Effective April 1, 2026 — Part-time workers should check
Social insurance (health insurance & employees' pension) coverage, previously required for companies with 101+ employees, now expands to companies with 51+ employees. Part-time workers working 20+ hours per week will be newly covered.
Japan's Immigration Services Agency published an 80-item Q&A on Ikusei Shuro, the work status starting April 1, 2027: three years of training toward Specified Skilled Worker (i) level, conditional worker-initiated transfers, and pre-launch filings from 2026.
Japan's Ikusei Shuro system starts April 1, 2027: A1-level Japanese before work and A2 within three years. The Immigration Services Agency has published a June 2026 list of institutions offering the required courses.
OTIT has published the sector operational guidelines for logistics and warehousing under Japan's Employment for Skill Development system, due to start in April 2027 with extra standards for supervisors.