Tommy’s Legal Service

Immigration, Visa & Foreign Employee Support in Japan

Foreign Employment & Immigration Compliance

Why Illegal Foreign Employment Is a Serious Issue in Chiba: Employers Must Check Visa Status Properly

Measures against illegal employment should not mean treating all foreign residents with suspicion. The real issue is whether employers properly check each worker’s residence status, permitted activities, and actual job duties.

The Asahi Shimbun reported on why illegal foreign employment is frequently identified in Chiba Prefecture. Ibaraki Prefecture, a neighboring prefecture, has announced a reporting reward system concerning businesses that facilitate illegal employment, while Chiba appears to be taking a more cautious position.

This issue should not be reduced to the simple idea that “there are many foreign nationals, therefore there is more illegal employment.” It should be understood in connection with Chiba’s industrial structure, labor shortages in agriculture, manufacturing, logistics, and construction, and the employer-side systems for checking residence status.

Why illegal foreign employment is often identified in Chiba

According to the Immigration Services Agency of Japan’s data for 2025, 13,435 foreign nationals subject to deportation or departure order procedures were found to have engaged in illegal employment. Ibaraki Prefecture had the highest number by place of employment, and the Kanto area accounted for a large portion of the total.

One important background factor in Chiba is the large number of foreign workers. According to the Chiba Labour Bureau, as of the end of October 2025, there were 105,829 foreign workers in Chiba Prefecture and 16,735 business establishments employing foreign workers.

By industry, manufacturing, wholesale and retail, and services are major sectors. In addition, labor demand in construction, accommodation and food services, agriculture, warehousing, and logistics can also create compliance risks if employers do not properly confirm each worker’s permitted activities.

Labor demand in agriculture, field work, and logistics

Chiba is also one of Japan’s major agricultural prefectures. Products such as peanuts, green soybeans, turnips, mushrooms, and Japanese pears are among its well-known agricultural strengths. Seasonal and labor-intensive work often requires a large workforce.

In agriculture, food processing, construction, warehouses, and logistics, short-term or seasonal labor shortages can lead to situations where workers are engaged without sufficient verification. This is not only an issue for the foreign worker. It also concerns employers, brokers, subcontractors, dispatch arrangements, and the actual workplace structure.

Chiba also has a major air cargo and logistics area centered around Narita Airport. Foreign workers may be needed in airport-related work, warehouses, cargo handling, and delivery operations. However, employers must confirm whether the actual duties match the scope permitted under the worker’s residence status.

Ibaraki’s reporting reward system

Ibaraki Prefecture has announced a reporting reward system related to businesses or brokers that facilitate illegal employment. The system is explained as targeting information about businesses or brokers, not foreign individuals themselves.

The information expected may include the business name, workplace location, place of illegal employment, specific circumstances, and supporting materials. The person submitting the report may also be required to provide their name, address, contact information, and identification documents.

Why the reporting system is controversial

The purpose of preventing illegal employment and protecting both legally working foreign nationals and compliant employers is important. If illegal employment is left unchecked, law-abiding foreign workers may also be unfairly suspected, and compliant employers may be placed at a disadvantage.

At the same time, a reporting reward system requires caution. Whether a foreign national is allowed to work cannot be judged from appearance, nationality, or workplace alone.

For example, permanent residents, spouses of Japanese nationals, spouses of permanent residents, and long-term residents generally have no work restriction. Students and dependent visa holders may also work within the permitted scope if they have permission to engage in activities outside their status.

For Designated Activities, the specific permitted scope may not be clear unless the designation document attached to the passport is checked. For Specified Skilled Worker and Technical Intern Training, employers must also check the accepting organization, field, work category, and actual place of employment.

Because the legality of foreign employment requires careful and sometimes technical verification, a poorly operated system could lead to mistaken reports or prejudice against foreign residents.

Why Chiba’s cautious approach may be reasonable

Even if illegal foreign employment is frequently identified in Chiba, it does not automatically mean that Chiba should immediately introduce the same type of reporting reward system. If the atmosphere becomes one of suspicion toward foreign nationals themselves, law-abiding foreign workers and compliant employers may also be harmed.

The core of illegal employment prevention should not be public surveillance of foreign individuals. The core should be employer-side verification: residence status, permitted activities, period of stay, permission to engage in activities outside the status, designation documents, and employment notification duties.

In this sense, Chiba’s cautious position has a certain practical reason. What is needed is not exclusion of foreign residents, but a stronger system for lawful and proper employment.

What employers should check

Employers hiring foreign nationals should check at least the following points:

• Residence status, period of stay, and work restrictions shown on the front of the residence card
• Permission to engage in activities outside the status shown on the back of the residence card
• The content of any designation document attached to the passport
• Whether the period of stay has expired
• Whether the actual job duties match the scope of permitted activities
• For Specified Skilled Worker and Technical Intern Training, whether the field, work category, accepting organization, and workplace match the permitted scope
• For dispatch, outsourcing, or subcontracting, whether the actual workplace and job duties are understood
• Whether the required foreign employment notification has been filed with Hello Work
• Whether copies and records of the checks are properly kept

A common mistake is assuming that checking the residence card alone is enough. In some cases, the residence card is not sufficient to determine whether a person may perform a specific job. Employers may also need to check the designation document, permission to engage in activities outside the status, actual duties, contract structure, and workplace.

Risk of the crime of facilitating illegal employment

Illegal employment is not only a problem for the foreign worker. Employers may also face liability for facilitating illegal employment. Even if the employer claims not to have known that the employment was illegal, insufficient checks may still create legal risk.

In foreign employment, assumptions such as “the worker was introduced by someone I know,” “other companies also hire similar workers,” or “the person said they can work” are not safe. Employers must verify documents and actual conditions themselves and consult a specialist where necessary.

Conclusion: illegal employment prevention is about proper employment, not exclusion

The background to illegal foreign employment in Chiba includes the growth of foreign labor, labor demand in agriculture, manufacturing, construction, and logistics, and insufficient employer-side verification systems.

Measures against illegal employment are necessary. However, that does not mean treating all foreign nationals with suspicion. To protect law-abiding foreign workers and compliant employers, it is essential for employers to verify residence status and permitted activities accurately.

Rather than focusing only on whether a reporting system should be introduced, the most practical measure is to build an employer-side system for routine and accurate immigration compliance checks.