Hello, this is Ito of IMS. Last week we had some days with very winter-like temperatures, but this week it is starting to look more like spring. I've also seen an increase in daily commuters, in addition to the new employees that are undergoing their job training. Has remote work due to COVID slowed down? Regardless, it is refreshing to see new faces commuting to work in Shimbashi, where our office is located.
Now, for today's topic: 106 countries will no longer be subject to denial of permission to enter Japan starting at 0:00 am (JST) on April 8, 2022. This denial of landing is based on Article 5, paragraph (1), item (xiv) of Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act.
For more information on the grounds for landing refusal, please refer to this page. (Japanese; English)
Previously, there had been landing refusals and restrictions on visa issuance, resulting in a situation of dual entry denial. However, even with the COVID-19 pandemic, some countries such as the U.S. and Canada did not have their visa exemption measures suspended. So, one might think, "Does that mean those from visa-exempt countries can come to Japan without a visa?" However, the landing denial measures made entry into Japan not possible without a visa.
Upon learning that the landing denial was lifted, my first concern was what would happen to visa-exempt countries, and when I checked, I found that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had updated its website on April 6, and the visa waiver countries' exemptions had been temporarily suspended.
*Noted in "5 Suspension of Visa Exemption Measures": https://www.mofa.go.jp/mofaj/ca/fna/page4_005130.html (English)
Since the visa exemption measures have been suspended, it means that all countries and regions universally require a visa to enter the country. What this means is that there is virtually no change from the situation that lasted until April 7, and that visitors are allowed to come to Japan for non-tourist purposes, and must be issued a visa in advance.
One has the impression that we have made some progress towards easing of restrictions when we hear that the landing denial has been lifted. I am not sure if this is the government's intention or a measure for the next phase, but I think we can expect that the next action will be to restrict the flow of people within Japan if the number of infected people increases in Japan, without further restricting new arrivals.
