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On October 19, 2026, the 15th “Expert Meeting on Basic Policy and Sectoral Operational Policy for the Specified Skilled Worker System and Employment for Skill Development Program” was held at the Ministry of Justice. A proposal was presented to transfer catering services for hospitals and nursing care facilities (medical/welfare facility catering, etc.) from the Food Service Industry sector to the Food and Beverage Manufacturing Industry sector for acceptance. In the Food Service Industry sector, the issuance of Certificates of Eligibility for Specified Skilled Worker (i) (new acceptance from overseas) has been suspended since April 13, 2026, and changes from other Status of Residence are, in principle, denied, with exceptions such as transitions from Technical Intern Training (medical/welfare facility catering manufacturing work). The proposal suggests accepting new applications for catering services in the Food and Beverage Manufacturing Industry sector as an emergency measure, starting from Reiwa 9 (2027) fiscal year.
This is still at the “proposal” stage. In this article, based on the meeting materials, we will clarify what changes are proposed, the process until a decision is made, and the points that companies and facilities responsible for catering services should confirm now.
The key points of the meeting materials “Regarding the Acceptance of Medical/Welfare Facility Catering, etc. in the Food Service Industry Sector within the Food and Beverage Manufacturing Industry Sector (Proposal)” (Material 2-2) and the outline of the amendment proposal (Material 1-1) are as follows:
| Item | Content of Proposal |
|---|---|
| Targeted Operations | Medical/welfare facility catering, etc. (operations involving a series of manufacturing processes such as pre-processing of ingredients, non-heating/heating cooking, etc., to produce medical/welfare facility catering, etc.) |
| Transfer Destination | Food Service Industry sector → “Food and Beverage Manufacturing” business category within the Food and Beverage Manufacturing Industry sector |
| Effective Date | From new applications in Reiwa 9 (2027) fiscal year (emergency measure) |
| “Primary Skills” for Employment for Skill Development | Delete “Medical/welfare facility catering manufacturing” as a primary skill for the Food Service Industry and add it to the business category of Food and Beverage Manufacturing Industry (Material 1-1) |
| Acceptable Business Establishments (Additional Notification) | Addition of business establishments engaged in school education, other education/learning support services, medical services, social insurance/social welfare/nursing care services, that also operate facility catering services |
| Estimated Number of Acceptances | “No change” for both the Food Service Industry sector and the Food and Beverage Manufacturing Industry sector |
The key point is that this is not a proposal to resume acceptance in the Food Service Industry sector itself. It is a proposal to “reassign” catering operations to the Food and Beverage Manufacturing Industry sector, which includes food factories. Regarding new acceptance in the Food Service Industry sector (restaurants, etc.), the materials from the expert meeting on September 9, 2026, state that the resumption of acceptance is “undecided.”
Furthermore, “primary skills” are explained in the materials as units of skills to be systematically developed under the Employment for Skill Development Program (ESD). Regarding the skill level for Specified Skilled Worker (i), the sectoral operational policy proposal (Material 1-2) on the same day suggests that Specified Skilled Worker (i) in the Food and Beverage Manufacturing Industry sector should be those who have passed either the “Food and Beverage Manufacturing Specified Skilled Worker (i) Evaluation Test” or the test at the end of Employment for Skill Development (for catering, the “Medical/Welfare Facility Catering Manufacturing Employment for Skill Development Evaluation Test (Specialized Level)”). Japanese proficiency is stated to be equivalent to A2.2 or higher of the “Reference Framework for Japanese Language Education.” Both are proposals, and the implementation period of the tests and application guidelines have not yet been announced.
Material 2-2 lists the following reasons:
The material also presents figures on labor shortages.
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Job-opening-to-application ratio: Catering cooks (excluding school meals) | 7.37 times |
| Job-opening-to-application ratio: School meal cooks | 2.36 times |
| Job-opening-to-application ratio: Food and beverage preparation workers | 2.15 times |
| Job-opening-to-application ratio: All occupations (reference) | 0.99 times |
| Job fulfillment rate (contractors of medical/welfare facility catering) | 33.0% (49,351 hires / 149,418 applications) |
The job-opening-to-application ratio is from the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare “Employment Security Business Statistics” (May Reiwa 8). The job fulfillment rate is an estimate based on a survey of member companies of the Japan Medical Catering Association (38 companies targeted, 34 valid responses, August 7-26, 2026). It states that no business establishment is fully staffed, and about 40% have numerous vacancies. It is explained that in workplaces providing three meals a day, including holidays, it is difficult to attract people due to early morning and late shifts, strict hygiene management, and rural work locations.
