Japanese cabinet adopts bill to revise immigration law

Japanese cabinet approved a bill to revise the immigration law on Tuesday, which would reduce the staying period for foreigners with advanced expertise to acquire permanent residence status to 3 years from the current 5 years, local media reported. According to Kyodo News agency, foreigners are currently required to stay in Japan for more than 10 years in principle before acquiring permanent residence status and for five years for those with advanced expertise. The Japanese government hopes to enhance global competition and secure qualified human resources by the revision, whose targets include researchers, engineers, managers of global companies and college professors.