Kaoru Miyatake
Author Kaoru Miyatake Gyoseishoshi / Juris Doctor (J.D.) | MOJ-Certified Application Agent Chairperson, Sakura Training Organization (Public Interest Corporation) / Sakura Central Legal Office

On October 19, 2026, Japan’s Immigration Services Agency (ISA) held the 15th meeting of the “Expert Panel on the Basic Policy and Sector-Specific Operational Policies for the Specified Skilled Worker and Ikusei Shuro Systems” at the Ministry of Justice. Materials presented a proposal to accept hospital and welfare facility meal services, now in the Food Service sector, in the Food and Beverage Manufacturing sector, and a proposal to change the allocation of the nursing care acceptance quota. Both are still “proposals”; the ISA page does not yet post the outcome of the meeting.

Agenda of the 15th Meeting (October 19, 2026)

📌 Key points of the proposals (ISA meeting materials)
  • Food Service sector: for new applications from FY2027, hospital and welfare facility meal services (a series of manufacturing tasks such as ingredient preparation and cooking, producing meals for hospitals and welfare facilities) would be accepted in the Food and Beverage Manufacturing sector as an emergency measure
  • Nursing care sector: with the sector total of 160,700 unchanged, SSW Category 1 would go from 126,900 to 146,900 (up 20,000) and Ikusei Shuro from 33,800 to 13,800 (down 20,000)
  • Revision of sector operational policies (proposed): adding “flat glass processing” and “glass melting and molding” work categories to Industrial Products Manufacturing (17 to 19), “fishery produce wholesale market” to Fisheries, the main skill “tofu manufacturing” and the industry classification “salt manufacturing (edible salt only)” to Food and Beverage Manufacturing, and setting up an Ikusei Shuro sector for Aviation (airport ground handling), among others

Hospital and Welfare Facility Meal Services: From Food Service to Food Manufacturing

Under the proposal, hospital and welfare facility meal services, now covered by the Food Service sector, would be accepted under the food and beverage manufacturing work category of the Food and Beverage Manufacturing sector for new applications from FY2027. The main skill “hospital and welfare facility meal production”, now set in the Food Service operational policy for Ikusei Shuro, would be moved to the food and beverage manufacturing work category. In addition, establishments conducting facility meal services (subclass 773) within Japan Standard Industrial Classification divisions 81 (school education), 82 (other education and learning support), 83 (medical services) and 85 (social insurance, social welfare and nursing care) would be added as an industry classification in the Food and Beverage Manufacturing supplementary notice.

As reasons, the ISA says such meal services without customer service had already been accepted in Food and Beverage Manufacturing in practice, and that many establishments turned out to have a low share of customer service when their tasks were examined. Acceptance in the Food Service sector was suspended in April 2026 because the quota was expected to be exceeded, and domestic recruitment is not progressing, so as an “emergency measure for this period” newly accepted foreign nationals would be trained and employed in the Food and Beverage Manufacturing sector.

The materials also show the labor shortage. The job-openings-to-applicants ratio (May 2026) was 7.37 for cooks in meal services (excluding school meals) and 2.36 for school meal cooks. In a survey of member companies of the Japan Medical Food Service Association (38 targeted, 34 responded, August 7–26, 2026), no company had zero vacancies and about 40% had many vacancies; the recruitment fill rate was 33.0% (49,351 hired against 149,418 sought).

Shifting 20,000 of the Nursing Care Quota to SSW Category 1

The January 23, 2026 Cabinet-approved sector policy sets nursing care at 126,900 for SSW Category 1 and 33,800 for Ikusei Shuro (160,700 in total). The proposal keeps the total and changes the allocation: SSW Category 1 to 146,900 (+20,000) and Ikusei Shuro to 13,800 (−20,000).

The ISA’s reasons: SSW Category 1 residents in nursing care numbered 79,884 at the end of June 2026, growing faster than assumed when the quota was set, and under the current allocation the quota (126,900) could be exceeded in the second half of FY2027. Residents numbered 28,400 at the end of December 2023, 44,367 at the end of December 2024 and 67,871 at the end of December 2025. Meanwhile, Technical Intern Training “nursing care” Category 1 certifications were 5,810 in FY2025, and hearings with host organizations suggest there is room in the Ikusei Shuro quota. All six companies interviewed said they prioritize SSW Category 1 over Ikusei Shuro and had no plan, or had not decided, to accept Ikusei Shuro workers.

Material 3-1 sets out the view that changes to acceptance quotas are in principle for major changes in economic conditions, but exceptionally an allocation change is acceptable where there is considerable necessity (such as acceptance demand far above expectations) and acceptability (such as no significant disadvantage to foreign nationals using either system).

Background and Next Steps

In the Food Service sector, certificates of eligibility have been temporarily suspended since April 13, 2026 because the SSW Category 1 quota (50,000) was expected to be exceeded; the 14th meeting on September 9 was told the suspension was continuing (our article on the 14th meeting). The new proposal would accept hospital and welfare facility meal services from that sector in Food and Beverage Manufacturing for new applications from FY2027. Whether the proposals will be adopted, and when, cannot be confirmed from the ISA page.

Practical Points (including the scrivener’s view)

  • These are proposals; do not proceed on the basis of undecided content. After adoption, check the sector policies, supplementary notices and operational guidelines for covered establishments, work categories and application handling
  • Businesses considering foreign workers for hospital and welfare facility meal services would, under the proposal, fall under Food and Beverage Manufacturing for new applications from FY2027. Whether the establishment matches the industry classification in the supplementary notice (such as facility meal services) is the point to check
  • Nursing care providers that planned to accept Ikusei Shuro workers would, under the proposal, face an Ikusei Shuro quota of 13,800. Watch the ISA and MHLW announcements on the quotas
  • For Specified Skilled Worker and Ikusei Shuro consultation, see our SSW and Ikusei Shuro guide

Sources