This article is a translation of the Japanese original. Where the two differ, the Japanese version prevails. Read the Japanese original（日本語版を読む）
You can work under 「特定活動（緊急避難措置）」 (Designated Activities, granted as an emergency measure) as well, but changing to 特定技能 lets the company keep staff whose skills have been confirmed over the long term, and gives the person a position based on a public employment system instead of the unstable position of someone who has fled. For people of Myanmar nationality, the OWIC (Overseas Worker Identification Card) procedure is a point to watch that does not arise for other nationalities.
An enquiry from a company that wants to take on, as 特定技能 workers, people who are living in Japan under 「特定活動」 because of the situation in Myanmar.
You can work under 「特定活動」 as well, but changing to 特定技能 brings real benefits for both the company and the person.
Being on a route that can lead to permanent residence in Japan, and continuing to work here, is in itself a very large benefit for each person.
The biggest point to watch, and one that does not arise for other nationalities, is the OWIC (Overseas Worker Identification Card) procedure.
When you hire someone from Myanmar, the biggest point to watch that does not arise for other nationalities is the OWIC (Overseas Worker Identification Card) procedure. It is what people call a smart card.
Alongside the application to the Regional Immigration Services Bureau, it is important to check how the procedure on the Myanmar government side is going, through the person or through the sending organisation.
3 points work well: support for Japanese-language study, care for mental wellbeing, and an understanding of religion (Buddhism).
Many people from Myanmar are fond of Japan, and their national character is said to go very well with that of Japanese people. The following points work well in helping people settle in.
In screening a change from 特定活動 to 特定技能 for Myanmar nationals, the actual substance of the person's activities during their earlier stay is now looked at more strictly than before.
In recent years, in screening a change from 特定活動 to 特定技能 for people of Myanmar nationality, the actual substance of the person's activities during their earlier stay has come to be looked at more strictly than before.
At the same time, on the hiring side, the companies that secure the best people are those that show an attitude of "offering young people from Myanmar a career in Japan and growing together with them", rather than simply filling a labour shortage.
If you are unsure about how complex the procedure is, or about the latest rules on the Myanmar government side (OWIC and so on), please consult a specialist such as a certified administrative procedures legal specialist (gyoseishoshi).
The company can keep someone whose skills have been confirmed by passing the test for up to 5 years, and if the person moves up to 「特定技能2号」, employment with no time limit comes into view. The person moves from the unstable position of someone who has fled to the position of a "specialist worker" based on a public employment system.
It is a card issued by the government of Myanmar, also called a smart card. Without it, there may be trouble when the person visits home in the future, or when their status of residence is extended.
Providing study materials for Japanese and covering test fees, listening to how things are at home at the regular interview held once every 3 months, and showing consideration for Buddhist culture, for example by not telling people off in front of others, all work well.
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This page is a translation of the Japanese original. Where the two differ, the Japanese version prevails.