Japan unveils simplified visa for skilled foreigners to catch up in global talent race
- The visa will be given to foreign applicants if they meet certain conditions such as having an annual income of US$148,000 and a master’s degree
- They will also qualify for a permanent visa after one year of residency under a new system that the government says ‘ranks among the best in the world’
The Japanese government decided on Friday to establish a new, simplified track for granting highly skilled professional visas to foreigners with preferential treatment in an effort to woo foreign talent.
Under the new measure, the government will grant the visa to foreign applicants if they meet certain conditions such as having an annual income of 20 million yen (US$148,000) and a master’s degree.
The government currently grants the five-year highly skilled professional visa on a point-based system, with points allocated according to categories including academic and employment backgrounds and annual income. But it has been seen as complex at a time when the global race to acquire skilled workers heats up.
Those obtaining the five-year visa under the simplified requirements will also qualify for a permanent visa after one year of residency, compared with three years for current holders.
The new system “would recognise expanded preferential treatment to those with top-level abilities,” Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno told the ministerial meeting where the measure was decided.
The government aims to start the new method in April after soliciting view from the public.