Japan’s permanent residency rules may be loosened to lure global talent

The requirement time for highly skilled foreign professionals to apply for permanent residency may be shortened under a move being considered by the government to help lure more global talent to Japan. The current evaluation system, started in April last year, designates some foreign professionals, including entrepreneurs, technical experts and academic researchers, as “highly skilled” workers who are granted some privileges. One is a fast-tracked application for permanent residency. The current system allows highly skilled workers to apply for permanent residency after five years of living in Japan – half that of other foreign residents. Immigration Bureau via Japan Times The government is now considering lowering this time frame “significantly” to create one of the fastest systems to issue “green cards” to top-level professionals, a Justice Ministry official said Tuesday. The official said it has not been decided what the new time frame would be. The Nikkei financial daily reported...