The government decided Friday to expand its visa issuance to Indian nationals involved in the information technology industry as a means of promoting exchanges between Japanese and Indian IT experts, a Foreign Ministry spokesman said.

Japan will issue multiple-entry visas valid for three years for those wishing to travel to Japan for short-term business purposes, Press Secretary Norio Hattori told a press conference.

Each visit made under a visa of this kind could last for up to 90 days.

Short-term business visas issued to Indian nationals have until now been valid for just one year and limited to those holding directorships or higher posts, as well as to sales division chiefs of companies that meet certain conditions.

The new measure, which takes effect Monday, will make visas available to section heads and IT experts who have graduated from junior college and above in IT-related fields or to those who have a minimum of five years of professional experience in IT, Hattori said.

They will be required to work for companies that are involved in IT work and meet certain conditions.

These conditions include being listed on the stock market or being a public corporation.

The move is based on a proposal made by Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori to Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee to issue multiple-entry visas valid for three years to Indian IT specialists. This proposal was made during Mori's visit to India in August.

Short-term business visas are issued to foreign nationals for the purpose of conducting business negotiations and transactions with Japanese firms. They are also issued for market research, advertising and job hunting purposes. Visas such as these do not allow recipients to operate businesses in Japan or make a profit during their stay.