Japan-Pakistan Sign (MOC) for “Specified Skilled Workers”

Islamabad: 23rd Dec 2019 -The Government of Japan today signed a Memorandum of Cooperation (MOC) with the Government of Pakistan regarding the “Specified Skilled Workers” which aims to pave the way for skilled Pakistani workers to get employment opportunities in Japan under this cooperation framework after passing the required examination.

Pakistan is among the top ten countries where Japan is looking to hire skilled human resource during the second phase of this policy. The Government of Japan has already signed a similar memorandum of cooperation with 10 countries including Philippines, Thailand, Indonesia, Cambodia, Mongolia, Vietnam, Uzbekistan, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.

It is pertinent to mention here that the Government of Japan has created a new “Status of Residence” for specific skilled workers that became effective on April 1, 2019. For this purpose, it has amended the “Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act” and took comprehensive measures for the acceptance of foreign workers.

This policy has been introduced to accept foreign nationals who possess certain expertise and skills in specified 14 fields (*list below) as Japan is facing serious shortage of labour due to its ageing society. Japan expects to hire services of 340,000 skilled workers across the world during next five years but there is no country specific quota marked for it.

On December 23, 2019, the Ambassador of Japan to Pakistan, H.E. Mr. MATSUDA Kuninori, and Federal Secretary of the Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development, H.E. Mr Aamir Hasan, signed the Memorandum for Cooperation at the Ceremony. H.E. Mr. SONOURA Kentaro, Special Advisor for Foreign Affairs to President ABE Shinzo of the Liberal Democratic Party of Japan (LDP), who was in Pakistan on two-day visit also witnessed the signing ceremony.

Under this policy, all foreign skilled workers entering Japan for employment would have to pass the skill’s examination and the Japanese basic language test before signing the employment contract with the accepting organisation. This MOC was signed in order to prevent the intervention by malicious intermediary business operators (agents/consultants).

At the ceremony, H.E. Mr.MATSUDA Kuninori said, “This cooperation would provide job opportunities for Pakistani workers and beyond that, this framework will create new opportunities for Japan-Pakistan cooperation including education, business and tourism. I hope many talented Pakistani workers would get an opportunity to work in Japan through this cooperation framework.”

The 14 specified fields for skilled workers include Nursing care, Building cleaning management, Forges and foundaries, Machine parts & tooling industries, Electric, electronics and information industries, Construction industry, Shipbuilding/ship machinery industry, Automobile maintenance, Aviation Industry, Accommodation Industry, Agriculture, Fishery& aquaculture, Manufacture of food and beverages and Food service industry.