TOKYO -- Japan's new residency program for overseas workers will be expanded to include key yet understaffed manufacturing fields that supply parts to automakers and other mainstay industries.
The cabinet endorsed last month a proposed visa program that would let foreigners stay in Japan for up to five years after passing an exam, opening the door to unskilled labor. The plan was originally geared toward five areas with severe labor shortages: construction, agriculture, nursing, shipbuilding and hospitality.
