Hello, this is Kuwahara of IMS Legal Professional Corporation. The Japanese government has announced a system that will finally ease entry restrictions. This system has been met with a lot of criticism from various sources, which is understandable. Some of the issues are the following:
- Japanese people or organizations hosting foreign nationals have to personally search for the ministry to which they must apply
- Complicated application procedures
- A lack of unified communication among ministries after the application.
As workers in the private sector, we can only wonder how this application system was created.
Online Application Announcement
In the midst of all this, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) -- which was one of the first ministries to announce their application and contact information -- announced that from November 17, you can apply online to obtain the certificate indicating completion of review. (I won’t ask what the Digital Agency is doing...)
https://form.gbiz.go.jp/metibordermeasure/
※For your information, many ministries accept application documents via e-mail.
The fact that the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare (MHLW) announced this system less than 10 days after the announcement of the border control measures clearly shows that METI is very concerned about the lack of business transactions. Applications using the METI system will only be available from November 22, and the number of ministries covered is limited. (As of November 19)
https://www.mofa.go.jp/mofaj/files/100260674.pdf
For one of our cases, we actually tried to confirm the ministry to which the host organization was to apply. However, after being passed around to different ministries, we were eventually sent back to the first ministry and then passed back around again. This deplorable situation made us realize how difficult the process is for host organizations.
We, as supporters of administrative procedures, will continue to gather information so that we can provide our customers with easy-to-understand explanations.
It is regrettable that we cannot make the application on your behalf, as this application must be made by the host organization. (We can apply on your behalf, but there are various conditions for us to do so.) In addition, the content of most of the applications are matters that must be confirmed and decided by the host organization. Therefore, we would be entering documents on behalf of our clients rather than composing the applications. Even for clients with whom we have an advisory contract, we currently only provide information on how to apply. This also includes how to prepare the application form and provide various answers to questions they may have.
Future Hopes
At present, there are many days when the number of new infections is in the single digits, so I am sure that with a little more time, we will be able to use a simpler system to enter the country. However, with this relaxation of restrictions, the season when the number of people entering the country from abroad will increase will most likely be from the end of the year to the beginning of the year.
On a personal note, I often receive wonderful gifts from clients that I assist with their applications. This time, I would like to share with you a flower and a message card that I received from F., one of the clients whose US visa application I assisted with. We are content just to make our clients happy, but it is always very heartening to receive such kind words. We would like to take this opportunity to thank you.
For more information, please contact us below ↓
https://imsvisa.support/en/contact/
