In a “free trade pact” with Indonesia, Japan has agreed to accept 1,000 nurses and health care workers starting from next year. This is the first time that Japan has agreed to bring in full-time foreign nurses and care workers.

For two years from April, Japan will annually accept 200 licensed nurses and 300 certified care workers, the newspaper said. If the program is well received, the figures may be increased for the third year, the Nikkei said.

Nurses will be limited to staying for three years and care workers for four years on their Indonesian certificates and licenses. But they can extend their stay by passing Japanese nursing exams or receiving Japanese caregivers certificates.

The workers will work as assistants at hospitals and nursing care facilities after receiving language training.

The Japanese government also is in negotiations with The Philippines for a similar partnership in order to alleviate shortages of 450,000 to 550,000 such workers, which is expected to hit by 2014.