Japan Halts New Foreign Worker Applications in Food Service

Japan has announced a suspension of new foreign worker applications in the food service sector under its Specified Skilled Worker (i) programme, effective from 13 April 2026. This decision was made due to the rapid increase in applicants, which is expected to breach the sector's acceptance quota of 50,000 individuals as early as May 2026.

The suspension was confirmed on the official Specified Skilled Worker information portal and means that no new certificates of eligibility will be issued for the food service field until further notice. Existing holders of the status of residence will not be affected by this decision.

The Specified Skilled Worker visa system was introduced in 2019 to attract foreign talent to industries facing labor shortages, with the food service sector being particularly popular among applicants. The government has not provided a timeline for when the suspension might be lifted or if the acceptance cap will be increased to accommodate ongoing demand.