## ③ Facilitation of the Immigration Procedures Relating to Certain Temporary Visitors

Measures have been taken since November 2007 to enable Japanese nationals and foreign nationals satisfying certain requirements (in possession of re-entry permission, etc.) to undergo the immigration procedures using the automated gates without having to undergo an examination by an immigration inspector at a regular examination booth as long as they follow the prescribed registration procedures beforehand. The aim of these measures is to further promote smooth and strict entry examinations.

In recent years, as a result of the public and private sectors working together towards the realization of a tourism-oriented country, the number of foreign nationals entering Japan in 2013 topped 10 million for the first time ever, and this number is expected to increase even more in the future gearing up to the Olympic and Paralympic games to be held in Tokyo in 2020, and therefore there is an urgent need to ensure simple and fast immigration procedures for those foreign nationals who pose little risk of causing problems.

In view of such circumstances, the scope of foreign nationals who are eligible to use the automated gates is to be expanded to cover certain temporary visitors, who are deemed to pose little risk of causing problems, in order to ensure smooth and fast immigration examinations for such foreign nationals and to facilitate the immigration procedures as a whole. The foreign nationals engaging in activities with the status of residence of "Temporary Visitor", who will be eligible to use the automated gates, are those foreign nationals who have a past record of having visited Japan a number of times, have undergone an examination having provided their fingerprints and other personal identification information in advance and have registered to use the gates having been deemed to pose little risk of causing problems. Such foreign nationals will not be required to receive a seal for verification of landing and will be able to use the automated gates, and a system will be established where the Trusted Traveler Program Card will be issued to the foreign national as a means to prove landing permission in place of the seal for verification of landing.

This provision is to enter into effect on a date specified by a Cabinet Order within a period not exceeding two years and six months from the date of promulgation.

## 4 Others

## (1) Development of a status of a residence

### A. Amendment Relating to the Status of Residence of “Investor/Business Manager”

In order to facilitate the acceptance of foreign nationals engaging in activities relating to the management and supervision of a company, the activities of management and supervision in a Japanese company will be added to the status of residence of “Investor/Business Manager”, which is currently limited to management and supervision in a foreign company, and the two will be merged under the name of “Business Manager”. This provision is to enter into effect on April 1, 2015.

### B. Consolidation of the Status of Residence of “Engineer” and “Specialist in Humanities/ International Services”

In order to respond flexibly to the needs of companies related to the acceptance of foreign nationals in professional and technical fields, the division of the statuses of residence based on differences in the field of the knowledge required for the work (humanities/sciences) was abolished, and a new comprehensive status of residence “Engineer/ Specialist in Humanities/ International Services” is to be established. This provision is to enter into effect on April 1, 2015.