Japan to set up expert working group on accepting foreign nationals

The government on Friday solidified plans to establish an experts’ working group to examine the country’s approach to accepting foreign nationals.

The group, to be set up under the expert panel on realizing a society of coexistence with foreign nationals, will consider both the social and economic impacts of immigration and help the government compile its basic policy by the end of the fiscal year.

The plan was confirmed Friday following a meeting of ministers responsible for policies concerning foreign residents. Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara instructed economic security minister Kimi Onoda, who is also minister in charge of policies related to foreign nationals, to establish the working group and conduct discussions on specific measures, according to media reports.

The government will also create a separate working group to discuss the establishment of a new program to help current and potential foreign residents in Japan learn the language and local etiquette.

It will also consider whether specific numerical caps should be introduced for certain categories of foreign residents or particular regions, the Mainichi Shimbun reported.

This “quantitative management” measure would follow a coalition agreement between the Liberal Democratic Party and the Japan Innovation Party calling for a “population strategy” that sets out numerical targets and basic policies for accepting foreign nationals.

The government has already set a combined acceptance ceiling of 1.23 million foreign workers through fiscal 2028 under the Specified Skilled Worker visa and the new Employment for Skill Development program, which is due to replace the technical training program starting next fiscal year. Other categories, such as students, are not currently subject to overall numerical limits.

Japan is becoming increasingly reliant on overseas workers as its population ages and employers struggle to fill jobs. The number of foreign residents reached a record 4.13 million at the end of 2025, accounting for 3.3% of the population.

The government is also strengthening enforcement against illegal residency and employment. It plans to add around 200 immigration control officers and immigration inspectors from the next fiscal year to accelerate residency screenings and improve investigations into illegal employment, with a Cabinet decision expected to be made next week.

Japan had 68,488 people known to be overstaying their visas as of January after two straight years of decline.

TV Asahi reported Thursday that the country is also considering using retired Self-Defense Force personnel to handle apprehending and deporting undocumented immigrants.