One of the most closed countries and cultures in the world is being forced to open up to secure workers in aged care.

To address a ‘severe’ labour shortage, the Japanese government next April will introduce a two-tier visa system for foreign workers, including nurses.

The first tier is for workers who pass a skills and language test and agree to 3 years training will be allowed to stay in the country for five years, but they cannot be accompanied by family members.

The second-tier visa is for higher skilled workers, including nurses; they can bring their spouses and children with a five-year Visa which has no limits on the number of extensions. They can apply for permanent residency after 10 years.

The government is establishing programs to support workers ‘acclimatising’ to living in Japan. Employers will be required to pay no less than Japanese wages.