Silviase/jgov_v1.4_full_ann huggingface dataset:
Chart 19 Changes in the percentage of overstayers who entered with "College Student" and "Pre-college Student"

Table 41 Changes in the number and percentage of overstayers who entered Japan with "College Student" and "Pre-college Student"

Date Division	January 1 2001	January 1 2002	January 1 2003	January 1 2004	January 1 2005	January 1 2006	January 1 2007	January 1 2008
Total number of overstaers	232,121	224,067	220,552	219,418	207,299	193,745	170,839	149,785
College Student	4,401	4,442	5,450	6,672	8,173	7,628	7,448	6,667
Percentage of total (%)	1.9	2.0	2.5	3.0	3.9	3.9	4.4	4.5
Pre-college Student	10,025	9,953	9,779	9,511	8,506	7,307	5,281	4,311
Percentage of total (%)	4.3	4.4	4.4	4.3	4.1	3.8	3.1	2.9

# Section 4 ◆ Publication of Guidelines for Change of Status of Residence and Permission of Extension of the Period of Stay

## 1 Circumstances

The law provides that a change of status of residence and extension of the period of stay are permitted only when there is a good reason that the Ministry of Justice considers appropriate. It is wholly left to the discretion of the Ministry of Justice to judge whether there is a good, appropriate reason such as considering the circumstances of the applicant staying in Japan and whether or not it is necessary and befitting for the applicant to stay in Japan. As foreign nationals increasingly stay for longer and settle down in Japan, and to make matters more predictable for applicants, the Guidelines for Change of Status of Residence and Permission for Extension of the Period of Stay have been formulated. These guidelines, together with examples of denied
permission related to applications for permission for a change in the status of residence and applications for permission for an extension of the period of stay have been published, thus clarifying and enhancing the transparency of operations based on the Three-Year Plan for Promotion of Regulatory Reform (decided by the Cabinet Meeting on June 22, 2007).

## 2 Publication of Guidelines for Change of Status of Residence and Permission of Extension of the Period of Stay

Permission for change of status of residence and extension of the period of stay are left to the discretion of the Ministry of Justice who considers the activities the applicant intends to engage in, the circumstances of the applicant and why it is necessary for him or her to stay in Japan. In order to clarify operations and improve transparency, guidelines for making judgments were formulated and made public in March 2003.

The guidelines include the following: (i) the status of residence listed in the attached list of the Immigration Control Act must match the activities that an applicant intends to perform in relation to his or her application; (ii) a person who intends to engage in the activities listed in the bottom row of the status of residence given in List 2 or 4 of Attachment 1 of the Immigration Control Act in principle must meet the standards for landing permission as prescribed in the Ordinance of the Ministry of Justice; (iii) the applicant must not be of poor character; (iv) the applicant must have assets or skills with which he or she is able to make an independent living; (v) the employment and labor conditions must be proper; and (vi) the applicant must pay taxes as required.

## 3 Publication of cases of denied permission for application for permission of change in status of residence and for permission of extension of the period of stay

The law provides that, in the event of a foreign national who resides in Japan intending to engage in activities which do not relate to the status of residence currently permitted or intending to stay in Japan beyond the period permitted, the person must apply to the Ministry of Justice for permission to change the status of residence or to extend the period of stay. The Ministry of Justice may grant permission only when there is a good reason considered appropriate for such change or extension. It is left to the discretion of the Ministry of Justice to judge whether there is “good reason” and whether the applicant deserves to be granted permission by considering such factors as the circumstances of the foreign applicant staying in Japan, and why it is necessary and befitting for him or her to stay in Japan. To clarify operations and enhance transparency, from November 2007 those cases where applications have been denied permission during the last one or two years have been published.
# Chapter 6 Addressing the Global Community

# Section 1 ☐ Treaties and International Conventions

## 1 Negotiations on Treaties

## (1) Negotiations on EPAs (Economic Partnership Agreements)

### A. Negotiations on the Japan-Thailand Economic Partnership Agreement

An agreement between Japan and the Kingdom of Thailand on an Economic Partnership came into force on November 1, 2007. With regard to the movement of natural persons, the agreement stipulates the acceptance of business visitors, intra-corporate transferees, investors, independent professionals (e.g., attorneys), contractual service providers (those under the status of residence of "Engineer," "Specialist in Humanities/International Services" or "Skilled Labor: cooks"), and instructors (those under the status of residence of "Educator"), as well as continuous negotiations on the acceptance of welfare caretakers. A partial revision of a Ministerial Ordinance was made, now stipulating that practical experience of ten years or more is not required of a Thai cook (Ministerial Ordinance revised on August 24, 2007, and came into force on November 1, 2007).

