Japan to use ID system to track international student workers

Japan’s government has announced it will begin tracking foreign residents’ work status via its national ID system, allowing it to better enforce labour rules such as the 28-hour-per-week limit for work by international students.

According to Nikkei Asian Review, foreign workers will now be required to provide proof of tax payments and income and information about their employers to the government themselves.

The system used to monitor foreign work will be Japan’s “My Number” scheme, 12-digit numbers provided to anybody with a resident card in the country.

The changes will make it easier for authorities to enforce labour regulations, because currently the Ministry of Justice must “comb through” documentation that workers submit to spot and correct violations, the Nikkei Asian Review reported.

With more and more foreign students staying in Japan after they graduate, it will also allow Tokyo to gather data more effectively and quantify the impact of foreign workers on the local economy.

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