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2026-04-01
Social Insurance Coverage Expanded!
From April 2026, part-timers working 20+ hours/week at companies with 51+ employees must join social insurance (health insurance + pension).
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2026-01-01Work
💼 Freelance Protection Law + Subcontracting Law Expanded
Written contracts & 60-day payment now mandatory — foreign freelancers protected too
2 Laws
Applied
Written
Contract req.
60 days
Payment limit
Protected
Foreigners too
❓ What changed?
Building on the Freelance Protection Act (November 2024), the "SME Subcontracting Fairness Act" took effect in January 2026. Clients must now provide written terms (email acceptable) for contracted work and pay within 60 days of service completion. Foreign freelancers working in Japan are equally protected under both laws.
👥 Who's most affected
- ●Foreign freelancers on contract (translation, IT, design, etc.)
- ●Individual business operators with Engineer/Specialist/Humanities visas
- ●Working Holiday visa holders accepting contract work
- ●Foreigners doing freelance work as a side job
📋 Key client obligations
📝Provide written terms (including digital) — work scope, payment amount, due date
⏰Pay within 60 days of service completion
❌Prohibited: refusing delivery, reducing payment, unreasonable returns
🛡️Establish anti-harassment measures (including childcare/nursing care considerations)
⚠️ What if the client violates?
The Fair Trade Commission investigates and issues recommendations for Freelance Act violations, with fines up to ¥500,000 for non-compliance. The SME Subcontracting Act is overseen by the Small and Medium Enterprise Agency with administrative measures similar to the Subcontract Act. Working "without a contract" makes the client the violator.
💡 Key points to know
1Making someone work without a written contract is the client's legal violation
2Payment deadline is within 60 days (same level as Subcontract Act)
3Both the Freelance Act and SME Subcontracting Act apply together
4Contact the Fair Trade Commission or Freelance Trouble Hotline 110 for help
🔗 Related Issues
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2026-04-01
3 New Fields Added to Specified Skills
From April 2026, linen supply, logistics warehousing, and resource recycling added to Specified Skills. Total 19 fields, 5-year cap expanded to 1.23M.
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2026-04-01
Dependent Status Criteria Changed
From April 2026, dependent status based on projected income instead of past income. Temporary spikes won't disqualify. ¥1.3M wall remains.