The Permits Foundation lobbies for open work visas for spouses of those assigned overseas
The Permits Foundation is a not-for-profit organisation that lobbies for open work permits for expatriate partners, and numbers BMW, IKEA, Schlumberger and UBS amongst its sponsors. The organisation has targeted Japan as one of 10 countries for development; dependent status only allows ex-pat spouses in Japan to work 28 hours a week with permission, and they must be sponsored for an employment visa to work full-time.
But many companies are reluctant to go through the sponsorship process, says Yujiro Otsubo, personnel manager at Schlumberger and the Japan representative for the Permits Foundation, because it is time-consuming, expensive and there is no guarantee that the visa will be issued.
Giving a hint of the trade and investment potentially affected by this issue, almost 60% of spouses and partners in an autumn 2008 Permits Foundation survey said they would be unlikely to go to a country where it is difficult to attain work.
The inability of a spouse to find employment can have a dramatic influence on their partner’s career. Otsubo recounts how one project manager terminated his assignment in Japan after only two years. His wife, with a background in finance, had had to put her own career on hold. “No company wants to hear such complaints,” says Otsubo. “It shouldn’t even be an issue in the first place.”
Right now, an impressive talent pool is going to waste. Of the spouses who responded to the foundation’s survey, 45% are able to speak three or more languages, while 46% had obtained the equivalent of a master’s degree or higher.
Yet, Yoshio Shimoda, managing partner at ILS Shimoda Office and a representative for the Permits Foundation, sees some signs of change in Japan. The government is planning a points system, based on education and experience, to help spouses attain an independent work visa. Nevertheless he believes unlisted companies may hesitate due to red tape. “Some companies don’t want to reveal their financial information during the application process,” he says.
Since setting up a branch in Japan two years ago, the Permits Foundation has met with lawmakers from the present and previous administrations. But while politicians recognise the problem, they are unsure what to do, says Otsubo. Unlike in the Netherlands, for example, they are unwilling to grant open work permits to spouses of only higher-income migrants, quoting equality for all. This isn’t a problem for Otsubo, however, who believes Japan needs to open up to skilled, not unskilled labour.
The Permits Foundation has also been successful abroad. It helped open the L1/E1 visas in the United States. It has prompted change in France and Malaysia, and the territory of Hong Kong. In Europe, the UK and the Netherlands represent “best practice”, says Otsubo.
“My next step is to involve Japanese companies,” he says, hoping that will help sway lawmakers. He is trying to engage Nippon Keidanren, the Japanese business federation. “If Toyota or Sony support us, it’s a completely different
ball game.”