The proposal is for Reiwa 9 (2027) fiscal year onwards. Until then, the current handling of the Food Service Industry sector will continue. The “Status of Residence Applications for Specified Skilled Worker (i) (Food Service Industry Sector)” published by the Immigration Services Agency on October 19, 2026, is as follows:
| Type of Application | Processing Status (as of October 19, 2026) |
|---|---|
| Application for Certificate of Eligibility | Applications received by February 6, 2026, are being issued sequentially. Applications received on or after April 13 are, in principle, not being issued. |
| Change: From Technical Intern Training (Medical/Welfare Facility Food Service Manufacturing) | Applications received by September 30, 2026, will be permitted upon completion of examination. |
| Change: From Designated Activities (Preparation for Specified Skilled Worker (i) transition – Food Service Industry) | Applications received by September 30, 2026, will be permitted upon completion of examination. |
| Change: Job change from Specified Skilled Worker (i) (Food Service Industry) | All applications will be permitted upon completion of examination. |
| Change: From Status of Residence other than the above | Applications received by April 12. Applications received on or after April 13 are, in principle, not permitted. |
| Application for Extension of Period of Stay | Will be permitted upon completion of examination as usual. |
As of October 16, applications for Certificate of Eligibility currently under review include 732 applications received from February 7 to February 28, 1,825 applications received in March, and 4,804 applications received from April 1 to April 12 (preliminary figures). Additionally, for changes from Technical Intern Training, applicants are requested to apply at least two months before the scheduled start date of employment.
The expert panel meeting document (Regarding the start of work for the revision of the sectoral operational policy) on September 9, 2026, indicates a schedule for Reiwa 8 (2026) where the sectoral operational policy will be decided in December (Cabinet Meeting/Cabinet Decision) after an expert panel meeting in November. The Employment for Skill Development Program (ESD) laws will come into effect on April 1, 2027.
| Period | Schedule/Event |
|---|---|
| April 13, 2026 | Suspension of issuance of Certificate of Eligibility for Specified Skilled Worker (i) in the food service industry field begins. |
| October 19, 2026 | Proposal for reclassification of food service operations presented at the 15th expert panel meeting. |
| November 2026 | Expert panel meeting (continued discussion on the draft sectoral operational policy) = Scheduled |
| December 2026 | Decision on sectoral operational policy (Cabinet Meeting/Cabinet Decision) = Scheduled |
| April 1, 2027 | Enforcement of Employment for Skill Development Program (ESD) laws and start of Reiwa 9 (2027) fiscal year. |
On the other hand, the following points were not indicated in this document:
The proposal may not be decided as is in December. It is safer to wait for the official announcement and examination guidance after the decision, rather than front-loading recruitment plans based on an assumed decision.
According to Immigration Services Agency statistics (as of the end of June, Reiwa 8 (2026)), there are 3,346 Specified Skilled Worker (i) in Miyazaki Prefecture, of which 778 are in the Food and Beverage Manufacturing Industry field and 218 are in the Food Service Industry field. If food service operations move to the Food and Beverage Manufacturing Industry field, they will be handled within a field that already has a large number of acceptances in the prefecture.
For companies that contract food services for hospitals and nursing care facilities in Miyazaki Prefecture, or corporations that directly operate food services at facilities, the following two points will be crucial in practice:
The situation of each field in the prefecture is covered in “Miyazaki’s Specified Skilled Worker (i) in Food and Beverage Manufacturing Industry Ranks Second | 707 people, Council 2-3 months” and “Miyazaki’s Specified Skilled Worker (i) in Food Service Industry Ranks Fourth | 203 people, New Applications Suspended” (both figures as of the end of December, Reiwa 7 (2025)).
The overall picture of the transition to the Employment for Skill Development Program (ESD) is also covered in “Proposed Addition of Business Categories to Specified Skilled Worker and Employment for Skill Development | Decision Expected in December“.
Q1. Will acceptance in the Food Service Industry resume?
This proposal is for transferring medical/welfare facility meal preparation, etc., to the Food and Beverage Manufacturing Industry. It is not a resumption of new acceptance in the Food Service Industry (restaurants, etc.). The resumption of acceptance in the Food Service Industry is stated as “undecided” in the expert panel meeting materials from September 9.
Q2. When will new acceptance for school meal preparation begin?
The proposal states that it will be for new applications from FY2027. The sectoral operational policy is scheduled to be decided in December 2026. The examination is indicated in the draft sectoral operational policy (Material 1-2), but the start date of acceptance and the timing of the examination are expected to be announced after the decision.
Q3. Are school meal centers and company cafeterias also covered?
The diagram in the materials shows school meal centers and central kitchens as businesses in the Food and Beverage Manufacturing Industry. The proposal adds cases where businesses operating school education, medical services, social welfare, and nursing care services also operate facility meal preparation. Company cafeterias are still shown as businesses in the Food Service Industry in the post-transition diagram. Please check the official announcement after the decision to confirm whether individual businesses are covered.
Q4. Will the acceptance cap change?
Material 1-1 states that the estimated number of acceptances for both the Food Service Industry and the Food and Beverage Manufacturing Industry is “unchanged.”
At the expert panel meeting on October 19, a proposal was presented to accept meal preparation for hospitals, nursing care facilities, etc. (medical/welfare facility meal preparation, etc.) in the Food and Beverage Manufacturing Industry as an emergency measure for new applications from FY2027. This is not a resumption of the Food Service Industry itself, but a “reassignment” of meal preparation duties. The decision is scheduled for December, and the start date of acceptance and the timing of the examination have not yet been announced. The current handling of the Food Service Industry will continue until FY2027, so it is important to wait for the decision while continuing to manage current recruitment and renewals.
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This article was written based on publicly available information as of October 2026. Details of the system and implementation dates may change in the future. For actual applications, please refer to the official information from the Immigration Services Agency or contact our office.
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
