so that vocational/technical school graduates given diploma called “Senmonshi” which is usually considered as almost equivalent to collegiate degrees are able to satisfy requirements regarding educational attainment criteria in the “Criteria for Landing Permission” (ministerial ordinance).

## ☐ Efforts for smooth introduction of the new system of residence management

- The amended “Immigration Control Act” enacted in July, 2009 led to the introduction of the “new system of residence management” that enabled the Minister of Justice to continuously keep information necessary for residence management of foreign nationals residing in Japan with proper status of residence for a medium to long term.

In accordance with the law, foreign nationals residing in Japan with proper status of residence for a medium to long term became subject to the Basic Residents' Registration Act, and each municipality started to register foreign residents in the basic resident register from the enforcement date of the amended "Immigration Control Act" to issue resident cards in each municipality.

• Taking into consideration the enforcement of the “new system of residence management” in July, 2012, the Immigration Bureau studies the ministerial ordinance and the operation of the bureau, discusses how the bureau should coordinate with relevant ministries and municipalities under the new system, prepares for system development and also enhances public relations activities including holding briefing sessions for embassies in Tokyo.

## ☐ Smooth and strict implementation of immigration examination, etc

- At present, Japanese government efforts are being made to make Japan a tourism-oriented country, and smooth implementation of immigration examination is being promoted by introducing secondary immigration examination, and installation or addition of automatic gates.

- In order to protect people’s lives and public safety, it is very important to unfailingly prevent the entry of terrorists disguised as tourists into the country. Therefore, strict immigration examination continues to be implemented through the use of personal identification information, the ICPO’s Database on Lost and Stolen Passports, the Advance Passenger Information System (APIS), etc.

## ☐ Launch of new technical intern training programs

For the purpose of strengthening protection for trainees and technical interns by applying legal protection of labor relations law from the beginning, new training and technical intern training programs were initiated on July 1, 2010. Thus, efforts to ensure the proper programs have been promoted.

• Under the provisions of the ministerial ordinance of the Ministry of Justice, the Immigration Bureau may identify “misconduct” with regard to organizations that have acted inappropriately regarding training and technical intern training and suspend such organizations from accepting trainees and technical interns for one, three or five years according to the type of “misconduct”. 163 organizations were recognized to engage in “misconduct” during the year 2010.

## ☐ More appropriate and smoother admission of international students

• “New Growth Strategy” approved by the Cabinet in June, 2010 aims to “accept 300,000 talented international students into Japan”. In order to achieve the policy goal, the Immigration Bureau is promoting more appropriate and smoother admission of international students in post-secondary education programs/institutions by simplifying documents for applications to be submitted from colleges etc. that properly manage student enrollment.

• As new measures, two types of status of residence, “College Student” and “Pre-college Student”, were integrated into a single status of residence. In addition to the simplification, permission to engage in an activity other than those permitted by the status of residence was