About 45% of foreign workers entering Japan on visas for specialized or technical fields earn less than the average base pay for new university graduates, suggesting many are being hired into roles below their skill level, Nikkei reported Tuesday.

An analysis of a 2024 government wage survey showed that nearly half of foreign workers under a specialized or technical fields program earned under 240,000 yen a month, compared with 15% of workers overall, according to the report.

While these visas are intended for white-collar jobs, many holders end up in on-site roles such as restaurants, manufacturing and construction, the report said.

The number of workers under the engineering, humanities and international services visa category rose 9.4% year on year to 458,000 by mid-2025, even as technical intern numbers fell amid tighter rules. Experts point to brokers and employers favoring the higher-skilled category because procedures are simpler and oversight is lighter, leaving some workers exposed to low pay and visa risks, according to the report.

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