### B. Negotiations on the Japan-Indonesia Economic Partnership Agreement

An agreement between Japan and the Republic of Indonesia on an Economic Partnership came into force on July 1, 2008. With regard to the movement of natural persons, the two nations agreed on the acceptance of business visitors, intra-corporate transferees, investors, independent professionals (e.g., attorneys), contractual service providers (those under the status of residence of "Engineer" or "Specialist in Humanities/International Services"), and nurse and welfare caretaker candidates. The two countries are also considering programs for training and a technical internship program in the area of hotel service as relevant cooperation. In order to introduce the required provisions for nurse and welfare caretaker candidates, the Ordinance for Enforcement and Notification on Specific Activities was partly revised and the "Guidelines on the handling of Indonesian nurses, etc. subject to the provisions of the agreement between Japan and the Republic of Indonesia on an economic partnership in relation to the Immigration Control Act" was formulated (revised and formulated on May 26, 2008 and came into force on July 1, 2008).
## (2) Reports and Examinations in Accordance with Human Rights Treaties/Covenants

Since Japan is a signatory nation to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, the Convention of the Rights of the Child, and the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, the government has the obligation to report on the status of implementation of these treaties $ ^{*} $ . The Immigration Bureau is involved in the drafting of reports, the examination of governmental reports, and follow-up thereof.

Along with the establishment of the Human Rights Council in the UN, the Universal and Periodic Review (UPR) System was newly established as a framework to examine the universal human rights situation of all UN members. The Immigration Bureau was involved in preparing and reviewing the government report and a subsequent government review of immigration control administration.

Japan is now (as of April 2007) working for ratification of the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance, a new treaty on human rights, signed in February 2007. The Immigration Bureau is involved in this work from the perspective of immigration control.

## 2 International Conventions

## (1) G8 Rome/Lyon Group Immigration Intelligence Officers Conference

The Immigration Intelligence Officers Conference, one of the sub groups of the G8 Rome/Lyon Group, which is a working expert's group to discuss measures against international terrorism and transnational organized crime at the G8 level, is discussing measures that the G8 members can take cooperatively in the area of immigration control and the forging or alteration of documents.

Three meetings in total were held in Berlin, Germany in 2007, and officials from the Immigration Bureau attended all three to exchange information and opinions with their counterparts in other countries.
## (2) Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) of Immigration Director-Generals

This meeting has been held every year since 2002 as a place where immigration officials from Asian and European countries can gather and discuss the issue of illegal entry and stay. This meeting provides participants with opportunities to exchange and collect opinions and information that are useful in considering measures against illegal immigration. For this reason, the Immigration Bureau sends its officials to participate in information exchange. In November 2007, the sixth meeting was held in Seoul, Korea to discuss policies toward legal and illegal immigrants and countermeasures against trafficking in persons.

## (3) The Control Authorities Working Group of the International Air Transport Association (IATA/CAWG)

The Control Authorities Working Group (CAWG) is a subordinate organization of the IATA and was established as a forum of airlines and immigration authorities to discuss issues concerning persons who are denied landing, etc. in order to cope with the issue of illegal entry by aircraft.

The 41 $ ^{st} $ meeting was held in May 2007 in Narita City, Chiba Prefecture under the joint auspices of Japan Airlines and the Immigration Bureau, and there was an exchange of information and opinions concerning the Registered Travelers Program, guideline on deportation, etc.

## Section 2 ☐ Holding of Various Seminars

The movement of people across national borders gives rise to the contradictory issues of facilitating movement while taking stricter measures against terrorism. One single country is limited in the extent to which it can address this issue, thus making cooperative bilateral, regional and multinational approaches especially important. Therefore, the Immigration Bureau recognizes the critical importance of enhanced international cooperation, including exchanges of information on immigration control, and has been participating in the following programs as part of the Official Development Assistance (ODA) programs, aiming at successfully transferring administrative knowledge and skills to Asian countries and regions and establishing an information network and cooperative framework among the immigration authorities in Asia. (Chart 20)
Chart 20 Chart of ODA programs related to the Immigration Bureau

## 1 Seminar on Immigration Control in East Asian Countries

Since FY 1987, the Immigration Bureau has been inviting executive officers of the immigration control authorities of Asian countries and regions to seminars every year to exchange opinions and information on immigration control affairs in Asia. These constructive exchanges have helped the participating countries to effectively design and implement immigration control measures.

