of application. Must not have previously received this award. | Improvement of construction skills and Japanese proficiency, systematic efforts to assume a leadership role on site and contribution to construction and quality management, training of other skilled workers. |
| ② Foreign Human Resources Development Award | Accepting companies or industry organizations engaged in training foreign construction skilled workers at the time of application. Must not have previously received this award. | Continuous, effective, systematic, and concrete training, collaboration with surrounding companies and related organizations. |
| ③ Future Initiatives Award (Coexistence Category / Co-creation Category) | Regardless of whether it is an accepting company, industry organization, or individual, initiatives for “coexistence” and “co-creation” with foreign human resources. The initiative must not have previously received this award. | Coexistence Category = Contribution to an orderly symbiotic society and regional multicultural coexistence / Co-creation Category = Creation of new value through collaboration between foreign nationals and Japanese people. |
*The MLIT press release uses “未来への取り組み賞” (Mirai e no Torikumi Sho), while the application page uses “未来への取組賞” (Mirai e no Torikumi Sho). The Future Initiatives Award is given for each initiative, so even past recipients can apply if the initiative is different from their previous award.
The application page provides the following examples for each screening criterion:
For Specified Skilled Worker (ii) individuals, examples include advanced skill and management standards different from Specified Skilled Worker (i), such as improvement in CCUS (Construction Career Up System) levels, as well as initiatives and achievements demonstrating their roles and responsibilities as foremen, site supervisors, or site agents.
Examples include having a concrete development plan, a system within the company to confirm skills, a support system for obtaining skill certifications, and consistently producing individuals who have obtained Skill Test Level 2 or Level 1. In addition, collaboration that extends beyond the company’s own initiatives, such as providing and sharing know-how with neighboring companies or companies affiliated with the same organization, is also a criterion for evaluation.
| Category | Application Examples (Summary of examples from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism) |
|---|---|
| Coexistence Category | Initiatives to convey living and traffic rules, garbage sorting, etc., using easy Japanese, multilingual materials, and interpreters / Continuous participation in local events, crime prevention, cleaning, and neighborhood association activities / Initiatives for mutual understanding in cooperation with schools and local governments / Participation in disaster drills, disaster recovery support, and workplace experience for children |
| Co-creation Category (Newly established) | Initiatives to prepare multilingual manuals, video teaching materials, work procedures, and safety signs, leading to standardization of operations, improvement of safety, construction quality, and productivity / Improvement of working styles and treatment, including for Japanese employees, and promotion of recruitment and retention / New businesses utilizing the knowledge of foreign human resources / Creation of mechanisms for international contribution and recruitment from home countries utilizing networks of foreign human resources |
| Item | Content |
|---|---|
| Application Method | Application form (WEB application) on the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism “Construction Future Award with Foreign Talent” application page |
| Deadline | November 30, 2026 (Monday) (The application page states “must arrive by”) |
| Screening | December 2026 – January 2027 (scheduled) |
| Award Ceremony | February 2027 (scheduled) |
| Self-nomination/Third-party nomination | Both are acceptable. For third-party nominations, approval from the applicant (individual/company, etc.) must be obtained. |
| Attached Documents (Optional) | If there are photos, brochures, copies of news articles, etc., that show the initiatives or appealing points, upload them as PDF, JPG, etc. |
The following points are also indicated for application:
The application page states that individuals who have committed crimes, or who have received suspension of business, revocation of permission, or designation suspension measures based on the Construction Business Act, and whose period falls between December 1, Reiwa 7 (2025) and November 30, Reiwa 8 (2026), or other cases deemed inappropriate by social standards, will be excluded from the awards.
Furthermore, it is stated that the following cases may also be excluded for each award:
Before applying, please check whether your company’s administrative dispositions or accident records fall within these periods.
Looking at the application examples provided by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, many overlap with the efforts that companies accepting foreign human resources make on a daily basis, such as explaining living rules in multiple languages or easy Japanese, translating procedures and safety signs into multiple languages, and participating in local events.
On the other hand, depending on the award, the systematic nature of development, the continuity of initiatives, and objective documents to support the content described are also observed. If you are considering applying, organizing records such as the following at hand will make it easier to fill out the application form:
Such records are useful not only for applying for awards but also for retaining foreign nationals and reviewing in-house training.
Among foreign nationals with Specified Skilled Worker (i) Status of Residence working in Miyazaki Prefecture, the Construction industry accounted for 199 people as of the end of December 2025 (preliminary figures), ranking 5th by industry sector (For details, see “Miyazaki’s Specified Skilled Worker in Construction Ranks 5th | 199 People, 2 Months for Acceptance Plan Certification“).
