Japanese fluency could ease visa conditions

SKILLED FOREIGN WORKERS TARGETED

Conditions for resident visa status of skilled foreign workers such as engineers may be relaxed if they attain a certain level of proficiency in Japanese, government sources said Monday.

The measures, including shortening the required number of years of work experience required, are being considered both to increase the variety of foreign workers being accepted in Japan and to encourage more foreigners to study Japanese, the sources said.

The relaxed conditions would be applicable to foreigners who want to enter Japan for specialist or technical jobs, they said.

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