Silviase/jgov_v1.4_full_ann huggingface dataset:
## 2 Judgment for Landing

## (1) Receipt and Findings of Hearings for Landing and Filing of Objections

The procedure for the landing examination consists of three steps. The second and third step, namely the hearing for landing and the decision of the Minister of Justice, are jointly called the "judgment for landing". Any foreign national who is found not to meet the conditions for landing in Japan in the landing examination conducted by an immigration inspector will be handed over to a special inquiry officer, who will conduct a hearing for landing (Article 7, Paragraph 4 and Article 9, Paragraph 5 of the Immigration Control Act).

The number of newly received cases for the hearing for landing (the number of cases which are assigned to a special inquiry officer on account of a foreign national not having been granted landing permission by an immigration inspector) in 2007 was 18,473, the largest in the past five years.

The most common cases were those in which foreign nationals were required to undergo a hearing for landing on suspicion of having submitted a false landing application, such as claiming to be a tourist or a similar status while their real purpose of entry was illegal work or other illegal activities (not meeting the conditions provided for in Article 7, Paragraph 1(2) of the Immigration Control Act). Such cases numbered 13,798, a decrease of 515 (down 3.6%) from 2006 and accounted for 74.7% of the total of newly received cases in 2007. This was followed by cases which were assigned to special inquiry officers on suspicion of falling under one of the reasons for denial of landing (not meeting the conditions provided for in Article 7, Paragraph 1(4) of the Act). Such cases numbered 2,628 in 2007, an increase of 952 (up 56.8%) from 2006, accounting for 14.2% of the total of newly received cases in 2007. This was followed by cases in which foreign nationals were suspected of not having valid passports or visas, such as trying to enter Japan using a forged or an altered passport (not meeting the conditions provided for in Article 7, Paragraph 1(1) of the Act). Such cases numbered 2,041, a decrease of 226 (down 10.0%) from 2006 and accounted for 11.0% of the total.

The significant increase in the number of cases which were assigned to special inquiry officers because they were suspected of falling under one of the reasons for denial of landing is considered to be partly because of the full-scale introduction of APIS (Advance Passenger Information System) on February 1, 2007 which has made it easy for passenger information to be obtained.

Two persons were handed over to special inquiry officers for refusing to provide personal identification information, which has become obligatory for passengers to provide, but both of them agreed to provide such information during a hearing. (Table 3)
Table 3 Changes in the number of cases assigned to special inquiry officers for a hearing by conditions for landing (Cases)

Year Conditions for landing	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007
Total	17,943	16,214	16,665	18,258	18,473
Using fake passports or visas (Not conforming to Article 7-1-1)	2,959	2,422	2,102	2,267	2,041
False landing application (Not conforming to Article 7-1-2)	14,531	13,177	13,242	14,313	13,798
Not meeting the period of stay (Not conforming to Article 7-1-3)	2	0	8	2	4
Falling under the reasons for denial of landing (Not conforming to Article 7-1-4)	451	615	1,313	1,676	2,628
Not providing personal identification information (Not conforming to Article 7-4)	—	—	—	—	2

In 2007, cases in which foreign nationals were ordered to leave Japan because they were found not to meet the conditions for landing at a hearing by a special inquiry officer and who later consented to the findings numbered 8,326, a decrease of 8.8% from 2006.

Similarly, cases in which foreign nationals filed objections with the Minister of Justice in 2007 because they were not satisfied with the finding by a special inquiry officer that they did not meet the conditions for landing numbered 3,097, a significant increase from 1,706 in 2006. This increase is considered to be attributable to an increase in the number of those falling under any of the reasons for denial of landing. (Table 4)

Table 4 Changes in the number of the findings of hearings by special inquiry officers

Year Division	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007
Total	17,942	16,214	16,660	18,240	18,496
Landing permission	9,079	5,309	5,843	6,155	6,003
Expulsion order	5,690	8,174	8,126	9,126	8,326
Filing of objection	1,237	1,231	1,400	1,706	3,097
Withdrawal landing application	231	293	296	308	307
Others	1,705	1,207	995	945	763

(*) "Others" includes cases where the jurisdiction has changed or the application has been withdrawn owing to the departure, escape or death of the applicant during the hearing for landing by the special inquiry officer.

