This Act comes into effect as of April 1, 2019; provided, however, that the provisions of Article 3, Article 6 and Article 18, paragraph (1) of the Supplementary Provisions come into effect as of the date of promulgation.

In operating the system pertaining to the status of residence of "Specified Skilled Worker" in Appended Table I (2) of the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act as amended by the provisions of Article 1 (hereinafter referred to as the "New Immigration Control Act"), the Government is to endeavor to take the measures necessary to prevent foreign nationals with the "Specified Skilled Worker" status of residence set forth in Article 19-18, paragraph (2), item (i) of the New Immigration Control Act from working in an excessively concentrated manner in major metropolitan areas or other specific regions, giving consideration to the situation in regions with a shortage of human resources.

①The Government may, even before the day on which this Act comes into effect (hereinafter referred to as the "Effective Date"), establish, in the manner provided for in Article 2-3, paragraphs (1) through (3) of the New Immigration Control Act, a basic policy (meaning the basic policy provided for in paragraph (1) of the same Article; the same applies in the following paragraph and paragraph (3)). In this case, the Minister of Justice must publicly announce it in the manner provided for in paragraph (4) of the same Article.

②The basic policy established and publicly announced pursuant to the provisions of the preceding paragraph is deemed, on the Effective Date, to be the basic policy established pursuant to the provisions of Article 2-3, paragraphs (1) through (3) of the New Immigration Control Act and publicly announced pursuant to the provisions of paragraph (4) of the same Article.

③If a basic policy has been established pursuant to the provisions of paragraph (1), the Minister of Justice may, even before the Effective Date, deeming that basic policy to be the basic policy established pursuant to the provisions of Article 2-3, paragraphs (1) through (3) of the New Immigration Control Act, establish, in the manner provided for in Article 2-4, paragraphs (1) through (3) of the New Immigration Control Act and in cooperation with the heads of the administrative organs with jurisdiction over the fields and others (meaning the heads of the administrative organs with jurisdiction over the fields and others provided for in paragraph (1) of the same Article; hereinafter the same applies in this paragraph), a field-specific operation policy (meaning the field-specific operation policy provided for in paragraph (1) of the same Article; the same applies in the following paragraph). In this case, the Minister of Justice and the heads of the administrative organs with jurisdiction over the fields and others must publicly announce it in the manner provided for in paragraph (4) of the same Article.

④The field-specific operation policy established and publicly announced pursuant to the provisions of the preceding paragraph is deemed, on the Effective Date, to be the field-specific operation policy established pursuant to the provisions of Article 2-4, paragraphs (1) through (3) of the New Immigration Control Act and publicly announced pursuant to the provisions of paragraph (4) of the same Article.

①A disposition such as permission or other act made by the Minister of Justice or the Director of a Regional Immigration Bureau before the Effective Date pursuant to the provisions of the respective Acts prior to the amendment by this Act (including orders based on them; hereinafter referred to as the "former laws and regulations" in this Article) (hereinafter referred to as a "disposition or other act" in this paragraph), for which there are corresponding provisions in the respective Acts as amended by this Act (including orders based on them; hereinafter referred to as the "new laws and regulations" in this Article) as a disposition or other act to be made by the Commissioner of the Immigration Services Agency or the Director of a Regional Immigration Services Bureau, is, on and after the Effective Date, deemed to be a disposition or other act made by the Commissioner of the Immigration Services Agency or the Director of a Regional Immigration Services Bureau based on the corresponding provisions of the new laws and regulations, except as otherwise provided for by laws and regulations.

②An application, notification or other act that has been made to the Minister of Justice or the Director of a Regional Immigration Bureau pursuant to the provisions of the former laws and regulations and is pending at the time this Act comes into effect (hereinafter referred to as an "application or other act" in this paragraph), for which there are corresponding provisions in the new laws and regulations as an application or other act to be made to the Commissioner of the Immigration Services Agency or the Director of a Regional Immigration Services Bureau, is, on and after the Effective Date, deemed to be an application or other act made to the Commissioner of the Immigration Services Agency or the Director of a Regional Immigration Services Bureau based on the corresponding provisions of the new laws and regulations, except as otherwise provided for by laws and regulations.

③If a notification or other act that was required to be made to the Minister of Justice or the Director of a Regional Immigration Bureau before the Effective Date pursuant to the provisions of the former laws and regulations (hereinafter referred to as a "notification or other act" in this paragraph), for which there are corresponding provisions in the new laws and regulations as a notification or other act required to be made to the Commissioner of the Immigration Services Agency or the Director of a Regional Immigration Services Bureau, has not been made before the Effective Date, the provisions of the new laws and regulations apply on and after the Effective Date, except as otherwise provided for by laws and regulations, by deeming it to be a notification or other act required to be made to the Commissioner of the Immigration Services Agency or the Director of a Regional Immigration Services Bureau pursuant to the provisions of the new laws and regulations that has not been made.

The provisions then in force continue to govern the application of penal provisions to acts committed before the Effective Date.

Beyond what is provided for in the preceding three Articles, transitional measures necessary incidental to the enforcement of this Act are specified by Cabinet Order.

①Promptly after the promulgation of this Act, the Government is to review the approach to the use, in residence management, employment management and the social insurance system with regard to foreign nationals residing in Japan, of residence card numbers (meaning the number of the residence card set forth in Article 19-4, paragraph (1), item (v) of the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act) and other numbers and the like by which a specific individual can be identified, and, if it finds it necessary, take the required measures based on the results.

②When 2 years have elapsed after this Act comes into effect, the Government is to review the approach to the system pertaining to the status of residence of "Specified Skilled Worker" in Appended Table I (2) of the New Immigration Control Act (including the approach to the involvement of local governments, the approach to the method of determining whether a person has the skills set forth in item (i) or (ii) of the right-hand column under "Specified Skilled Worker" in the same Table, and the relationship with the system pertaining to the status of residence of "Technical Intern Training" in the same Table), taking into account the opinions of the relevant local governments, relevant business operators, local residents and other relevant persons, and, if it finds it necessary, take the required measures based on the results.