Nov 27 (NHK) - The Lower House of the Diet has passed a bill to accept more foreign workers to help address Japan's serious labor shortages.
The bill to revise the immigration law was approved on Tuesday with majority support. The draft legislation has been sent to the Upper House for final approval.
The bill calls for creating 2 types of residence status from next April.
Type 1 will be granted to foreign nationals with vocational skills in specific fields.
They will be allowed to work in Japan for up to 5 years, but will not be able to bring their families.
Type 2 will apply to foreigners with more advanced skills. There will be no limit to their stay, and they can bring their families.