## (2) Foreign Nationals Who Fall under Any of the Reasons

## for Denial of Landing

In principle, foreign nationals denied permission for landing are those who (1) are ordered to leave Japan after a hearing for landing or (2) are ordered to leave Japan after the results of filing an objection with the Minister of Justice.

The number of foreign nationals denied permission for landing in 2007 was 10,424, a 8.6% decrease from 11,410 in 2006.

According to statistics by nationality (place of origin), the largest number of foreign nationals denied permission for landing came consistently from R.O. Korea. However, the number in 2007 decreased by 556 (13.5%) from 2006. (Chart 11)
Chart 11 Changes in the number of foreign nationals who were denied landing by major nationality (place of origin)

## (3) Special Permission for Landing

The Minister of Justice may, even if he/she finds that the objection filed is without reason, grant special permission for landing if the applicant (1) has received re-entry permission, or (2) has entered Japan under the control of another person due to human trafficking, or (3) if the Minister of Justice finds special circumstances which warrant granting special permission for landing. (Article 12, Paragraph 1 of the Immigration Control Act)

Cases in which the Minister of Justice granted special landing permission to foreign nationals denied permission as a result of filing an objection in 2007 numbered 2,492 due to an increase in those who filed an objection. This was a 80.7% increase from 1,379 in 2006. (Table 5)

Table 5 Changes in the number of filings of objections and decisions by the Minister of Justice

Year Division	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007
Filing of Objection (*)	1,239	1,232	1,400	1,707	3,103
Decisions	With reason	1	1	6	23	16
Without reason (Order to leave Japan)	133	197	209	288	513
Special Permission for Landing	1,104	1,021	1,157	1,379	2,492
Withdrawal	-	13	27	11	76
Outstanding	1	-	1	6	6

(*) "Filing of objections" includes the number of outstanding cases of the previous year.

## 3 Pre-entry Examination

## (1) Advance Consultation for Issuance of Visas

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which is in charge of visa administration, coordinates with
the Ministry of Justice, which is in charge of immigration administration, with regard to the entry of foreign nationals. The Minister of Foreign Affairs consults with the Minister of Justice as the need arises, on whether a visa should be issued to a certain foreign national. This is called advance consultation for issuance of visas.

The number of cases of advance consultation for visa issuance was 6,721 in 2007, showing a significant increase of 2,005 from 2006 (up 42.5%).

It is helpful to utilize the system of advance consultation for issuance of visas since it enables domestic immigration checks. It is also expected that the number of cases of consultation will increase in the future.

## (2) Certificate of Eligibility

The system of the certificate of eligibility was introduced by the amended Immigration Control Act which entered into force in 1990. This system enables any foreign national who presents or submits a certificate of eligibility to obtain a visa and permission for landing quickly.

In 2007, the number of cases of applications for a certificate of eligibility was 353,270, a decrease of 6,640 (down 1.8%) from 2006. (Table 6)

Table 6 Changes in the number of cases of pre-entry examination

Year Division	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007
Advance consultation for issuance of a visa	5,320	5,637	3,690	4,716	6,721
Application for Certificate of Eligibility	361,636	386,129	368,578	359,910	353,270

## Section 2 ☐ Foreign Nationals Residing in Japan

## The Number of Registered Foreign Nationals Residing in Japan

The number of registered foreign nationals residing in Japan, which shows how many foreign nationals live in Japan and their purpose for residing in Japan, indicates the state of the "stock," while the statistics of foreign nationals on entry and departure from Japan show the "flow" of foreign nationals to and from Japan.

In principle, every foreign national who has entered Japan must apply for registration to the mayor or head of the city, town, or village in which his/her residence is located, in accordance with the Alien Registration Law (hereinafter referred to as the "Registration Law"), within 90 days of the date of his/her landing (Article 3 of the Registration Law). However, most foreign nationals who have entered Japan with the status of residence of "Temporary Visitor," accounting for more than 90% of the total number of foreign entrants, leave Japan without registering.
Therefore, the registered number of foreign nationals with the status of residence of “Temporary Visitor” is small, accounting for only 2.3% of the total number of registered foreign nationals as of the end of 2007. As a result, the statistics on the foreign nationals registered in Japan can be considered as the data mainly for foreign nationals who stay in Japan for a relatively long period of time for such purposes as study, employment or cohabitation, living a “settled life” in the local community.

