Amidst a severe shortage of IT talent among Japanese companies, Fukuoka City has become the first in the nation to introduce an “Engineer Visa” system, utilizing the National Strategic Special Zone to expedite the entry process for foreign engineers. The system, which began accepting applications on the 13th, enables Fukuoka City to partially undertake the preliminary screening usually done by the Immigration Services Agency on behalf of the companies. Typically, this visa screening process takes one to three months, often longer for startups common in Fukuoka City, posing challenges in business planning. To be eligible, companies must have an office in Fukuoka City, be unlisted, and support the city’s initiative to create an environment conducive to engineers. Mayor Takashima of Fukuoka City expressed hope that this system, by facilitating planned talent acquisition for companies, would function well in Fukuoka and eventually spread nationwide. Source: Fukuoka City / NHK
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