TOKYO - Indonesia is seeking an easier and more accessible route into skilled jobs in Japan.
Coordinating Minister for Community Empowerment Abdul Muhaimin Iskandar raised the proposals during talks with Japanese Justice Minister Hiroshi Hiraguchi in Tokyo on July 28, according to a statement reported by Antara, Indonesia’s state-owned news agency.
The discussions covered a new employment-skills memorandum and a further extension of the countries’ Specified Skilled Worker cooperation.
Indonesia wants participants in Japan’s forthcoming Employment for Skill Development Program to have a clear route into SSW status. The proposed transition is intended to give Indonesian workers greater certainty about moving from workplace-based skills development into longer-term employment.
Work is continuing on both the new employment-skills memorandum and a further extension of the SSW arrangement. Japan’s Immigration Services Agency says the existing bilateral memorandum is operating under a six-month renewal from June 25, 2026.
“The cooperation is not merely about expanding access to overseas employment,” Iskandar said. He said Indonesia also wanted workers to be competitive, protected and better prepared to participate in international labour markets.
Indonesia asked Japan to consider a visa-fee facilitation scheme for workers recruited through official channels. The Indonesian statement said the measure would help keep placement costs affordable while encouraging legal, safe and protected migration.
The government also proposed more regional SSW testing centres, particularly in areas with large numbers of prospective migrant workers. The statement said wider testing access would make it easier to obtain the competency certification required for employment in Japan.
Japan’s Employment for Skill Development system is scheduled to begin on April 1, 2027. It will replace the Technical Intern Training framework and combine workplace-based skills development with a route towards SSW(i) employment.
Separately, Japan’s Immigration Services Agency said organisations supporting SSW(i) workers will face tighter staffing and training requirements from April 1, 2027. The July 28 update concerned Japan’s domestic programme rules, while the bilateral employment arrangements discussed with Indonesia are being handled through a separate process.