Japan Immigration News

Japan fine-tunes issuance of humanitarian visas

Release Date: 2024-09-29
Media: Japan Times
Summary: Japan is adjusting its visa policies for Myanmar nationals in response to a significant increase in the number of technical intern trainees from Myanmar going missing. In 2023, 1,765 trainees disappeared, nearly tripling from the previous year’s 607. The Immigration Services Agency plans to enhance the verification process for those seeking to change their residency status, requiring that missing trainees complete their training programs before switching to a more flexible “designated activities” visa, which allows job changes. For those with expired visas, a temporary “special activities” visa will be issued, permitting limited work hours.

As of December 2023, Japan had issued 15,172 temporary “designated activities” visas to Myanmar nationals due to the instability following the February 2021 coup, which has displaced millions in Myanmar. There were 86,546 Myanmar nationals in Japan at the end of 2023, with 26,352 holding technical intern training visas.

Additionally, the agency reported that 171 out of 201 children born in Japan and facing deportation orders received special residence permits by the end of 2022. This initiative, announced in August 2023, allows families with children receiving education in Japan to stay under specific circumstances. Some applications were denied due to the children not being of school age or because of serious criminal records among their parents. Outgoing Justice Minister Ryuji Koizumi emphasized that this measure is a one-time policy and stressed the importance of enforcing the revised Immigration Control Act effectively to manage residency status and deportations.
Tags: Myanmar,Designated Activities

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