The country's Immigration Services Agency suspended new applications under the Specified Skilled Worker (SSW) program's Type 1 visa for food service on April 13.
According to the agency, about 46,000 foreign nationals were working in Japanese restaurants under the program at the end of February, near the 50,000 cap set for the sector through March 2029. The agency had projected the limit would be reached as early as May, and announced the suspension on March 27.
Japan launched the SSW program in 2019 to bring foreign workers into industries that cannot recruit enough staff domestically, a response to its aging population and shrinking workforce. Applicants must pass skills assessments and Japanese-language tests.
Type 1 status, used widely in restaurants, lets holders work for up to five years but bars them from bringing family members. Type 2, which requires higher-level skills, allows indefinite renewal and family sponsorship. Only Type 1 holders count against the sector caps.
The food service quota of 50,000 is far smaller than the caps for comparable sectors that depend on foreign labor. The Yomiuri Shimbun has reported quotas of 133,500 for food and beverage manufacturing and 126,900 for nursing care.
