Ikusei Shuro for China, Cambodia, Thailand, Mongolia, Sri Lanka & Bangladesh: Country-by-Country Summary

Information current as of May 2026, based on the OTIT approved foreign sending agencies list, the Immigration Services Agency 2022 fee survey (PDF), the Ikusei Shuro Q&A, and each country's official labor or foreign-employment agency. This is general information for applicants from smaller-volume sending countries. It is not legal advice. Confirm with your country's regulator and the Embassy of Japan in your country.

For the major sending countries (Vietnam, Indonesia, Philippines, Myanmar, Nepal), see our dedicated country guides linked from our main Ikusei Shuro guide.

China

China was historically the largest sending country to Japan's TITP, peaking in the early 2010s. Its share has declined as Chinese domestic wages rose and other sending countries grew. As of 2024, China remains a significant but smaller-share sender.

Item	Detail
Regulator	Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security (MOHRSS)
Sending channel	Licensed Chinese sending agencies; many maintain long-running Japan partnerships
Bilateral MOC	China sends workers through long-established bilateral arrangements with licensed sending agencies on the OTIT list; formal MOC-equivalent cooperation has evolved over multiple iterations
2022 avg debt	¥528,000
Japanese language access	JLPT, JFT-Basic available in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and other major cities
Major sectors	Manufacturing (long-established pipelines, especially Aichi/Hokuriku); food processing; construction

Chinese workers have generally well-established support networks in Japan (large Chinese communities in Tokyo, Yokohama, Osaka, Nagoya). The Embassy of the People's Republic of China and various consulates handle worker disputes. OTIT's Chinese-language hotline is well-staffed.

Specific notes

• Japanese-language preparation is often stronger among Chinese applicants because of shared character recognition (kanji ↔ hanzi). JLPT N5 / JFT-Basic A1 is often readily achievable in a few months of focused study.
• Some Chinese sending agencies have been long-term partners to specific Japanese supervising organizations; these relationships are often stable and reasonably protective.
• Chinese workers' transfer rates between sectors have historically been lower than other nationalities — but under Ikusei Shuro's new transfer right, this may change.

Cambodia

Cambodia is a meaningful sender to Japan, especially for agriculture, food processing, and caregiving sectors.

Item	Detail
Regulator	Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training (MOLVT)
Sending channel	MOLVT-licensed recruitment agencies
Bilateral MOC	TITP MOC in place
2022 avg debt	¥566,000 (one of the highest among surveyed countries)
Japanese language access	JLPT, JFT-Basic available in Phnom Penh
Major sectors	Agriculture, food processing, caregiving

Specific notes

• Cambodian applicants face high debt at departure — second only to Vietnam. The fee-shift to receiving Japanese employers under Ikusei Shuro is particularly impactful for Cambodian workers.
• Broker-led overcharging has been a persistent issue. Verify any agency on MOLVT's licensed list before paying anything.
• Some Cambodian workers route through Thailand-based intermediary recruiters — this can be lawful (if the Cambodian and Thai entities are both licensed) but sometimes obscures fee structures. Insist on a fully Cambodian-licensed primary recruiter with a direct DOFE/MOLVT relationship.

Thailand

Thailand is a relatively stable, mid-volume sender to Japan, with proportionate representation across multiple sectors.

Item	Detail
Regulator	Department of Employment (DOE), Ministry of Labour
Sending channel	DOE-licensed recruitment agencies; some Thai government direct-deployment programs
Bilateral MOC	TITP MOC and SSW arrangements in place
2022 avg debt	Mid-range (specific Thailand figures not part of 2022 survey detail breakdown)
Japanese language access	JLPT, JFT-Basic available in Bangkok and Chiang Mai
Major sectors	Manufacturing, food processing, caregiving, accommodation

Specific notes

• Thailand has lower borrowing rates than most major senders; wages in Thailand have risen enough that some Thai workers approach Japan deployment with less debt pressure.
• Thai TITP / Ikusei Shuro pipelines often emphasize quality matching — receiving companies sometimes have multi-year relationships with specific Thai recruitment agencies, producing relatively predictable placements.
• The Royal Thai Embassy in Tokyo provides consular and worker support; the Thai community in Japan is well-organized.