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism’s list of award recipients also includes examples from Kyushu. In fiscal year 2024, a construction company in Kanoya City, Kagoshima Prefecture, received the Business Development Award, and in fiscal year 2025, a company in Miyazaki City received the Future Initiatives Award. Additionally, a foreign national with Specified Skilled Worker (ii) Status of Residence working for a company in Tosu City, Saga Prefecture, received the Excellent Foreign Construction Skilled Worker Award.
A. The target applicants are foreign nationals who hold Specified Skilled Worker (i) or (ii) Status of Residence at the time of application. Technical Intern Trainees are not indicated as eligible for this award.
A. The Foreign Human Resources Development Award is for companies and organizations that have not previously received this award. On the other hand, the Future Initiatives Award recognizes initiatives, so past recipients may apply if their initiative is different from the previous one.
A. This is a new category established this fiscal year for the Future Initiatives Award. It targets initiatives where foreign nationals and Japanese people collaborate to create new value, triggered by the acceptance of foreign human resources (e.g., standardization of operations through multilingual manuals, improvement of working styles, new businesses utilizing the knowledge of foreign nationals).
A. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism’s press release and application page do not mention application fees. For details on applying, please contact the awards secretariat listed on the application page.
A. The deadline is Monday, November 30, 2026, and the application page states that applications must “arrive by” this date. Since the handling of applications after the deadline is not specified, please apply with ample time.
The “Construction Future Award with Foreign Talent” is a Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Award that recognizes Specified Skilled Workers, accepting companies and industry organizations, and initiatives for coexistence and co-creation with foreign human resources. In fiscal year 2026, a Co-creation Category has been newly established for the Future Initiatives Award. Applications are submitted via the application form on the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism’s application page, and the deadline is Monday, November 30, 2026. Depending on the award, the planning and continuity of initiatives, as well as supporting documents, are also reviewed. Organize your daily records of acceptance and training, and proceed with preparations by working backward from the deadline.
💴 Support Fees for Application for Certificate of Eligibility, Application for Change of Status of Residence, and Application for Extension of Period of Stay for Specified Skilled Worker Status of Residence are listed on the “Fee” page. The first consultation is free for up to 60 minutes.
As an Administrative Scrivener Corporation in Miyazaki City, Miyazaki Prefecture, our office assists with the acceptance of Specified Skilled Workers and their residence procedures.
For procedures that can be filed online, such as applications for a Certificate of Eligibility, change of status of residence and extension of period of stay, we accept requests from clients nationwide. Meetings are held online (Google Meet, LINE) and documents are exchanged by mail or electronically, so there is no need to visit our office. Applications for Permission for Permanent Residence and for Permission of Naturalization cannot be filed online and must be submitted at the counter, so they are limited to residents of Miyazaki Prefecture. Depending on the procedure and its urgency, you may need to collect your Residence Card at the counter of the immigration office covering the area where you live. Online applications cannot be filed on the last day of your period of stay, so please consult us as early as possible.
Please feel free to use our free consultation service.
📞 To book a phone consultation: 0985-68-0851
Before you submit, let us take a look.
Free Immigration Pre-Submission Check ›
For those who will apply for a status of residence at the Immigration Services Bureau by themselves. Before you submit, we check your application form and supporting documents and tell you about any missing documents and points to watch. We accept checks online (Google Meet, about 20 minutes) or via LINE.
・Eligible: applications for a Certificate of Eligibility, change of status of residence and extension of period of stay (applications for permanent residence are accepted only from residents of Miyazaki Prefecture). Naturalization is not covered.
・Online (Google Meet): once per application. Replies via LINE: available for the same application until you submit it.
・Our guideline for replies via LINE is, in principle, within 2 business days (we are closed on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays; replies may take longer when we are busy).
・Please send copies of your documents by LINE or email. For your residence card, send the front side only; please do not send the side showing your My Number.
・What we tell you is our office’s opinion. It does not guarantee approval; the outcome depends on the decision of the Immigration Services Bureau.
・We only point out missing documents and points to watch. We do not prepare or rewrite your application documents for you or draft text for them, and we do not tell you whether your application is likely to be approved (if you would like to engage us, we will introduce the Self-Prep Course, the Light Plan and the Standard Plan).
・If we find that a document contains information that is not true, or that the application is not your own (or a family member’s), we will decline the check.
This article is written based on publicly available information as of October 2026. The content and schedule of the recruitment may change in the future. For actual application, please check the latest information on the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism’s recruitment page.
Author of this article: Administrative Scrivener Authorized to File Applications, Satoshi Nakayama
Representative, Administrative Scrivener Corporation Miyazaki International Legal Office
Location: Miyazaki City, Miyazaki Prefecture
