At the end of 2016, the number of foreign residents registered in Japan reached a record level of 2.38 million, 1.9% of the total Japanese population. The largest group were Chinese, with 696 000 people (29% of total foreign residents), followed by 453 000 South Koreans (19% of total foreign residents), and 244 000 from the Philippines (10% of total foreign residents).
Overall, 428 000 foreign nationals entered Japan in 2016 (excluding temporary visitors and those with re-entry permits), a 9.3% increase on 2015.
The number of new arrivals entering for work purposes also rose, reaching 85 000 in 2016 (+8.4% on 2015). Among these, 46.2% were admitted as entertainers (+5.1% on 2015) whilst engineers and specialists in humanities/international services accounted for 24.8% of the total inflow (+18.4% compared to 2015). Intra-company transfers (+6.2% on 2015) comprised 9.1% of incoming labour migrants and highly skilled professionals comprised 0.3%. If entertainers and intra-company transfers are excluded, the number of new labour migrants increased by 12.4%, from 33 600 in 2015 to 37 800 in 2016. According to the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, in October 2017, the stock of foreign workers reached 1 278 000, an 18% increase on the previous year and a 41% increase since 2015. Some 459 000 workers were registered on the basis of their status (as permanent residents, Japanese descendants, etc.), 260 000 were foreign students engaged in part-time work, 238 000 worked in professional or technical fields and 258 000 were technical interns.
In 2016, new arrivals for study purposes amounted to 108 000, an 8.6% increase compared to 2015. According to JASSO (Japan Student Services Organization), in May 2017 the total number of foreign students in Japanese institutions was 267 000 (+11.6%). This follows a 15% increase from the previous year. Most (70.5%) of them were enrolled in higher education institutions, with the remainder in Japanese language institutes. Chinese nationals comprised 42.2% of all foreign higher education students, followed by Vietnamese (18.8%) and Nepalese (8%). Among Japanese language students, Chinese were 35.3% and Vietnamese 33.3%. The number of new arrivals for technical intern training also increased by 9.4% compared to 2015, reaching 106 000. The number of dependent migrants accompanying foreign workers and college students increased by 15% to 27 000.
As of the beginning of 2017, 65 300 foreign nationals were recorded as overstaying. The number of over-stayers increased slightly (+3.9%) compared to 2016, the main nationalities being South Koreans (13 300), Chinese (8 900), and Thai (6 500).
The refugee recognition system was revised in September 2015 to promote prompt and reliable asylum for refugees. Increased abuse or misuse by applicants residing legitimately (such as students or trainees who face expiration of their residence) has hindered prompt protection of refugees, leading the government to make further revisions. From 15 January 2018, for those applicants residing legitimately in Japan, operations relating to the status of residence of “Designated Activities” have been revised.
Japan’s Technical Intern Training Program (TITP), first created in 1993, changed in November 2017 with implementation of the 2016 “Act on Proper Technical Intern Training and Protection of Technical Intern Trainees”. The Organization for Technical Intern Training (OTIT) was created to manage TITP, respond to issues raised by trainees, and conduct regular inspections. The maximum number of people to be accepted by implementing organisations is determined according to the category of technical intern training and the number of full-time staff, with ceilings doubled for excellent supervising organisations and implementing organisations satisfying specified requirements. The period of training may be extended for two additional years (for a total of five years) for trainees who are employed by such an organisation and pass a proficiency test. Technical intern trainees who complete agricultural training may obtain a path to engage in agriculture in National Strategic Special Zones.
In April 2017, the Japanese government adjusted its points-based system for highly skilled foreign professionals to offer accelerated access to permanent residence – one or three years, instead of five years – to certain high-scoring applicants. The minimum stay has been lowered to three years for those with 70 to 79 points and one year for those with 80 or more points. The points-based system for highly skilled foreign professionals led to new permits being granted to about 3 000 highly skilled foreign professionals between mid-2016 and mid-2017. The government aims for the policy to have covered 20 000 highly skilled foreign professionals by the end of 2022.
