[Seminar Report] Emergency Seminar Held in Response to Reaching the 'Cap' for Specified Skilled Workers in Food Service; Many Major Food and Service Companies Participated
Linc Inc. held an emergency seminar in April 2026 in response to the suspension of new foreign worker acceptance in the food service industry. Over 90% of HR professionals were satisfied, and the company proposes strategies for talent retention and Type 2 status transition.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: April 10, 2026 at 00:58
- 🔍 Collected: April 11, 2026 at 00:29 (23h 31m after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 19, 2026 at 23:53 (215h 23m after Collected)
Linc Inc. (Headquarters: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director and CEO: Shiyou Naka; hereinafter "Linc"), which operates "Linc Global Hub"—a platform designed to maximize the sentiment of "I'm glad I came to Japan" among foreign talent—held an emergency online seminar titled "Reaching the 'Cap' for Specified Skilled Workers in Food Service ─ Strategies to Avoid Hiring Freezes and Build Sustainable Organizations" over three days from April 6 to 8, 2026. Many HR and talent development managers from leading domestic food service chains and prominent service industry companies attended this seminar, highlighting the high level of concern over this unprecedented situation of reaching the quota limit.
## Background of the Seminar
The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries and the Immigration Services Agency of Japan announced that since the number of foreign residents with the Specified Skilled Worker "Food Service Industry" status is expected to reach its expected acceptance limit (50,000 people), measures will be taken to temporarily suspend the issuance of certificates of eligibility starting April 13, 2026. This effectively halts the new intake of workers from overseas, causing a severe impact on the recruitment plans of many food service operators. To overcome this "Food Service 2026 Shock," Linc urgently held this seminar to present new strategies centered on preventing the turnover of existing staff, facilitating their transition to Specified Skilled Worker No. 2, and acquiring talent already residing in Japan.
## Attendee Feedback: Over 90% Satisfaction. High Interest in Future Predictions and Strategic Proposals
In the post-seminar survey, over 90% of the attendees answered that they were "satisfied" or "very satisfied."
(*Based on internal research) The topics that garnered particular interest were as follows:
- Future Predictions: Market changes brought about by the system modification and the outlook toward fiscal 2028.
- Strategic Proposals: Specific policies and mindsets that host companies should adopt now amidst the suspension of new invitations.
- Current Situation Analysis: The latest data and facts regarding specified skilled foreign workers in the food service industry.
[Comments from Attendees (Excerpts)]
- "It was very helpful in formulating future countermeasures as you shared information and future predictions ahead of others." (Manager at a major food service group)
- "I reaffirmed the importance of career-oriented support. We want to establish a learning plan for acquiring Type 2 status as a company." (HR Manager in the service industry)
- "I would like to have an individual consultation immediately regarding the redesign of our recruitment and retention strategies following the cap being reached." (Recruitment Director at a food service chain)
## Future Developments: Limited Distribution of Event Materials and Individual Consultations
Following the great success of this seminar, Linc will continue to provide the following support:
- Distribution of Event Materials: We will sequentially distribute the seminar materials, which summarize specific countermeasures after reaching the cap, to interested companies.
- Cap Countermeasure & Individual Consulting:
Keywords: Linc Inc., Foreign employees, Foreign recruitment, Global Hub, Specified Skilled Worker, HR, Human Resources, Management
## Background of the Seminar
The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries and the Immigration Services Agency of Japan announced that since the number of foreign residents with the Specified Skilled Worker "Food Service Industry" status is expected to reach its expected acceptance limit (50,000 people), measures will be taken to temporarily suspend the issuance of certificates of eligibility starting April 13, 2026. This effectively halts the new intake of workers from overseas, causing a severe impact on the recruitment plans of many food service operators. To overcome this "Food Service 2026 Shock," Linc urgently held this seminar to present new strategies centered on preventing the turnover of existing staff, facilitating their transition to Specified Skilled Worker No. 2, and acquiring talent already residing in Japan.
## Attendee Feedback: Over 90% Satisfaction. High Interest in Future Predictions and Strategic Proposals
In the post-seminar survey, over 90% of the attendees answered that they were "satisfied" or "very satisfied."
(*Based on internal research) The topics that garnered particular interest were as follows:
- Future Predictions: Market changes brought about by the system modification and the outlook toward fiscal 2028.
- Strategic Proposals: Specific policies and mindsets that host companies should adopt now amidst the suspension of new invitations.
- Current Situation Analysis: The latest data and facts regarding specified skilled foreign workers in the food service industry.
[Comments from Attendees (Excerpts)]
- "It was very helpful in formulating future countermeasures as you shared information and future predictions ahead of others." (Manager at a major food service group)
- "I reaffirmed the importance of career-oriented support. We want to establish a learning plan for acquiring Type 2 status as a company." (HR Manager in the service industry)
- "I would like to have an individual consultation immediately regarding the redesign of our recruitment and retention strategies following the cap being reached." (Recruitment Director at a food service chain)
## Future Developments: Limited Distribution of Event Materials and Individual Consultations
Following the great success of this seminar, Linc will continue to provide the following support:
- Distribution of Event Materials: We will sequentially distribute the seminar materials, which summarize specific countermeasures after reaching the cap, to interested companies.
- Cap Countermeasure & Individual Consulting:
Keywords: Linc Inc., Foreign employees, Foreign recruitment, Global Hub, Specified Skilled Worker, HR, Human Resources, Management