Silviase/jgov_v1.4_full_ann huggingface dataset:
### 8. Other items

- Process swiftly the applications, etc. which clearly do not meet the definition of refugees under the Refugee Convention, while ensuring opportunities for the applicants to fully respond with their application

- Consider a framework to establish certain conditions with regard to permission for work while the applicant is in

### 7. Promotion of appropriate and prompt refugee protection

1) Countermeasures at the port of entry to reliably prevent the entry of terrorists and other suspect

6. Promotion of border measures toward the realization of a safe and secure society and countermeasures, etc. against illegal residents

- Implement smooth immigration examination procedures for cruise ship passengers

- Consider pre-clearance at foreign airports to check the passengers of aircraft in advance

### 5. Efforts to realize a tourism-oriented country

4. Contributing to a symbiotic society co-existing with foreign nationals through accurate operation of the residency management system, etc.

- Properly operate information coordination with the local governments and further reinforcement of cooperation - Important to take measures for co-existence when accepting foreign nationals, and to actively participate in the efforts toward the realization of a symbiotic society

- Extend the training period for trainees of trustworthy organizations and institutions

- Increase the permitted quota of trainees to be accepted by trustworthy organizations and institutions

- Expand the scope of subject occupations in line with the needs, etc. on the side of the dispatching country

## Chart 22 Outline of the "Basic Plan for Immigration Control (5th Edition)"

### 3. Efforts toward the establishment of a new system of technical intern training

Strengthen the audit system through the introduction of external directors or external auditors

Establish organizations for management and operation, which have a basis in law, and which complement the

(1) Measures for optimization

- Implement effective measures through mandatory sitting of a skills evaluation test at the time of completing

Efforts required to improve the birth rate, improve productivity and to utilize potential labor forces Approach of an era to genuinely consider the future of the acceptance of foreign nationals In line with the changes in the Japanese economy and society, study acceptance in cases where

2. Call for a national debate on the acceptance of foreign nationals in light of the declining birthrate and aging population

Continue efforts for appropriate and smooth acceptance of foreign students and employment support for such foreign students

Revise the statuses of residence and landing permission criteria, and promote the acceptance of foreign nationals in areas which may be deemed to be professional or technical fields (same as the current policy)

Implement effective public relations to facilitate the acceptance of highly-skilled foreign nationals

Implement appropriate acceptance in areas urgently requiring workers such as the construction sector

1. Smooth acceptance of foreign nationals vitalizing the Japanese economy and society
## Article: “Japan Revitalization Strategy” and Immigration Control Administration

Of the three arrows of the “Abenomics” which is the economic policy of the Abe administration, as the third arrow following “Bold monetary policy” and “Flexible fiscal policy”, “Growth Strategy” aiming for economic growth through deregulation, etc. was approved by the Cabinet on June 14, 2013, as the “Japan Revitalization Strategy”. Subsequently, the “Japan Revitalization Strategy (Revised in 2014)” was approved by the Cabinet on June 24, 2014 in order to aim for sustained economic growth and a further rotating of a positive economic cycle through the three arrows.

The “Japan Revitalization Strategy (Revised in 2014)” gave the following measures as those directly related to immigration control administration:

(i) Fundamentally review the system of technical intern training;

(ii) Improve the environment for acceptance of highly-skilled foreign professionals;

(iii) Utilize foreign human resources for the construction and shipbuilding;

(iv) Acceptance to Japan of employees from overseas subsidiaries of Japanese industry manufacturers;

(v) Enable foreign students who have obtained national nursing qualifications by learning at Japanese schools to work in the field of nursing care;

(vi) Deliberations regarding approaches to the acceptance of foreign human resources in the medium to long-term;

(vii) Accept foreign housekeeping support workers in National Strategic Special Zones;

(viii) A new mechanism for acceptance of entrepreneurs and diverse foreign nationals in the National Strategic Special Zones;

(ix) Ease the visa issuance requirements, establish a system that allows for long-term stays for foreign nationals, accelerate and facilitate the immigration procedures.

In addition, the enhancement of initiative to promote the acceptance of highly-skilled foreign professionals, the promotion of active participation of foreign human resources in the “professional and technical fields” including IT and tourism and “Aggressively” improving the tourism environment to accept foreign visitors in advance pursuant to the 2015 Action Program toward the Realization of Japan as a Tourism-Oriented Country (approved at a meeting of the Ministerial Council on the Promotion of Japan as a Tourism-Oriented Country on June 5, 2015), were incorporated into the “Japan Revitalization Strategy (Revised in 2015)” approved by the Cabinet on June 30, 2015.
### Chapter 2. Outline of the Amendment of the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act

### Section 1 ☐ Enactment and Enforcement of the Act for Partial Amendment of the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act (Act No. 74 of 2014)

On June 11, 2014, the Act for Partial Amendment of the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act (Act No. 74 of 2014, hereinafter referred to as "2014 Amendment Act") was enacted at the 186th session of the Diet and was promulgated on 18th of the same month.

