Some Practical Aspects of the New Japanese Blue-Collar Visas Vis-à-Vis Migrant Workers in Singapore

The terms of the new Japanese Specified Skilled Worker visas have not yet received attention in the academic literature. This essay discusses some practical aspects of these visas vis-à-vis migrant workers in Singapore. Japan is relatively inexperienced in receiving migrant workers compared to Singapore, and can benefit from learning from Singapore’s experiences. The discussion is divided into the positive aspects of the Specified Skilled Worker visas (including equal pay, a looser relationship between the visas and employment contracts, support in everyday life, and employers acting as guarantor of the workers’ apartment) and aspects of the recruitment process and visas which require caution. Migrant workers in Singapore take out loans to pay large sums of money to recruitment agents in their countries of origin, and this debt leads to them enduring exploitation. The recruitment process and terms of the visas directly impact migrant workers’ lives. Every effort should be made to improve them