KUALA LUMPUR - The Immigration Services Agency announced on February 24 that it will require staffing agencies dispatching foreign workers under the Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services (gijinkoku) visa to submit written pledges.

These pledges must confirm that the workers will engage in professional duties at their assigned workplaces, according to the Sankei Shimbun.

The measure is part of the government’s broader review of foreign worker policies.

The new requirement will take effect on March 9, and host companies receiving dispatched workers will also be required to submit similar pledges.

The gijinkoku status is intended for foreign nationals engaged in professional work in fields such as natural sciences including engineering, humanities such as law, economics, and sociology, or international services requiring foreign cultural expertise, including interpretation and translation.

To obtain the status, applicants must generally possess a relevant university degree, complete a specialized vocational program, or have a specified period of related work experience. 

Immigration authorities also examine whether the applicant’s academic or professional background is closely related to the proposed job.

In addition, wages must be equal to or higher than those of Japanese workers in comparable positions, and receiving organizations must demonstrate business stability and proper employment management.

However, the visa has faced criticism in recent years amid reports that some holders were engaged in simple labor outside the scope of their status.

In the government’s new basic policy on foreign nationals adopted on January 23, officials explicitly called for measures to ensure that gijinkoku holders perform professional duties at host organizations.

A January proposal by the Liberal Democratic Party’s foreign worker policy panel also recommended requiring dispatching agencies to pledge that workers would be assigned to professional roles.

Under the new system, both dispatching agencies and host companies must certify that application details are accurate and that they understand the nature of the foreign worker’s duties. 

Authorities warn that if false declarations are discovered, the worker’s residence status could be revoked.