Residency program for fourth-generation Japanese rarely used

A residency program that allows fourth-generation Japanese descendants living overseas to work in the country has been rarely used due to strict requirements such as language proficiency and age. Under the program introduced in July last year, only 43 people qualified as of June 17, compared with the annual cap of 4,000 set by the Immigration Services Agency. The agency has started discussions to ease the requirements in a bid to increase the number of qualified people. Before the program's introduction, fourth-generation Japanese descendants overseas permitted to stay in Japan were limited to unmarried and underage children of third-generation Japanese with permanent residency status. In addition, they needed to be living with their parents.