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On September 9, 2026, work began to revise the “Field-Specific Operational Policies” for the Specified Skilled Worker Program and the Employment for Skill Development (ESD; Japanese: Ikusei Shuro) Program.
The proposal presented at the expert meeting on the same day includes consideration of new operational categories such as flat glass processing and glass melting/forming, the addition of “principal skills” such as glove manufacturing, aircraft component assembly, and exterior construction, and the inclusion of the aviation sector as a target for ESD. A Cabinet decision is scheduled for December 2026. This information is organized for both HR professionals at accepting companies and foreign nationals themselves.
First, let’s summarize the key points.
This expert meeting was established under the “Ministerial Meeting on the Acceptance of Foreign Nationals and the Realization of an Orderly Coexistence Society” to hear expert opinions on the basic policies and Field-Specific Operational Policies for both systems, based on the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act (hereinafter, Immigration Control Act) and the ESD Act. Below it, an expert committee is placed to examine skill assessment policies and the appropriateness of examinations.
The agenda for the 14th meeting consisted of the following four items:
| # | Agenda Item | Status |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Regarding the Cabinet Decision on Field-Specific Operational Policies | Report |
| 2 | Regarding the Follow-up of the FY Reiwa 7 Expert Meeting | Report |
| 3 | Regarding the Commencement of Work to Revise Field-Specific Operational Policies | Start of Deliberation |
| 4 | Regarding the Temporary Suspension of Issuance of Certificates of Eligibility in the Specified Skilled Worker “Food Service Industry” Field | Report |
Of these, item 3 is relevant to current practical operations. Regarding item 4, the temporary suspension of measures in the food service industry, our office has separately compiled detailed information, so please refer to that.
This is the most easily misunderstood point this time. Let’s clarify the terminology.
📦 What We Reported in July 2026
This was about increasing the fields themselves, such as linen supply, logistics warehouses, and resource recycling. The overall framework expands.
🧩 What This Report Is About
The number of fields remains 19, but this proposal is to increase the internal divisions (operational categories, principal skills, industrial classifications) within them.
In other words, this proposal is characterized by keeping the outer framework of the fields unchanged while subdividing the internal categories. The addition of linen supply, logistics warehouses, and resource recycling, which we reported in July 2026, was about “increasing the outer framework itself,” so its nature is different.
Please note that the automobile transport industry field does not have an Employment for Skill Development (ESD) Program industry field setting. This is because obtaining a standard driver’s license or similar based on Japanese law is a prerequisite for engaging in the work.
We will organize the 14 items presented in the document as they are. All effective job opening ratios are for Reiwa 7 (2025) fiscal year, as noted in the document.
| Field | Proposed Additions | Type | Effective Job Opening Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Industrial Product Manufacturing | Flat Glass Processing | Addition of Work Category | 4.34 |
| Industrial Product Manufacturing | Glass Melting and Forming | Addition of Work Category | 4.90 |
| Industrial Product Manufacturing | Machine Metal Processing: “Aircraft Parts Assembly” | Addition of Work / Primary Skill | 2.90 |
| Industrial Product Manufacturing | Machine Metal Processing / Electrical and Electronic Equipment Assembly: “Vacuum Forming” | Addition of Work / Primary Skill | 2.90 |
| Industrial Product Manufacturing | Paperboard and Corrugated Box Manufacturing: “Lamination Process (Upstream) / Lamination Process (Downstream)” | Addition of Work / Primary Skill | 5.13 |
| Industrial Product Manufacturing | Sewing: “Glove Manufacturing” | Addition of Work / Primary Skill | 3.02 |
| Industrial Product Manufacturing | Machine Metal Processing / Electrical and Electronic Equipment Assembly: 5 Types of Film Processing (Dry Lamination / Extrusion Lamination / Slitting / Bag Making / Flat Yarn) | Addition of Primary Skill | 2.90 |
| Industrial Product Manufacturing | Metal Surface Treatment: “Buff Polishing” | Addition of Primary Skill | 2.90 |
| Industrial Product Manufacturing | Ceramic Product Manufacturing: “Tile Manufacturing” / “Sanitary Ware Manufacturing” | Addition of Primary Skill | 4.95 |
| Construction | Architecture: “Exterior Construction” / “Block Construction” | Addition of Primary Skill | 6.41 |
| Aviation | Establish the aviation field as an Employment for Skill Development (ESD) Program industry field and set the work category for airport ground handling | Establishment of Employment for Skill Development (ESD) Program Industry Field | 3.61 |
| Fishery | Fishery Product Wholesale Market Operations | Addition of Work Category | 1.91 |
| Food and Beverage Manufacturing | Food and Beverage Manufacturing: “Tofu Manufacturing” | Addition of Primary Skill | 2.79 |
| Food and Beverage Manufacturing | Add Salt Manufacturing (limited to table salt manufacturing) to the industrial classification. Add the Ministry of Finance as a co-competent ministry. | Addition of Industrial Classification / Competent Ministry | 4.32 |
As a result, this proposal would increase the number of work categories from 17 to 19 for Industrial Product Manufacturing and from 2 to 3 for Fishery.
Looking at the effective job opening ratios, Construction (Exterior Construction / Block Construction) has the highest at 6.41, while Fishery Product Wholesale Market Operations has the lowest at 1.91. The severity of labor shortages varies considerably by work category, and the justifications for additions appear to be considered individually for each.
