Govt to ease visa rules to lure students

The government plans to ease the academic requirements for obtaining work visas, thereby making it easier for foreign graduates of Japanese vocational schools to work in this country, sources said Monday.

The move is aimed at attracting more foreigners to study in Japan, the sources said.

The Justice Ministry plans to revise the relevant ordinance shortly, with the new policy to be implemented in late June at the earliest.

Currently, work visas are in principle issued only to foreign nationals who hold a bachelor degree or higher.

Exceptions can be made for foreign students who stay in Japan and find jobs after graduating from Japanese vocational schools, but not if the students return to their home countries after graduation.

In 2009, the ministry conducted a survey of the employment histories of foreign students attending Japanese vocational schools, and found that about 70 percent of them would likely be able to find jobs in this nation.

Many foreigners attending Japanese vocational schools are believed to have returned home since the March 11 Great East Japan Earthquake, without applying for reentry permits. Relaxing the academic requirements for work visas could encourage such students to return to this country, the observers said.

According to a survey by the Japan Student Services Organization, there were 27,872 foreign students at Japanese vocational schools as of May last year.

It is hoped that relaxing the academic requirements could boost the number of foreign students who obtain work visas by more than 10,000 per year, the sources said.

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/T110530004016.htm