## ☐ Review of Points-Based Preferential Immigration Treatment for Highly-Skilled Foreign Professionals

- The points-based preferential immigration treatment for highly-skilled foreign professionals classifies the activities of the highly-skilled foreign nationals into the three categories of “advanced academic research activities”, “advanced specialized/technical activities” and “advanced business management activities” with a certain number of points being awarded for such items as “academic background” and “professional background” and “annual salary” according to the characteristics of each category. Foreign nationals whose total number of points exceed a certain number of points are recognized as “highly-skilled professionals” and are granted the status of residence of “Designated Activities”, thereby according to them preferential immigration treatment.

- An amended Ministry of Justice public notice on revision of the requirements for recognition and the measures for preferential treatment for highly-skilled foreign professionals was enacted on December 17, 2013 (and entered into force on December 24, 2013).

- A bill for partial amendment of the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act, which included the establishment of the status of residence of “Highly Skilled Professional (i)” for highly-skilled foreign professionals, and the further establishment of the status of residence of “Highly Skilled Professional (ii)”, which allows foreign nationals who have resided in Japan for a certain period with the status of residence of “Highly Skilled Professional (i)” to reside in Japan with no restrictions being imposed on the period of stay, was submitted to the 186th Ordinary Session of the Diet, and was enacted in June 2014.

## ○ Measures against illegal and imposter foreign residents in Japan

There has been a steady decline in the number of foreign nationals illegally staying beyond their authorized period of stay. This decline appears to be the result of past measures which have been taken over the years. However, it is estimated that there are still some 59,000 illegal foreign residents (as of January 1, 2014) in Japan, and therefore efforts to further reduce the number of foreign nationals illegally staying beyond their authorized period of stay are being promoted through strengthened detection, reinforced collection and analysis of information on illegal foreign residents, and the promotion of voluntary appearances.

• “Imposter residents” refers to foreign nationals who illegally work or reside in Japan having falsified their identity or the purpose of their activities by means of a fake marriage or by pretending to be a student or through the use of counterfeit or altered documents or fraudulent documents and, having received permission for residence, pretend to be lawful residents. The presence of imposter residents in Japan who illegally use a status of residence cannot be overlooked, and therefore, the Immigration Bureau is striving to strengthen the detection of imposter foreign residents and to reinforce the collection and analysis of information.

- Based on an agreement concluded between the Immigration Bureau and the Japan Federation of Bar Associations (JFBA) in September 2010, the Immigration Bureau and the JFBA are to discuss methods of improving the situation of problems related to detention in immigration control. In addition, the Immigration Bureau and the JFBA have arranged for legal consultations, etc. to be provided by attorneys to the detainees.

- With regard to detainees who have been detained for a considerable period of time following the issuance of a written deportation order, the Immigration Bureau will continue to check and examine the necessity for and suitability of provisional release for such detainees at regular intervals, and will flexibly utilize provisional release while taking individual situations into account so as to implement further appropriate deportation procedures.

- In July 2010, the Immigration Bureau established the Immigration Detention Facilities Visiting Committee consisting of experts from outside the Immigration Bureau, and the Immigration Bureau will continue to make efforts to ensure further transparency in security measures, and to improve and enhance the operations of the immigration detention centers, etc., while taking the Committee’s views into consideration.