The outline of the 2014 Amendment Act was already given in the 2014 edition of this report, but the items of the amendments will be cited once again as follows.

## Promotion of the Acceptance of Foreign Professionals with Highly-Specialized Skills (enforced on April 1, 2015)

A new status of residence - “Highly Skilled Professional (i)”, was established for those highly-skilled professionals who had been granted the status of residence of “Designated Activities” and given preferential immigration treatment, and moreover, a new status of residence - “Highly Skilled Professional (ii)” which the period of stay is indefinite, was established for those foreign nationals who will have been residing in Japan for three years or more with the aforementioned status of residence of “Highly Skilled Professional (i)” (see Chapter 3).

## ② Facilitation of the Entry Procedures Relating to Foreign Passengers on Cruise Ships

## (1) Establishment of a New Special Landing Permission (enforced on January 1, 2015)

In response to recent expansion of cruise ship tourism, a new form of special landing permission - landing permission for cruise ship tourists, was established to allow foreign passengers of cruise ships designated by the Minister of Justice (hereinafter referred to as “designated passenger ship”), shuttling between Japan and outside of Japan to land in Japan for a maximum of 30 days.

## (2) Expansion of the Scope of Foreign Nationals Eligible for Special Re-entry Permission (enforced on January 1, 2015)

When a “Temporary Visitor” enters Japan by aircraft and then wishes to board a designated passenger ship which makes a round trip between a port in Japan and a foreign port, the foreign national is, in principle, deemed to have received a re-entry permission, provided that he or she expresses their intent to re-enter Japan in advance of boarding on the ship.
## ③ Facilitation of the Immigration Procedures Relating to Certain Temporary Visitors (enforced by December 2016)

Among foreign nationals wishing to enter Japan as a “Temporary Visitor”, those who are registered as a “Trusted Traveler” who satisfies requirements of having a past record of visit to Japan for more than designated times; being pre-examined by providing fingerprints and other personal identification information; and being deemed to pose little risk of causing problems to immigration control will not be required a seal for verification of landing and be able to use the automated gates by using the Trusted Traveler Program Card to be issued as a means to prove landing permission in place of the seal for verification of landing.

## 4 Others

## (1) Development of Status of Residence

### A. Amendment Relating to the Status of Residence of “Investor/Business Manager” (enforced on April 1, 2015)

With regard to the status of residence of “Investor/Business Manager” which had been previously limited to businesses with investment from abroad, the investment requirement was abolished and the name was changed to “Business Manager”, and in addition, the requirement for the size of the business was clarified through an amendment of the Ordinance on Criteria.

Moreover, at such time, in response to the “Revision of the Regulations on Company Registration at the Time of a Foreign National without an Address in Japan Establishing a Subsidiary, etc. of a Foreign Company” in the Regulatory Reform Implementation Plan (approved by the Cabinet on June 24, 2014), the Ordinance for Enforcement of the Immigration Control Act was amended to revise the regulations pertaining to the documents to be submitted by the applicant, etc. for landing permission, in order to allow entrepreneurs who have not completed their company registration to acquire the status of residence of “Business Manager” at the time of application, and as well as a period of stay of “four months” was established in order to handle such persons with incomplete registration.

### B. Consolidation of the Status of Residence of “Engineer” and “Specialist in Humanities/International Services” (enforced on April 1, 2015)

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” was established.

C. Amendment Relating to the Status of Residence of “Student” (enforced on January 1, 2015)

In order to promote younger age groups engaging in international exchanges in school education, activities to enable foreign children to receive education in elementary schools and junior high schools were added to the range of activities of the status of residence of “Student”.

## (2) Amendment Enabling the Acquisition of Passenger Name Record (PNR) (enforced on January 1, 2015)

In order to conduct more effective entry examinations for foreign nationals entering Japan, a provision was established enabling immigration inspectors to request the airline companies to provide
requirement was set that the foreign national must have been residing in Japan for three years or more with the status of residence of “Highly Skilled Professional (i)” and to have engaged in the activities for that status, to have demonstrated good behavior and to be deemed to suit Japan’s interests.

