Global Directions: Mobility Trends In Mid-March 2019

Asia

Japan

To Address Aging Population, Government Passes New Immigration Bill

Japan has one of the most rapidly aging societies in the world, with people age 65 and older accounting for more than one-quarter of the population. To address the increased labor shortages, the government has again turned to immigration. Japan's parliament passed a new immigration law this past December aimed at attracting foreign workers to fill the domestic manpower shortage.

This regulation, which will come into effect in April 2019, will create two visa categories: (1) Designated Skills Category 1 and (2) Designated Skills Category 2. Foreign nationals under Designated Skills Category 1 will be eligible for one-year visas, renewable for up to five years, and the applicant must possess a certain level of skill and experience in their field. Foreigners in this category will not be permitted to bring their family members into Japan. Foreign nationals under Designated Skills Category 2 will be eligible for one- to three-year visas, which will be renewable indefinitely under certain conditions. Under this second type of visa, the applicant must possess a higher level of skill and competency and will be allowed to bring family members. This visa could also lead to permanent residency.

The new bill is designed to tackle labor shortages in 14 sectors, including agriculture, aged-care nursing, and construction. Certain industries that have been sponsoring foreign workers under "Engineer/ Specialist in Humanities/International Services" status or "Technical Intern Training" status will be able to employ workers under this new system, opening the door to a larger foreign workforce in Japan.

New Zealand

Bill Proposes Changes to Employer-Assisted Work Visa Scheme

The New Zealand government has proposed significant changes to the employer-assisted work visa scheme that, if implemented, will affect employment-based temporary work visas.

Under the bill, all employer-assisted temporary work visas would be collapsed into a single framework titled the "employer gateway." The employer gateway would break down the visa application process into three phases: employer checks, job checks, and individual checks. Most significantly, companies would be required to satisfy new accreditation and labor market testing requirements to process these visa applications.

The proposed changes are out for a public consultation, which closes on March 18, 2019. The minister of Immigration will...