The 21 $ ^{st} $ seminar was held in November 2007. Immigration authorities of 14 countries and two regions in Southeast Asia, the Pacific Rim, etc. (U.S.A., Australia, Brunei, Dar-es-Salaam, Cambodia, Canada, China, China (Hong Kong), China (Macao), Indonesia, R.O. Korea, Laos, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam) and responsible persons from three international organizations: the European Commission (EC), International Organization for Migration (IOM), and Office of the United Nations High Commissioners for Refugees (UNHCR) as observers participated in the seminar and actively exchanged opinions on the topics: “The present situation and measures to be taken for smooth immigration procedures such as reduction of time for examination and waiting time” and “Present situation of irregular and illegal entry and departure in recent years and countermeasures.”

## 2 Seminar on Document Examination

At the Seminar on Immigration Control, more and more participants are expressing a strong need for transfer of technologies for examining forged or altered documents and exchange of relevant information. To address their needs, the Immigration Bureau has been holding the Seminars on Document Examination since FY 1995, inviting experts who engage in examining
forged or altered documents in the countries and regions that participate in the Seminars on Immigration Control. Particularly in recent years, the problems of illegal immigration and related transnational organized crimes have become more serious throughout the world. Further in Asia, travel documents that are elaborately forged or altered are frequently being used, and this is regarded as a common problem among the immigration control authorities in Asian countries.

At the seminar, the Immigration Bureau provides participants with techniques for examining forged or altered documents, which have been accumulated by the Bureau, and also aims to promote effective technology transfer and information exchange while obtaining cooperation from other countries such as the United States and Canada. Thus, the Immigration Bureau makes efforts to exclude foreign nationals' attempts to enter illegally with the use of forged or altered documents.

## Section 3 ☐ Supporting the Training Program: Immigration Control Administration Course

Since FY 1995, the Osaka International Center of JICA (Japan International Cooperation Agency) has been providing a training program called the Immigration Control Administration Course. The Osaka Regional Immigration Bureau has provided full cooperation for this training program. This training program is intended to provide middle-level officers who carry out immigration control administration tasks in developing countries in Asia with information on current immigration control administration in Japan and technical training, thereby contributing to the development of immigration control administration and the establishment of its network in Asia.
# Improving Public Relations and Administrative Services

## Section 1 ♦ Facilitating the Landing Examination Procedures

The Immigration Bureau has made efforts to facilitate the landing examinations at airports and seaports, but foreign nationals who visit Japan through airports have pointed out that they have to wait in line for a long time for the landing examination. In response to this complaint, measures have been taken at the immigration counters at large scale airports to resolve this problem, by assigning some immigration inspectors in charge of examining Japanese nationals to the examination of foreign nationals, and transferring immigration inspectors between immigration counters depending on the degree of congestion. In addition, the expected waiting time for examination of foreign nationals is indicated and priority lanes for the elderly, the disabled and pregnant women have been established. Thus, the Immigration Bureau has made additional efforts to facilitate procedures and improve administrative services.

Moreover, a fork line approach, which allows arriving passengers to stand in a single line, and proceed one by one to the next available booth, is employed. Airports also increase the number of immigration officers when the airport becomes congested, and display an information board that illustrates how to fill in an E/D card. In this way, the Immigration Bureau makes efforts for smoother immigration procedures while sometimes asking airlines for cooperation.

## Section 2 ☐ Information Service for Foreign Nationals

Due to the differences in lifestyle, manners, customs and language, a number of foreign nationals who visit Japan are unfamiliar with procedures relating to immigration and residence or other Japanese legal or social systems. With a view to supporting such foreign nationals, immigration information centers have been established to provide foreign nationals and relevant Japanese nationals with the following services:

• Procedures relating to immigration to be followed when inviting foreign employees and trainees or receiving families from abroad to Japan.

• Procedures relating to residence to be followed when obtaining or changing the status of residence, extending the period of stay, and obtaining permission for permanent residence.
• Procedures for alien registration.

