Shift in Food Service Recruitment as Visa Cap Nears; Make One Strengthens Introduction of Resident Foreign Talent

Make One Inc., a company engaged in foreign talent recruitment and registration support, is strengthening its introduction and matching system to specialize in food service industry personnel already residing in Japan. This comes in response to the anticipated reaching of the acceptance limit for the "Specified Skilled Worker" visa in the food service sector.

On March 27, 2026, Japan's Immigration Services Agency announced that the number of Category 1 Specified Skilled Workers in the food service sector was approximately 46,000 as of the end of February 2026, and is expected to exceed the projected limit of 50,000 around May 2026. Consequently, applications for Certificates of Eligibility in the food service sector filed after April 13, 2026, will be denied, and applications for changing visa status to the food service sector from other fields will generally be disapproved. However, applications related to job changes for those already residing in Japan as a Category 1 Specified Skilled Worker in the food service sector will be processed as usual.

1. The Era of Simply 'Bringing in from Overseas' for Food Service Recruitment is Ending Until now, the primary recruitment route for Specified Skilled Workers in the food service industry involved sourcing candidates from overseas and bringing them to Japan. However, as the sector approaches its acceptance cap, recruitment plans based on new entries from abroad or status changes from other fields have become difficult to pursue. With persistent labor shortages in the restaurant industry, it is expected that relying solely on the traditional overseas route will increasingly fail to meet the hiring needs of client companies.

2. The Key Now is 'Experienced Food Service Workers Already in Japan' A crucial point in this operational change is that job transfers within the food service sector will continue to be processed normally. Individuals with work experience in Japan's food service industry already understand Japanese store operations, customer service, basic cooking, and workplace culture, making them highly valuable as immediate assets for hiring companies. The ability to connect with personnel already working in the food service industry within Japan will determine future recruitment success.

3. Make One Specializes in Resident Specified Skilled Workers Make One has focused on building connections with Specified Skilled Workers residing in Japan. Particularly in the food service sector, the company has been developing a network of individuals currently working in Japan and those considering a job change for a better work environment. Resident talent already has a foundation for life in Japan, offering advantages in terms of speed to start work and on-the-job adaptation.

4. Make One's Track Record in Domestic Talent Introduction Make One has specialized in foreign talent residing in Japan, facilitating career consultations, company introductions, and collaboration with registered support organizations. In the food service sector, it leverages its connections with individuals who have work experience in Japan to propose solutions for restaurants' hiring challenges through domestic talent routes. - Registered Domestic Talent: Over 4,000 resident Specified Skilled Workers and job seekers. - Consultations: Over 100 job change consultations and interviews per month. - Placement Record: Numerous successful placements in food service and related companies. - Partnerships: Collaboration with many registered support organizations and recruitment agencies. - Service Area: Nationwide, with a focus on major metropolitan areas.

5. What Comes Next: A Scramble for Domestic Talent The developments in the food service sector represent a major turning point for the entire Specified Skilled Worker system. The number of residents is also increasing in other fields like food and beverage manufacturing, construction, agriculture, and nursing care. In the future, securing domestic resident talent will become more critical in sectors approaching their caps. When the premise of "we can hire if we bring them from overseas" collapses, the next thing companies will need is experienced workers in the same field who are already in Japan. The closer a sector gets to its cap, the more valuable domestic talent within that same sector may become.