Japan visa suspension sparks restaurant staffing fears

Japan’s restaurant industry is racing to adjust hiring plans after authorities suspended the issuance of key work visas for foreign employees in the food service sector, according to local media reports.

The move affects applications for the Type I Specified Skilled Worker visa, a program heavily relied upon by restaurants and fast-food chains to recruit overseas workers as labor shortages deepen across the country, News.Az reports, citing Anadolu Agency.

Preliminary government data showed that the number of foreign workers employed in Japan’s food service industry under the program had reached around 46,000 by February, approaching the official cap of 50,000 set through fiscal 2028.

The sudden suspension has raised concerns among restaurant operators that potential recruits could abandon plans to work in Japan and pursue opportunities in other countries instead.

Major restaurant companies, including Skylark Holdings and Mos Food Services, warned that the restrictions may disrupt staffing strategies, expansion plans and day-to-day store operations.

Industry groups have also expressed concern over intensifying competition for workers who already hold valid visas. Some warned the situation could damage Japan’s reputation as a destination for foreign labor.

Japan has increasingly turned to overseas workers in recent years as the country struggles with a shrinking workforce and rapidly aging population, despite maintaining traditionally strict immigration policies.

News.Az 

By Aysel Mammadzada