## (1) The Total Number of Registered Foreign Nationals Residing in Japan

A number of foreign nationals newly entering Japan each year remain and live in Japan for a medium or long period of time. As a result, the total number of registered foreign nationals residing in Japan has been increasing every year, and is expected to increase in the future as well. As of the end of 2007, the number of registered foreign nationals hit a new record high of 2,152,973. The number increased by 68,054 (up 3.3%) from the end of 2006, and by 670,266 (up 45.2%) from the end of 1997.

The proportion of registered foreign nationals to the total Japanese population has also been increasing every year. The proportion increased by 0.06% from 1.63% at the end of 2006 to reach a record high of 1.69% in 2007, when the total population of Japan was 127,770,000 (based on the Current Population Estimates as of October 1, 2007 by the Statistics Bureau of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications). (Chart 12)

## (2) The Number of Registered Foreign Nationals by Nationality (Place of Origin)

According to the statistics of the number of registered foreign nationals by nationality (place of origin) as of the end of 2007, China marked the largest number at 606,889, accounting for 28.2% of the total. This was followed by North and South Korea (593,489 accounting for 27.6%), Brazil (316,967 accounting for 14.7%), the Philippines (202,592 accounting for 9.4%), and Peru (59,696 accounting for 2.8%).
Looking at yearly changes, we find that the number of registered foreign nationals from North and South Korea has been gradually decreasing, while the number of those from China, Brazil, and Peru has been continuously increasing. In particular, the number of registered foreign nationals from China significantly increased, rising by 144,493 (up 31.2%) from 462,396 in 2003. While the number of registered foreign nationals from the Philippines showed a decrease at the end of 2005, by the end of 2007 it had increased by 9,104 (up 4.7%) compared with the end of 2006. (Chart 13)

Chart 13 Changes in the number of registered foreign nationals by major nationality (place of origin)

According to the statistics of the number of registered foreign nationals by nationality (place of origin), China exceeded North and South Korea for the first time to become top in 2007, while North and South Korea which had continuously accounted for the largest percentage in the past decreased by 4,730 from a year earlier and ranked second after China. They were followed by Brazil, the Philippines and Peru.
## (3) The Number of Registered Foreign Nationals by Purpose (Status of Residence)

### A. “Permanent Resident” and “Special Permanent Resident”

(Data Section, Statistics (1) 10)

According to the statistics of the number of registered foreign nationals by status of residence, those with the status of “Permanent Resident” (excluding Special Permanent Resident) were the largest group as of the end of 2007. The number of permanent residents was 439,757, an increase of 45,280 (up 11.5%) from the end of 2006, accounting for 20.4% of the total. (Table 7)

Table 7 Changes in the number of registered foreign nationals by status of residence

(People)

Year	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007
Status of Residence
Total	1,915,030	1,973,747	2,011,555	2,084,919	2,152,973
Professor	8,037	8,153	8,406	8,525	8,436
Artist	386	401	448	462	448
Religious Activities	4,732	4,699	4,588	4,654	4,732
Journalist	294	292	280	273	279
Investor/Business Manager	6,135	6,396	6,743	7,342	7,916
Legal/Accounting Services	122	125	126	141	145
Medical Services	110	117	146	138	174
Researcher	2,770	2,548	2,494	2,332	2,276
Instructor	9,390	9,393	9,449	9,511	9,832
Engineer	20,807	23,210	29,044	35,135	44,684
Specialist in Humanities/International Services	44,943	47,682	55,276	57,323	61,763
Intra-company Transferee	10,605	10,993	11,977	14,014	16,111
Entertainer	64,642	64,742	36,376	21,062	15,728
Skilled Labor	12,583	13,373	15,112	17,869	21,261
Cultural Activities	2,615	3,093	2,949	3,025	3,014
Temporary Visitor	74,301	72,446	68,747	56,449	49,787
College Student	125,597	129,873	129,568	131,789	132,460
Pre-college Student	50,473	43,208	28,147	36,721	38,130
Trainee	44,464	54,317	54,107	70,519	88,086
Dependent	81,535	81,919	86,055	91,344	98,167
Designated Activities	55,048	63,310	87,324	97,476	104,488
Permanent Resident	267,011	312,964	349,804	394,477	439,757
Spouse or Child of Japanese National	262,778	257,292	259,656	260,955	256,980
Spouse or Child of Permanent Resident	8,519	9,417	11,066	12,897	15,365
Long Term Resident	245,147	250,734	265,639	268,836	268,604
Special Permanent Resident	475,952	465,619	451,909	443,044	430,229
Without Acquiring Status of Residence	16,628	18,236	15,353	17,415	13,960
Temporary Refuge	30	31	30	30	30
Others	19,376	19,164	20,736	21,161	20,131

The number of registered foreign nationals with the status of “Special Permanent Resident,” who had accounted for the largest percentage until 2007, is decreasing year by year.