Mongolia

Mongolia is a smaller but growing sender, with applicants concentrated in agriculture, construction, and food processing.

Item	Detail
Regulator	Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Protection (MFLSP / commonly MLSP)
Sending channel	MLSP-licensed labor companies
Bilateral MOC	TITP MOC and SSW arrangements in place
2022 avg debt	Specific Mongolia figures not part of 2022 survey breakdown
Japanese language access	JLPT, JFT-Basic available in Ulaanbaatar
Major sectors	Construction, agriculture, food processing

Specific notes

• Mongolian-Japanese language compatibility is relatively favorable (both are agglutinative SOV languages); some Mongolian workers reach JLPT N5 / N4 faster than peers from Indo-European-language countries.
• The Mongolian community in Japan is concentrated in major cities; smaller than other sending-country communities but active.
• Mongolia's winters and Japan's winters differ markedly by region — workers heading to Hokkaido / Tohoku winters generally find the climate familiar; those heading to Okinawa / Kyushu find the heat-and-humidity adjustment significant.

Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka is a smaller-volume sender with growing interest, particularly in caregiving and IT-adjacent sectors.

Item	Detail
Regulator	Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment (SLBFE)
Sending channel	SLBFE-licensed recruitment agencies
Bilateral MOC	SSW MOC in place; TITP arrangements maturing
2022 avg debt	Specific Sri Lanka figures not part of 2022 survey breakdown
Japanese language access	JLPT, JFT-Basic available in Colombo
Major sectors	Caregiving, IT-adjacent SSW (longer-term), agriculture

Specific notes

• Sri Lankan applicants typically have stronger English than other sending-country averages, which is an asset for SSW1 progression and longer-term adaptation.
• SLBFE has comprehensive worker-welfare programs (insurance, repatriation) parallel to other South Asian regulators.
• Sri Lankan student-visa-to-work pathways in Japan are growing; some Sri Lankan workers come via the educational route first and convert to Ikusei Shuro after meeting requirements.

Bangladesh

Bangladesh is a newer entrant to the Japan-bound sending market, with growing interest especially in technical-intern and SSW pipelines.

Item	Detail
Regulator	Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training (BMET)
Sending channel	BMET-licensed recruitment agencies
Bilateral MOC	SSW MOC signed 2019; TITP cooperation arrangements developing
2022 avg debt	Specific Bangladesh figures not part of 2022 survey breakdown
Japanese language access	JLPT, JFT-Basic available in Dhaka
Major sectors	SSW: agriculture, food processing, manufacturing; IT-related where applicable

Specific notes

• Bangladesh has long-running labor-export experience (Middle East-focused), but the Japan pipeline is newer. The regulatory framework is well-developed on the Bangladeshi side; the Japan match has been slower to mature.
• Probashi Kallyan Bank — a state-run bank established in 2010 under the Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment Ministry, working closely with BMET — provides loans to migrant workers; terms are typically better than private moneylender alternatives.
• Verify any agency on BMET's licensed list before signing.

Common verification: the OTIT cross-check

Regardless of country, the single most reliable cross-verification is the OTIT approved foreign sending agencies list. This list shows which foreign sending agencies are recognized by Japanese supervising organizations. If your sending agency does not appear, that is a strong warning sign — either the agency is not licensed to deploy to Japan, or the Japanese partner is unreliable.

Steps:

1. Get the exact registered name of your sending agency in your home country.
2. Search the OTIT list for that name.
3. Confirm the partnered Japanese supervising organization on the OTIT list matches what your agency told you.
4. If anything mismatches, ask your agency to explain. Inconsistencies are red flags.

