The Foreign Ministry plans to hold Japanese-language tests in at least seven countries for a new type of work visa, in line with the introduction of the new visa category in April, sources have said. The ministry also aims to conclude bilateral agreements with those countries by March to share information related to criminal investigations, in an effort to shut out rogue labor brokers and protect workers' human rights, according to the sources. The Japanese-language tests will be administered in Vietnam, China, the Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand, Myanmar and Cambodia for applicants seeking the easier of the two new visa categories, the sources said. The government is negotiating with one more country on the matter, and plans to expand the number of countries where the tests are conducted in stages, according to the sources. The moves indicate that workers from those countries will be among the first group to be accepted in Japan under the new system, for the time being, aside from interns transferring from the existing foreign trainee program.