Japan Immigration News

Japan Immigration Eyes Prescreening Visa-Free Travelers; New System Would Resemble U.S. ESTA Program

Release Date: 2024-04-10
Media: Japan News
Summary: The Japanese government has decided to implement a prescreening system for certain foreign travelers before they depart for Japan. This system requires travelers from countries exempt from short-stay visas (for tourism, business, or visiting relatives) to submit information such as their name, purpose of visit, activities, and place of stay to Japan's Immigration Services Agency in advance. The agency will check this information against criminal and blacklist records. If no issues are found, travelers will be allowed to board their flights. However, if any concerns arise, such as the risk of illegal work, travelers will be denied boarding.

This initiative is modeled after the U.S. Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) and aims to prevent illegal activities, such as terrorism or illegal employment, before travelers reach Japan. The government plans to have the system fully operational by 2030, with a target of 60 million visitors to Japan by that year.

Currently, airlines provide passenger information after takeoff, which is then checked against lists, but this system sometimes leads to issues, such as travelers fleeing after being denied entry upon arrival. The new prescreening is expected to reduce such problems and lighten the burden on immigration officers.

The government is tightening border control measures in response to rising cases of illegal stays in Japan. By 2024, a new system will allow the Immigration Services Agency to receive passenger information as soon as boarding procedures are completed, enabling earlier checks to prevent problematic passengers from boarding flights to Japan.
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