## ② Preferential Treatment

## (1) Highly Skilled Professional (i)

A. Grant of the “five years” period of stay

B. Permission for multiple purposes of activities

C. Permission for the spouse of the highly-skilled professional to work (*1)

D. Permission for the parent(s) to accompany the highly-skilled professional to Japan under certain conditions $ (^{*2}) $

E. Easing of requirements for permanent residence

F. Permission for a domestic worker to accompany the highly-skilled professional to Japan under certain conditions (*3)

G. Preferential processing of entry and residence procedures

## (2) Highly Skilled Professional (ii)

A. In conjunction with the activities of “Highly Skilled Professional (i)”, permitted to engage in almost all of statuses of residence based on employment

B. Granted an indefinite period of stay

C. Eligible for the preferential treatment of the abovementioned (1) from C. to F.

Although the status of residence of “Highly Skilled Professional (ii)” has no restrictions on the period of stay and cannot be granted at the time of landing similar to the status of residence of “Permanent Resident”, it differs from the status of residence of “Permanent Resident” which has no restrictions on activities, because the status of residence of “Highly Skilled Professional (ii)” requires engaging in activities as a highly-skilled professional. As a result, if a foreign national residing with the status of residence of “Highly Skilled Professional (ii)” does not engage in the activities as a highly-skilled professional for an ongoing period of six months or more, this may become grounds for revocation of the status of residence, and there are certain requirements which are not imposed on the status of residence of “Permanent Resident” such as the requirement to give a nortification on the organization of affiliation (workplace, etc.) to the Minister of Justice. On the other hand, the status of residence of “Highly Skilled Professional (ii)” is given preferential immigration treatment which is not accorded to “Permanent Resident” such as allowing parents or domestic staff to accompany the highly-skilled professional.
## Section 3 ☐ Situation of Acceptance

After the start of the system in May 2012, the cumulative number of cases of recognition up until the end of 2013 was a low number of 845, but the number of new cases of recognition has increased significantly following the institutional reforms made in December of the same year. The “Japan Revitalization Strategy” sets a goal of recognition of 5,000 highly-skilled professionals by the end of 2017, and 3,675 foreign nationals have been recognized as highly-skilled professionals since the start of the system until the end of July 2015.

## Section 4 ☐ Publicity Measures

It is important to proactively conduct publicity measures and to promote the use of the points-based system for highly-skilled professionals in order to have as many highly-skilled foreign nationals utilize the system as possible. Therefore, the Immigration Bureau has been conducting the following kinds of publicity measures.

(i) A special “Points-based System for Highly-Skilled Professionals” page was created for the Immigration Bureau’s website on which easily-comprehensible explanations on the system can be found in Japanese and English (Japanese:. http://www.immi-moj.go.jp/newimmiact_3/index.html, English: http://www.immi-moj.go.jp/newimmiact_3/en/index.html)

In addition, with the cooperation of the relevant organizations, in addition to distributing information through the e-mail magazines of each organization, we have asked that banners of specially prepared webpage be attached to the websites of the relevant ministries and agencies.

(ii) A leaflet showing at a glance how the points are calculated was prepared and distributed to the foreign embassies in Japan and the Japanese embassies abroad.

(iii) In cooperation with the relevant ministries and agencies, officers were sent to the conferences of companies, universities and other organizations, which are likely to be the ones accepting the highly-skilled professionals, to give an explanation of the system.

The Immigration Bureau intends to continue with its endeavors to enhance its publicity measures relating to the system for highly-skilled professionals with the cooperation of the relevant ministries and agencies.
FY 2014, 70 automated gates had been installed throughout the country.

User registration of automated gates was started at the Tokyo Regional Immigration Bureau and the Narita Airport District Immigration Office in November 2007, followed by the Nagoya Regional Immigration Bureau, the Chubu Airport District Immigration Office, the Osaka Regional Immigration Bureau and the Kansai Airport District Immigration Office in September 2009, and the Haneda Airport District Immigration Office of the Tokyo Regional Immigration Bureau in October 2010.

Moreover, in order to promote user registration of the automated gates in 2013, as well as increasing

the number of devices for user registration and posting information in airport facilities and in-flight magazines through the cooperation of the airport operating companies and airline companies, the Immigration Bureau has been working to improve its administrative services with regard to those persons wishing to register for use of the automated gates through such means as sending immigration officers to the prefectural passport offices in order to enable mobile on-the-spot user registration.

