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Number of foreign students in Japan gaining work visas after graduation hits record high
- A total of 25,942 students switched their status of residence last year to those required to land a job in Japan
- The figure reflected a surge in demand from companies for foreign workers amid manpower shortage
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The number of foreign students who changed their visa status in 2018 to work in Japan after graduating from universities or vocational schools hit a record high amid a chronic manpower shortage, immigration authorities said on Wednesday.
A total of 25,942 students switched their status of residence last year to those required to land a job in Japan, up 3,523 from a year earlier, according to the Immigration Services Agency.
The figure more than doubled from 2013, apparently reflecting overall growth in the number of overseas students and surging demand from companies for foreign workers to deal with a labour crunch caused by Japan’s ageing population and falling birth rate.
By type of status, “engineer, specialist in humanities, international services,” under which foreigners can take such jobs as engineers and accountants, accounted for 93.2 per cent of work visas, while “business manager” comprised 2.2 per cent and “professor” 2.1 per cent.
By country and region, Chinese topped the list of students switching to work visas, accounting for 42 per cent, followed by Vietnamese at 20.2 per cent and Nepalese at 11.3 per cent. Asian nations accounted for 95.3 per cent of the total.
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