On the other hand, the number of permanent residents increased by 45,280 (up 11.5%)
from the end of 2007 and reached 439,757 as of the end of 2007, accounting for 20.4% of all the registered foreign nationals. The number of permanent residents steadily increased during the period between the end of 2003 and the end of 2007, rising by 172,746 (up 64.7%) at the end of 2007 from 267,011 as of the end of 2003.

According to the statistics by nationality (place of origin), the largest number of permanent residents came from China. The number of Chinese permanent residents was 128,501 as of the end of 2007, followed by Brazil, the Philippines, North and South Korea and Peru.

### B. Foreign Nationals Residing in Japan for the Purpose of Employment

## (Data Section, Statistics (1) 1-2 through 6-2)

The number of registered foreign nationals residing in Japan for the purpose of employment increased by 15,004 (up 8.4%) from the end of 2007 to 193,785 as of the end of 2007, accounting for 9.0% of the total. Looking at changes in this number from the end of 2003 to the end of 2007, we find that the number showed an increasing trend until the end of 2004, but decreased at the end of 2005 and 2006, due to a decrease in the number of foreign nationals entering Japan with the status of residence of “Entertainer”. However, at the end of 2007, it exceeded the number of registered foreign nationals which reached a record high at the end of 2004 as a result of an increase in the number of foreign nationals entering Japan with a status of residence other than “Entertainer.” (Chart 14)

Since the end of 2003, there has been a steady increase in the number of registered foreign nationals with such statuses of residence as “Specialist in Humanities/International Services”, “Engineer”, “Skilled Labor”, “Professor”, “Investor/Business Manager” and “Legal/Accounting Services.” The number of those with the status of residence of “Entertainer” decreased by 5,334 (down 25.3%) at the end of 2007 from the end of the previous year, showing a continuous decrease.

The numbers of registered foreign nationals with such statuses of residence as “Engineer”, “Specialist in Humanities/International Services” and “Intra-company Transferee” which were basically designed for foreign employees, were 44,684, 61,763 and 16,111, respectively, as of the end of 2007. They increased by 23,877 (up 114.8%), 16,820 (up 37.4%), and 5,506 (up 51.9%) from the end of 2003 respectively.

### C. “College Student” and “Pre-college Student”

## (Data Section, Statistics (1) 7-2, 8-2)

The number of registered foreign nationals with the status of residence of “College Student” stood at 132,460 as of the end of 2007, a slight increase of 671 (up 0.5%) from the
end of 2006. On a nationality (place of origin) basis, the number of Chinese college students was 85,905, accounting for 64.9% of the total, followed by North and South Koreans (17,902 accounting for 13.5%).

On the other hand, the number of registered foreign nationals with the status of residence of “Pre-college Student” had been increasing in recent years, but took a downturn as of the end of 2004. However, the number of such registered foreign nationals was 38,130 as of the end of 2007, an increase of 1,409 (up 3.8%) from the end of 2006. According to the statistics by nationality (place of origin), China stood at 22,094, accounting for 57.9% of the total, followed by North and South Korea (9,742 accounting for 25.5%).

### D. “Trainee” (Data Section, Statistics (1) 9-2)

The number of registered foreign nationals with the status of residence of “Trainee”
was 88,086 as of the end of 2007 with an increase of 17,567 (up 24.9%) compared with 2006, marking an all-time high. According to the statistics by nationality (place of origin), the number of those from China was 66,576, accounting for 75.6% of the total, followed by Viet Nam (6,704 accounting for 7.6%) and Indonesia (5,069 accounting for 5.8%).

