Pakistanis to get jobs in Japan as both the countries sign MoU on manpower

• Japan needs 340,000 workers who need to know the technical skills and Japanese language.
• Japan has high expectations for Pakistan's skilled workforce, says envoy.

Pakistan signed on Monday a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Japan for the import of skilled of Pakistani manpower.

The signing ceremony of the MoU between the two countries took place in Islamabad. Secretary of the Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis and the Japanese Ambassador signed the memorandum. The Prime Minister's Adviser Zulfi Bukhari said that there will be employment opportunities in Japan in 14 different sectors and urged youngsters to pay more attention to information technology.

Addressing the ceremony, the Japanese ambassador Kuninori Matsuda said that Japan needs 340,000 workers who need to know the technical skills and Japanese language. The Japanese envoy said that he wants to promote cooperation with Pakistan in various fields, adding that Japan has high expectations for Pakistan's skilled workforce.

Meanwhile, Japanese Ambassador Kuninori Matsuda said that three to six months Japanese language proficiency course would be arranged in far flung areas of Pakistan so as to accommodate maximum number of Pakistanis to work in Japan.

Under the MoU it has been decided to introduce Skill Visa category for Pakistanis interested to work in Japan. Under which, knowledge of basic Japanese language is essential for obtaining a Skill Visa.

Back in October, both countries agreed to further negotiate on signing of MoU for export of thousands of skilled labor from Pakistan to Japan. Japan has decided to open the labor market in 14 different sectors, including construction, nursing care, agriculture, manufacturing and light engineering and other sectors.

The ambassador has earlier said that Japan intended to attract up to 500,000 blue-collar workers from all over the world to Japan over five years by 2025 and further enhance this by 2030.

This law, which took effect in April of this year, creates two new categories of visas for blue-collar workers in 14 sectors as Japan was facing labor crunch. Yusuke Shindo said that new VISA policy for immigrant labor would come to an effect from April 1st of this year, creates two new categories of visas including visas for blue-collar workers and low tech labor workers in 14 sectors that face a labor crunch.