Pre-qualified applicants for candidate nurses and caregivers under the Japan-Philippines Economic Partnership Agreement (JPEPA) program have until 5 p.m. Friday to submit documentary requirements.

The Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) also announced on its website (www.poea.gov.ph) that “due to limited vacancies for the second batch of JPEPA recruitment, accommodation of pre-qualified applicants with complete documents will be on a first come-first served basis.”

Pre-qualified applicants may submit the required documents at the POEA Main Office in Ortigas Avenue, Mandaluyong City; POEA Regional Center for Visayas in Cuenco Ave., Cebu City; or at the POEA Regional Center for Mindanao in Davao City.

POEA earlier said that Japan is in need of an initial 162 nurses and 99 caregivers for its 75 health and caregiving institutions.

The POEA, which implements the Movement of Natural Persons component of the JPEPA agreement, was recently informed by its counterpart agency, the Japan International Corporation of Welfare Services (JICWELS), of the job vacancies. Screening of employers by JICWELS is going on to determine the final number of job vacancies.

Qualified applicants will be notified by the POEA for interview early next month.

The POEA said candidate-nurses to be hired will first complete a six-month on-site Japanese language training and thereafter undergo on-the-job training at their respective hospitals.

“They should be able to pass the licensure examination in Japan before they can work as registered nurses. They have three chances to take the nursing licensure examination,” POEA said.

Meanwhile, “candidate-caregivers will initially complete a six-month onsite language training and work on-the-job for at least three years before they can take the national examination for caregivers to be able to work in Japan indefinitely.”