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Foreign residents proficient in Japanese to be allowed to stay longer -
05-02-2008, 03:10 AM
Friday 02nd May, 06:18 AM JST
"Japan will give ‘‘favorable treatment’’ to foreign residents with a certain level of Japanese language proficiency by extending the maximum length of stay for their resident visas from the current three years to five years,
The ministry plans to include the new measure in the Justice Ministry’s revision of current immigration legislation to be submitted to the ordinary parliamentary session next year, a Foreign Ministry official said.
The government hopes that the new measure will encourage foreigners to learn Japanese and help those residing in the country to adapt more smoothly
into Japanese society, the official said.
In addition to extending the maximum length of stay, the government is also considering easing conditions for skilled foreign workers with expertise in Japanese language, such as interpreters, translators and international flight attendants.
This includes possibly lowering the requisite number of years of work experience from the current 10 years to, for example, five years for such ‘‘international services’’ visa holders, according to the official."
© 2008 Kyodo News.
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