Japan has officially kicked off the administrative process of replacing the controversial Technical Intern Training Program for foreign nationals with a new system in 2027 that would improve working conditions, with plans to finalize operational guidelines by the end of next year.

A panel of experts, composed of 14 members from different fields, was appointed Tuesday. It will deliberate on the government’s draft proposals and provide advice on their general outline and on sector-specific guidelines for the new system. It is expected to convene its first meeting in January.

The government aims to pass the basic policy outline in February. The new framework, which it dubs the training employment system, will be implemented officially from 2027.

“The Justice Ministry is committed to fully incorporating the insights of these experts and will diligently work toward refining the Specified Skilled Worker system and establishing the training employment system,” Justice Minister Keisuke Suzuki said at a news briefing Tuesday morning.

Japan first established the technical intern program for foreign nationals in 1993. The program has often been criticized over harsh working conditions and human rights abuses associated with it, with many employers said to have essentially used the system to secure cheap labor.

Under the system, trainees are not considered to be formal workers and are expected to return to their home countries after the conclusion of their training programs, which usually last three years.

In 2023, a record 9,753 foreign technical trainees went missing from their workplaces due to various reasons, according to the Immigration Services Agency. Of some 426,000 foreign trainees in Japan as of June, about half of them are from Cambodia, 20% from Indonesia, 9% from the Philippines, and 7% from Myanmar.

The new program, approved by the parliament in June, aims to raise the skills of foreign workers to a specified level within three years while also giving trainees more flexibility to switch jobs under certain conditions. Trainees under the new system will ultimately be able to meet the skill requirements to acquire Type 1 of the longer-term specified skilled worker visa, which would allow them to continue to work in Japan for another five years.

At a ministerial meeting on Tuesday morning, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi said the government aims to create a clear system that allows foreign workers to advance their careers while addressing issues such as human rights violations.

“Amid the worsening labor shortage, it is essential to establish an attractive framework so that our country becomes a preferred destination for foreign talent,” he said.