Japanese language: country-by-country test access

Country	JLPT	JFT-Basic (Prometric)
China	Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Hong Kong, multiple cities	Major cities
Cambodia	Phnom Penh	Phnom Penh
Thailand	Bangkok, Chiang Mai	Bangkok, Chiang Mai
Mongolia	Ulaanbaatar	Ulaanbaatar
Sri Lanka	Colombo	Colombo
Bangladesh	Dhaka	Dhaka

JFT-Basic is administered year-round; JLPT is biannual (July and December). Both satisfy the A1 entry requirement for Ikusei Shuro. From August 2026, JFT-Basic separately reports A1, A2.1, and A2 results — the most flexible single exam for Ikusei Shuro purposes.

Common pitfalls across all countries

• Unlicensed brokers. Anyone collecting a fee outside the country's regulatory framework is illegal. Verify every step.
• Overstated wage expectations. Receiving companies set wages; sending agencies cannot promise higher numbers. If a recruiter promises "¥300,000 monthly" for an entry-level role, that is usually false.
• Document forgery. Some agencies fabricate skill certificates, language test results, or work histories. Forged documents detected at Japan's Immigration Services Agency cause immediate visa revocation.
• "Side payment" demands. Some agencies demand under-the-table cash beyond the regulated fee schedule. Refuse and report.

What changes under Ikusei Shuro (vs. technical intern) — same for all countries

Issue	Under TITP (until 2027)	Under Ikusei Shuro (from April 2027)
Maximum stay	5 years (1+2+2)	3 years, then SSW1 (5 yrs) → SSW2 (indefinite)
Sending agency fee burden	Worker carries most	Receiving employer covers a portion
Job transfer in Japan	Effectively prohibited	Allowed after 1–2 year sector waiting period and 5 conditions
Family accompaniment	Not allowed	Still not allowed (only at SSW2)
Japanese on entry	None required (caregiving: N4)	A1 / JLPT N5 / JFT-Basic A1 or 100+ hours training

If anything goes wrong: support structure

• OTIT multilingual hotline (otit.go.jp) — supports Chinese, Thai, and several other major languages.
• Your country's embassy or consulate in Japan — consular services and worker dispute assistance.
• Houterasu (Japan Legal Support Center) — multilingual legal hotline at Houterasu multilingual hotline. Languages supported include Chinese, Thai, English, and others.
• Labor Standards Inspection Office — for wage and labor violations.

Frequently asked questions

My country is not listed in this article. Can I still apply for Ikusei Shuro?

Yes, in principle. Japan's Ikusei Shuro program is open to nationals of countries with appropriate bilateral arrangements. If your country has a TITP or SSW MOC with Japan, deployment is possible. Verify with the Embassy of Japan in your country and check OTIT's approved sending agency list.

Can I bring my spouse and child on Ikusei Shuro?

No. Family accompaniment becomes available only at SSW2, typically reachable after about 8 years total on the work track.

Is the borrowing pattern from Vietnam typical, or is my country different?

Vietnam's borrowing pattern (¥674,000 average, 80% borrowing rate) is the worst of the surveyed countries. Cambodia (¥566,000) and China (¥528,000) are also high. The Philippines (¥153,000, 34.5% borrowing) is the best. Your country's typical numbers depend on your country's regulator's enforcement of fee ceilings.

What if my country's regulator allows higher fees than Japan considers acceptable?

The Ikusei Shuro framework's design — receiving Japanese employers covering a portion of sending-side costs — reduces this conflict. Where home-country and Japan-side rules diverge, the receiving Japanese employer is responsible for ensuring deployment is lawful under the bilateral framework.

What's the realistic timeline to permanent residence?

Roughly 10–18 years from first arrival, assuming Ikusei Shuro → SSW1 → SSW2 progression and meeting permanent-residence criteria. See our long-term roadmap.

Sources

• OTIT — Approved foreign sending agencies list
• Immigration Services Agency — 2022 TITP fee and debt survey (PDF)
• OTIT — Multilingual consultation hotline
• Houterasu — Multilingual legal hotline
• Immigration Services Agency — Ikusei Shuro Q&A
• JFT-Basic — Japan Foundation Test for Basic Japanese

If your country is covered in this consolidated guide and you want country-specific deep-dive coverage, contact us — additional country guides may be added in future updates. If you are already in Japan and facing problems, OTIT and your country's embassy are both useful first contacts.