The Japanese government is considering extending the five-year residency limit for skilled foreign workers if they become pregnant, a source familiar with the matter said.

The government aims to ensure that foreign workers can remain employed while respecting their right to bear and raise children, as the country grapples with a labor shortage.

The government plans to set rules around this summer to exempt such workers from the five-year residency limit after discussions with an expert panel, the source said Sunday.

There have been cases across Japan of foreigners with Specified Skilled Worker visas having their employment terminated after becoming pregnant. A similar exemption has already been adopted for foreigners working under Japan's technical trainee program.

Specified Skilled Worker visa holders are eligible to work in 16 industries facing severe labor shortages, including construction, nursing care and agriculture, with many of them transferring from the technical trainee program.

The technical trainee program, which has been criticized as little more than a scheme for Japan to import cheap labor, is set to be abolished in 2027 and replaced with a new system focused on developing skills and protecting workers' rights.

The government expects the number of skilled foreign workers to expand in the future, as it plans to operate the scheme in an integrated way with the new system.

The Specified Skilled Worker No. 1 visa permits up to five years of residency, while the No. 2 visa allows for unlimited renewals, opening the path to permanent residency and permitting workers to bring their spouses and children to Japan.

As of the end of September 2024, there were around 260,000 skilled workers in Japan on the No. 1 visas and 408 on the No. 2 visas.