Japan plans aviation role in forthcoming foreign staff scheme
Beginning in April 2027, policymakers will add airport ground handling duties to a replacement initiative designed for overseas personnel.
- Japan plans to add the aviation industry to a new "employment for skill development" foreign worker scheme, which will launch in April 2027 to replace the technical intern program.
- The specific aviation duties covered by the new scheme will be airport ground handling, including the loading and unloading of cargo.
- The total foreign worker cap for the aviation sector will remain at 4,900, with 300 positions allocated to the new skill development program and 4,600 to the existing specified skilled worker program.
To replace the legacy technical intern training programme, Japanese authorities tabled a proposal on Wednesday (September 9, 2026) to incorporate the aviation industry into a forthcoming "employment for skill development" scheme.
Launching in April 2027, this initiative will function concurrently with the existing specified skilled worker programme to grant foreigners residency rights.
These details emerged within draft plans to revise operational policies for the employment for skill development programme, which officials presented to an expert panel on the existing specified skilled worker programme and the new programme, ahead of an anticipated cabinet approval this December.
Airport ground handling, specifically the loading and unloading of cargo, will constitute the aviation duties, thereby expanding the new framework's coverage to 18 distinct industries.
Although aviation already features in the specified skilled worker setup, policymakers will maintain the industry's maximum foreign intake at a static 4,900 individuals.
Based on the drafted strategy, authorities will allocate 300 positions to the employment for skill development programme, while reserving 4,600 slots for the Type 1 specified skilled worker status, a visa class permitting residency for up to five years.
Alongside aviation, administrators intend to establish fresh employment classifications within fisheries, food and beverage manufacturing, construction, and industrial goods manufacturing, whilst currently evaluating the examination criteria needed to measure competency for these roles.
Until the 2028 financial year concludes, the comprehensive immigration ceiling stays fixed at 1,231,900 people.
This aggregate figure consists of 426,500 participants in the novel scheme and 805,400 individuals holding the Type 1 specified skilled worker status.
A provisional halt on fresh admissions took effect in April because the volume of Type 1 entrants closely approached the 50,000 threshold.
Consequently, the Immigration Services Agency confirmed that roughly 8,500 petitions lodged before this pause are still pending processing.
By the conclusion of 2025, Japan recorded 456,618 individuals enrolled in the technical intern programme and 382,341 holding the Type 1 status.
[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]