While it’s tempting to interpret “expanding the scope = increasing the number of people accepted,” this is not the case with the current proposal.
| Category | Intake Projections (Proposal) | Change from Previous |
|---|---|---|
| Specified Skilled Worker (i) | 805,400 people | −300 |
| Employment for Skill Development (ESD) Program | 426,500 people | ＋300 |
| Total for 19 Fields | 1,231,900 people | ±0 |
Changes are only occurring in the aviation field. Specified Skilled Worker (i) in the aviation field will be 4,600 people (-300), and Employment for Skill Development (ESD) Program will be 300 people (+300), resulting in no change for the field as a whole, remaining at 4,900 people. When adding the aviation field to the Employment for Skill Development (ESD) Program, the design involves reallocating from existing quotas.
Even if the scope of eligible work expands, the overall maximum number of accepted individuals does not increase. Quotas and eligible activities are managed separately.
Intake Projections are to be operated as “the maximum limit for the acceptance of Specified Skilled Worker (i), unless significant changes in economic conditions occur.” The suspension of issuance of Certificates of Eligibility in the Food Service Industry field was precisely because this limit was reached. The remaining quotas vary significantly by field, so please confirm the field before formulating your recruitment plan.
As work categories and primary skills increase, corresponding tests will be required. The document outlines the planned development of new skills assessment tests to be added in Reiwa 8 (2026) fiscal year, divided into two types: “newly created tests” and “tests with revised scopes of existing exams.”
It is noted that Tile Manufacturing and Tofu Manufacturing were already added to the occupations eligible for transition to Technical Intern Training on July 29, 2026 (Reiwa 8). This suggests that the more a task already has an established assessment framework under Technical Intern Training, the easier it is to connect it to the Employment for Skill Development (ESD) Program.
We will organize the timeline from the process chart in the document.
| Period | Content |
|---|---|
| January 23, 2026 (Reiwa 8) | Decision on current Field-Specific Operational Policies (Ministerial Meeting / Cabinet Decision) |
| April 15, 2026 | Start of accepting pre-enforcement applications for permission for Supervising and Supporting Organizations |
| Around Summer 2026 | Expert Panel Meeting (This 14th meeting corresponds to this) |
| September 1, 2026 | Start of accepting pre-enforcement applications for certification of Employment for Skill Development (ESD) Program plans |
| November 2026 | Continued discussion of draft Field-Specific Operational Policies at Expert Panel Meeting, report on review results from specialist committee |
| December 2026 | Decision on Field-Specific Operational Policies (Ministerial Meeting / Cabinet Decision) |
| April 1, 2027 (Reiwa 9) | Enforcement of Employment for Skill Development (ESD) Program laws and regulations |
⚠️ The draft is not necessarily finalized in December as is.
The document explicitly states that while the process of discussion at expert panels and specialist committees will involve confirming that certain tasks require specific expertise and skills (e.g., setting skill levels, creating tests), fields for which such arrangements cannot be made will remain under continuous review, and the addition of target fields may be postponed until fiscal year Reiwa 9 (2027) or later.
Furthermore, it is stated that even after fiscal year Reiwa 9 (2027), if changes to the Field-Specific Operational Policies are necessary or if there is a desire to add further acceptance target fields, these will be considered. It is practical to understand that this review mechanism will operate annually.
At this stage, it is a “draft,” so it is not the time to accelerate hiring decisions. However, since preparation takes time, the following three points can be addressed starting now.
This has not been finalized at present. The Field-Specific Operational Policies are scheduled to be decided in December 2026, followed by the development and implementation of examinations. The acceptance start date will be after both the policy decision and examination preparation are complete.
Under the current proposal, the Specified Skilled Worker Program fields remain at 19. What will increase are the Employment for Skill Development (ESD) Program fields (17→18), as well as the operational categories, primary skills, and industrial classifications within each field.
The proposal states that the intake projections for Specified Skilled Worker (i) in the aviation field will be 4,600 people (-300), and for Employment for Skill Development (ESD) Program, it will be 300 people (+300). The total for the entire field remains unchanged at 4,900 people.
While ‘primary skills’ is a concept of the Employment for Skill Development (ESD) Program, many items are being considered in conjunction with the addition of operational categories themselves and changes to the scope of the Skills Assessment Test for Specified Skilled Worker. Both systems are designed to be interconnected, so please do not look at only one.
The scope of activities permitted under each Status of Residence is determined, so the first step is to confirm whether it falls within the scope permitted by the current Status of Residence. If you are unsure, there is a confirmation method available: Application for Certificate of Authorization for Employment.
The policy decision and the implementation of examinations/start of acceptance are separate. For operational categories where examinations have not been implemented, it is not possible to prove that skill standards are met. You will need to proceed after confirming the announcements and examination implementation information following the decision.
This proposal does not include changes to the intake projections for the Food Service Industry. The resumption date for acceptance in the Food Service Industry is undecided, and the re-setting of intake projections is scheduled for the end of fiscal year Reiwa 10.
Our office provides consultations to both foreign nationals and accepting companies, based on the latest institutional trends.
Please feel free to use our free consultation service first.
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This article is written based on publicly available information as of September 2026. Details of the system and implementation dates may be subject to change in the future. For actual applications, please confirm with the official information from the Immigration Services Agency or our office.
Author of this article: Satoshi Nakayama, Administrative Scrivener Authorized to File Applications
Representative, Administrative Scrivener Corporation Miyazaki International Legal Office
Location: Miyazaki City, Miyazaki Prefecture
