KUALA LUMPUR - Japan’s government held a meeting of the blue-ribbon panel to consider the new Training and Employment System on January 7, which will be carried out in April 2027.

The panel finalized a plan to set the intake cap for the Training and Employment system at approximately 426,000 for its first two years, starting in fiscal 2027.

When combined with the existing Specified Skilled Worker (SSW) system, setting the intake cap at approximately 805,000 is expected to allow for more than 1.23 million foreign workers in total.

According to the immigration agency, no major objections were raised, and the panel, which met 13 times since February 2025, has concluded. The government is expected to approve the operational guidelines at a Cabinet meeting later this month, following consultations with the ruling parties.

The Training and Employment system aims to develop foreign workers while addressing labor shortages in Japan.

Unlike the Technical Intern Training Program, which largely restricted job changes and drew criticism over poor working conditions, the new system allows workers to change jobs after one to two years. 

Covering 17 sectors, including agriculture, construction, and manufacturing, the program also provides a pathway to longer-term residency by transitioning to the SSW status after three years, subject to skills and Japanese-language exams.