Automated gates

## 3 Response to Cruise Ship Passengers

In recent years, the number of cruise ships calling at ports in Japan has increased and they are getting much larger in size. In response to requests from the municipalities hosting the cruise ships at their ports, for prompt processing of post-arrival procedures to enable passengers to fully enjoy sightseeing and other activities within the limited time the ship stays at the port, the Immigration Bureau has been conducting prompt examinations, while securing strict examinations, since June 2012. These efforts include preparation for onboard examinations for large-sized cruise ships, adoption of a new method of

examination utilizing permission for landing at a port of call, utilization of examination devices for which the systems have been modified, and the dispatch of help personnel for examinations across Japan.

Landing permission for cruise ship tourists for allowing the foreign passengers of cruise ships designated by the Minister of Justice to land through the simplified procedures has been operated since January 1, 2015.

Cruise ship examinations
## 4 Measures to Enable the Longer Stays of Wealthy Foreign Nationals

At present, it is possible for foreign nationals who visit Japan for the purpose of sightseeing and recreation to enter Japan with the status of residence of “Temporary Visitor” but, in principle, the maximum length of stay with this status of residence is 90 days. However, efforts are in progress for Japan to become a receptacle for the longer stays of foreign nationals such as for the purpose of investments in the construction of condominiums by foreign investors in recent years and scheduled openings of luxury villa-type accommodations suitable for the longer stays of foreign nationals, and the “Japan Revitalization Strategy (Revised in 2014)” also referred to the establishment of a system enabling longer stays for the purpose of sightseeing targeting wealthy foreign nationals. In response, the Immigration Bureau has made it possible for foreign nationals who meet the following requirements to stay in Japan with the status of residence of “Designated Activities” for a maximum of one year for the purpose of sightseeing or recreation since June 23, 2015.

(i) Foreign nationals of countries/regions to which Japan accords visa exemption measures vis-à-vis those who intend to enter with the status of residence of “Temporary Visitor” (provided, however, that this excludes countries for which these measures have been suspended and countries for which measures to encourage visa acquisition are being taken) $ ^{*} $

(ii) Foreign nationals 18 years of age or above (except for accompanying spouses)

(iii) Savings of 30 million yen and over (possible to aggregate the savings of husband and wife)

(vi) Subscription to medical insurance

## Section 2 ☐ Strengthened Countermeasures at the Port of Entry

## 1 Implementation of Immigration Examinations Through the Use of Biometric Information

Since November 20, 2007, foreign nationals who intend to enter Japan have been required to submit their biometric information (fingerprints and a facial photograph). This enables the Immigration Bureau to accurately and promptly confirm that the applicant for the verification for landing is the same as the passport holder, and to check the applicant against the blacklist maintained by the Immigration Bureau. In addition, it has become possible to stringently detect those who have previously been deported and again try to enter Japan illegally using forged passports or the passports of other people by checking their information against the data on fingerprints and facial photographs of those who departed under a departure order or who were deported in the past retained by the Immigration Bureau. During the period from the commencement of the entry (landing) examination using biometric information to the end of March 2015, the total number of people who were issued with a deportation order or were ordered to depart at a port through the use of biometric information reached around 5,400.

On the other hand, there have been many

Immigration examination through the use of

biometric information
the country by airplane move until they reach the entry examination site, and places where those who are making airplane connections can stay before they go onboard) in Japanese major airports.

Accordingly, the immigration control officers monitor and detect suspicious individuals by reinforced organizational patrols, in the transit areas of Narita Airport and other major airports.

In addition, there is a concern that illegal entry cases using vessels to smuggle those who have been deported from Japan in order to avoid entry examination utilizing biometric information, would increase.

There is no denying that terrorists may be included in such illegal entrants. In order to deal rigorously with such situations, the Regional Immigration Bureaus in Tokyo, Osaka and Fukuoka set up mobile teams consisting of immigration control officers (Kita-Nihon Mobile Team, Tokyo Wangan/Chiba Mobile Team, Tokyo Wangan/Yokohama Mobile Team, Kobe Mobile Team, and Nishi-Nihon Mobile Team) to strengthen countermeasures at the ports of entry. These mobile teams gather, analyze and share information on illegal foreign nationals entering and departing from Japan and conduct various joint drills, while reinforcing their cooperation with the related ministries and agencies. These mobile teams conduct patrols at the seaports and coastal areas under their jurisdictions and search onboard ships in port, as well as conducting investigations and detection of suspects, related suspects and brokers in connection with illegal immigration issues.

Joint drill

Detection on a smuggling boat

Patrol activity