From the development of high-tech robotics to the widespread popularity of famous anime, Japan is one of the world's largest economies. Japan is widely known for its cutting-edge technology engineering, stable legal protection rules, and a routine workforce with highly maintained discipline. With the solid reasons of declining birth rates and increasing aging population, Japan suffers a labor shortage in several job sectors, and hence, the country is open to employment opportunities. In the context of Nepal, many Nepalese prefer to go to Japan to seek better job opportunities as well.
As of December 2024, approximately 233,043 Nepalese are residing in Japan. Due to the labor agreement between Japan and Nepal, the entry of skilled and specific workers has led to an increase in the number of Nepalese going to Japan for work. As compared to the previous years, the number of government permits for Nepalese to work in Japan has significantly doubled in the first 10 months of FY 2024/2025. This clarifies that, unlike Middle East countries, Nepalese prefer going to Japan for work due to the following reasons:
i) Secure employment with work contracts
ii) Strong legal formalities backed up by the Japanese Labor Ministry and the Nepalese Embassy
iii) Transparent salary and incentives
iv) Professional growth and networking exposure
v) Visa renewal and manageable PR
In Japan 2025, there are job sectors that are mostly in high demand, such as caregiving, construction, agriculture, and hospitals etc. To enroll in the job sectors of Japan, one should know about the prevalent working visa types for Nepali workers, and the visa types are:
Technical Intern Training Program (TITP)
Specified Skilled Worker (SSW) Type 1
Specified Skilled Worker (SSW) Type 2
Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services
Let’s indulge briefly in these working visa types regarding their description and steps. The information is derived from the popular and valid websites regarding job applications in Japan for Nepali workers.
As the name suggests, the main purpose of the program is to transfer the technical skills accumulated in Japan to developing countries like Nepal. The training period exists for a maximum of 5 years. After the completion of the programs, trainees have to return to Nepal. This training-based program is offered by Japanese organizations. The youth aged 18-30 can apply for this program. He/she needs to have Basic Japanese language skills (JLPT N5 or equivalent scoring). Medical background should be clear. The job sectors that the program covers are construction, agriculture, food processing, manufacturing, automotive, and more. After completion of TITP, the trainees can upgrade to SSW Type 1 if he/she meets the requirements.
The SSW or totukei ginou visa was effectively implemented in April 2019 to attract semi-skilled workers into labor shortage sectors like nursing care, construction industry, aviation industry, automobile repair and maintenance, railway, agriculture, fishery, forestry, and wood industry. The Type 1 covers altogether 16 sectors. The workers must pass the Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT N4) or JFT-Basic along with the Skill Proficiency test. The visa can be upgraded to SSW Type 2 for the skilled workers in the selected sectors.
This visa is scheduled for highly skilled professionals within the selected sectors, such as Construction and Shipbuilding. The visa can be renewed without any limits. The workers are eligible to apply for PR, so PR pathways are clear in Type 2. Also, families are allowed in this type of visa grant. One should have prior experience in the related field and pass the advanced skill test with JLPT N3 or higher. Employer sponsorship is required for this visa. Compared to previous visa types, SSW Type 2 provides long-term employment benefits for the workers.
This type of visa is granted for white-collar professionals such as IT developers, international school teachers, engineers, business consultants, marketing and sales executives, etc. One should have a minimum of a Bachelor's degree in the relevant sector. In this type of visa, family reunification is allowed with a PR pathway. The visa is valid for a minimum of 1 to a maximum of 5 years. For certain types of jobs, the Japanese language is preferred. The offer letter from the Japanese company is required.
There may be some clarity regarding the visa grant types in Japan for Nepalese workers. Let’s check out the procedures to apply for jobs in Nepal as enumerated below:
- One should contact a licensed manpower company registered under the Department of Foreign Employment and partnered with a Japanese Supervisor company.
- Japanese language proficiency test is a must to apply for jobs in Japan from Nepal, so enrolling in the language test and skills test is important.
- One should pass with the required scores in the language and skill test organized by relevant and authorized organizations.
- The agency does job matching with the Japanese employer or organization, and the job contracts are signed.
- Before the Visa application, the employer in Japan applies for a Certificate of Eligibility (COE) on the worker’s behalf.
- Then one should submit the required documents for a visa application at the Japanese Embassy in Nepal. The documents include COE, passport, photos, medical reports, and visa forms.
- The pre-departure orientation is conducted, which includes certain training and workers’ rights briefing, and more.
- Then, after all the above-mentioned procedures are completed, the manpower agency’s responsibility is to arrange flights and reception in Japan.
Japan has been one of the popular destinations for securing employment opportunities for workers of developing nations like Nepal. With the handsome salary ranges in many sectors, the long-term benefits include health insurance, pension contributions, bonuses, paid holidays, allowances, and more. But importantly, one should pass the language and skill test, mostly equivalent to JLPT N4 or JFT- Basic. If one wants to apply for jobs in Japan from Nepal, one has to do proper research and investigation regarding the job sectors, their benefits, visa types, manpower agencies, and more.
It is recommended to go through valid organizations, manpower agencies, and authorized websites for an enhanced study of the jobs in Japan. Japan is considered a well-established economy for developing nations like Nepal. Along with language and other skills, medical history should also be clear. One has to do a thorough investigation of finances as well. Before taking a quick decision, it is suggested to study about every procedure, salary ranges, job locations, and more. Best of Luck!