• Preparation of application documents concerning immigration and residence of foreign nationals.

• Other information concerning the immigration and residence of foreign nationals.

## Section 3 ☐ Immigration Bureau Website

In March 2002, the Immigration Bureau established its own website separately from the website of the Ministry of Justice. Through this site (http://www.immi-moj.go.jp), the Immigration Bureau publishes questions and answers on immigration and residential procedures as well as the addresses, contacts, location maps and business hours of regional immigration offices for the convenience of applicants. Since February 2004, the Immigration Bureau has been receiving information about foreign nationals who may be staying illegally by e-mail.

Moreover, as there are many foreign nationals who read our website and the services provided, the Immigration Bureau opened a website in English at the end of FY 2005, and websites in Chinese, Korean and Portuguese to provide services in many languages at the end of FY 2006. Thus, the Bureau has been making the website more convenient for foreign nationals.
# Chapter 8 Organizational Expansion and Staff Enhancement

Owing to significant changes in the circumstances affecting immigration control in recent years, in response to an increase in the quantity and in the complexity of immigration duties, measures have been taken to improve and expand the organization and staff for immigration control.

At the end of FY 2007, immigration control administration work was carried out by about 3,200 officials at the Immigration Bureau of the Ministry of Justice and other immigration control offices. Due to a wide range of problems in immigration control, further improvement and expansion of the organization and staff are still necessary.

## Section 1 ◆ Organizations

## 1 Outline of the Immigration Control Organization

The organization that is responsible for immigration control duties is the Immigration Bureau, which is designated as an internal bureau of the Ministry of Justice. There are eight regional blocks, each of which has a regional immigration bureau as a local branch office of the Ministry of Justice. Each regional immigration bureau manages the district immigration offices and branch offices (including branch offices within the district immigration offices) under its jurisdiction. The Ministry of Justice also maintains three immigration centers as detention facilities. The organization as a whole performs various duties associated with immigration control such as immigration examinations, residence examinations, deportation procedures, and refugee recognition procedures in accordance with relevant laws and ordinances.

The Immigration Bureau, regional immigration bureaus, district immigration offices, branch offices, and immigration centers are collectively referred to as the “immigration control offices” (Charts 21 and 22)

## 2 Major Expansions of the Immigration Control Offices

## (1) Expanding the Organization for Smoother but Stricter Immigration Control

The present immigration control must satisfy two seemingly incompatible requirements: smoother but stricter immigration control. Therefore, in FY 2007, a new post of Chief Supervising Immigration Inspector (head of the office) was created for Haneda Airport to be in charge of supervising all work at Haneda. This will allow immigration examinations, which
have been increasing significantly, to be conducted in a smooth but strict manner.

It has been decided that a new post of Supervising Immigration Inspector (head of the office) will be created for Chitose Tomakomai Branch Office, which has jurisdiction over New Chitose Airport that is serviced by many regular flights and charter flights. This position will provide overall supervision of immigration examinations at Asahikawa Airport, where regular flights have been in service since June 2006, and at Obihiro Airport, which has regular charter flights.

## (2) Expanding the Organization to Strengthen Measures against Illegal Foreign Residents

As already mentioned in Part 2, Chapter 3 above, with the aim of halving the number of illegal foreign residents, the system to detect violators of the Immigration Control Act has been improved and reinforced mainly in the metropolitan areas. In FY 2003, the Research and Planning Department was established in the Tokyo Regional Immigration Bureau as an organization that receives, collects and analyzes information on illegal residents provided by residents or by related organizations and provides such information to the enforcement division. Furthermore, the Shinjuku Branch Office was established for the purpose of strengthening investigation of suspected violators of the Immigration Control Act including illegal foreign residents, collection of relevant information and detection of violators, mainly in the Shinjuku ward.

In FY 2005, the Immigration Bureau set up the First Investigation Department at the Nagoya Regional Immigration Bureau. This new department is exclusively responsible for
detecting illegal foreign residents in the Nagoya area. A detection task force was also set up in the bureau. In FY 2006, a detection task force was also set up in the Osaka Regional Immigration Bureau in order to effectively and properly take countermeasures against illegal foreign residents.

Moreover, in FY 2006, the detention house at the Narita Airport District Immigration Office of the Tokyo Regional Immigration Bureau was considerably expanded. The Planning Management and Deportation Department and the Detention Department were also set up.