What is new about Japan's new migration policy? From recruitment of "nonlabor" workers to selection by neoliberal meritocracy.

This article examines Japan’s 2018 migration policy reforms, focusing on changes in the legal status of two groups of "nonlabor" migrant workers: fourth-generation Japanese descendants (Nikkeijin) and technical interns. While fourth-generation Nikkeijin gained limited work rights subject to strict Japanese language proficiency requirements, technical interns were offered a pathway to upgrade their visas to specified skilled workers (SSW) through merit-based evaluations. The reforms mark a convergence in the treatment of these groups under a neoliberal meritocracy framework, emphasizing individual skill acquisition and self-responsibility for integration, with limited state support for language education or social services. Although the policy appears to open doors for previously excluded migrants, long-term settlement depends on passing rigorous meritocratic criteria, raising concerns about sustainability and future labor shortages.