### E. Foreign Nationals Residing in Japan with the Status of Residence for Resident Activities Based on Civil Status or Position

(Data Section, Statistics (1) 11-2 through 12-2)

As of the end of 2007, the numbers of registered foreign nationals with the statuses of residence of “Spouse or Child of Japanese National” was 256,980. According to the statistics by nationality, as of the end of 2007, the number of registered foreign nationals with the status of residence of “Spouse or Child of Japanese National” from Brazil was 67,472, accounting for 26.3% of the total, followed by China (56,990 accounting for 22.2%) and the Philippines (51,076 accounting for 19.9%).

The number of registered foreign nationals with the status of residence of “Long Term Resident” was 268,604 as of the end of 2007.

According to the statistics by nationality (place of origin), the number of such foreign nationals from Brazil was 148,528, accounting for 55.3%, followed by China (33,816 accounting for 12.6%) and the Philippines (33,332 accounting for 12.4%) at the end of 2007.

## 2 Status of Residence Examinations

If any foreign national in Japan desires to stay longer than the period of stay originally permitted to him/her, or desires to change his/her status of residence in order to pursue a new purpose differing from the purpose for which the original status of residence was granted, the foreign national must file an application in accordance with the Immigration Control Act and obtain required permission from the Minister of Justice or the Director-General of the Regional Immigration Bureau. There is such permission for extension of period of stay, change of status of residence, acquisition of status of residence, re-entry, permanent residence, permission to engage in an activity other than those permitted by the status of residence, and so forth. The decision as to whether or not to grant permission is made through the status of residence examination.

The total number of cases of status of residence examinations and so forth in which permission was granted increased by 24,776 (up 1.9%) from 2006 to 1,351,961. (Table 8)

## (1) Permission for Extension of Period of Stay

(Article 21 of the Immigration Control Act)

Any foreign national in Japan who desires to stay longer than the period of stay originally
permitted without changing his/her status of residence must obtain permission for an extension of the period of stay.

The number of foreign nationals who obtained such permission in 2007 was 436,630. (Table 8)

Table 8 Changes in the number of cases of permission in status of residence examinations

Year	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007
Division	1,138,753	1,189,261	1,197,627	1,327,185	1,351,961
Total	98,006	106,406	100,176	107,158	119,145
Permission to engage in an activity other than those permitted by the status of residence previously granted	89,593	100,377	115,287	123,381	138,427
Permission for change of status of residence	415,021	410,091	418,696	466,304	436,630
Permission for extension of period of stay	46,171	48,263	39,256	51,538	60,509
Permission for permanent residence	106	126	116	112	131
Permission for special permanent residence	6,530	6,921	7,215	8,013	8,680
Re-entry permission	483,326	517,077	516,881	570,679	588,439

(*1) "Permission for permanent residence" is the permission provided for in Article 22 of the Immigration Control Act

(*2) "Permission for acquisition of status of residence" includes permission for permanent residence described in Article 22-2 in the Immigration Control Act.

(*3) "Permission for Special Permanent Residence" is the number of permissions of special permanent residence provided for in Article 5 of the Special Law on Immigration Control of Inter Alios. Those Who Have Lost Japanese Nationality on the Basis of the Treaty of Peace with Japan.

## (2) Permission for Change of Status of Residence

## (Article 20 of the Immigration Control Act)

Any foreign national in Japan who desires to change the status of residence originally permitted to him/her must obtain permission for a change of status of residence for the new purpose.

In 2007, the number of foreign nationals who obtained such permission was 138,427. (Table 8) Among these, the major cases of applying for permission for change of the status of residence were as follows:

### A. Change of Status of Residence from “College Student” or

“Pre-college Student” for Employment Purposes

The foreign nationals studying at Japanese universities or vocational schools have the status of residence of either “College Student” or “Pre-college Student.” Many of them wish to stay in Japan to work for a Japanese company or some another organization in Japan after graduating from these schools.

The number of foreign nationals who obtained permission for a change of status of residence has been constantly increasing since 2003. The number increased by 1,990 (up 24.1%) from a year earlier, and increased significantly by 6,484 (up 171.6%) from 2003 to 10,262 in 2007. This marked a record high since 1988, the year when these statistics were compiled for the first time, and exceeded 10,000 for the first time.

According to the statistics by nationality (place of origin), the number of foreign nationals who obtained such permission from China was 7,539, accounting for 73.5% of the total, followed by R.O. Korea (1,109, accounting for 10.8%), and China (Taiwan) (282, accounting for 2.7%). (Table 9)