Some 40,000 foreign workers are expected to be accepted in the first year the new visa categories go into effect, with the total rising to 250,000 after five years, government sources said Saturday.
The government, which submitted a related bill to revise the immigration control law Friday, does not plan to set a ceiling on the acceptance of foreign nationals under the envisaged system, according to the sources.
The bill was submitted with the aim of getting it through the Diet during the ongoing session that ends on Dec. 10. Lawmakers hope to introduce the new system next April.
Visas under the system will be granted to foreign nationals with “specified skills,” including blue-collar workers.
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