日本政府调查数据显示，45%的“高技能签证”外国劳动者收入低于新毕业大学生的平均起薪，反映出技能错配问题。根据对2024年工资结构调查的分析，这一签证类别下的外籍员工中，45%月薪低于24万日元（约1,540美元），而全国同类岗位中仅15%低于该水平。政策初衷是引入白领人才以缓解劳动力短缺、促进创新，但现实中不少人被用于填补一般性岗位缺口。

案例与咨询数据揭示了机制性问题。部分持工程、人文和国际服务类签证者被安排在餐饮、制造和建筑等不需专业技能的现场岗位，甚至因不匹配而遭拒签续签。相关互助机构在2025年1—10月收到1,100多起咨询，较2023年的23起和2024年的212起大幅上升。中介收费高企亦加剧风险，有个案为赴日支付6,000美元却仅获18万日元月薪。

结构性变化加速了问题扩散。截至去年6月底，工程、人文和国际服务类签证持有人达45.8万人，同比增9.4%；同期技术实习生人数下降1.6%。专家指出，中日越多方中介扩张、语言与岗位不匹配，以及高技能签证手续相对简化，促使企业偏好该路径。相较技术实习与特定技能签证具备更完善的监管与支持，高技能类别监管薄弱，亟需更严格筛查并简化蓝领通道流程以减少错配。

Government data in Japan show that 45% of foreign workers on “high-skill” visas earn less than the average starting pay for new university graduates, highlighting a skills mismatch. Analysis of a 2024 wage survey found that 45% in the engineering, humanities and international services category earn under ¥240,000 ($1,540) per month, versus just 15% nationally for comparable jobs. Although the policy aims to attract white-collar talent to ease labor shortages and spur innovation, many workers are used as stopgaps in lower-skill roles.

Cases and inquiry data point to systemic issues. Some visa holders are placed in restaurants, manufacturing, or construction jobs that require no specialized skills, leading to visa-renewal denials. A support nonprofit logged over 1,100 inquiries from January to October 2025, up sharply from 23 in 2023 and 212 in 2024. High broker fees add risk; one worker paid $6,000 to come to Japan but earned just ¥180,000 per month.

Structural shifts are amplifying the problem. As of end-June last year, high-skill visa holders totaled 458,000, up 9.4% year on year, while technical interns fell 1.6%. Experts cite expanding broker networks, language and job mismatches, and comparatively easier paperwork for high-skill visas that encourage employer misuse. Unlike technical intern and specified skilled worker programs, oversight and support are weaker for high-skill categories, underscoring the need for stricter screening and streamlined blue-collar pathways to reduce mismatches.