Visas and Alien Registration

The reality of Japan's aging population and lack of certain expertise - English and IT for example - has forced the government to relax the rules even as others tighten them. In 2000 the standard work visa went, in most cases, from one to three years' duration, with re-entry permits similarly extended. At roughly the same time, 21 of 27 different Statuses of Residence had their minimum validity times lengthened. It also became easier for some Asian nationals, who often had difficulties in the past, to get business/work visas, and longer ones, than before. Indian IT specialists, Chinese working at Japanese-affiliated firms in China and APEC (Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation) country executives for example, all benefited from these reforms. At the same time however, things got harder for 'illegals' and those suspected of possibly becoming such.

As with many countries, you can be refused landing permission - the legal basis of your stay (not the visa, which is merely a recommendation to grant landing permission) - on pretty arbitrary grounds, which may not seem entirely clear to you as you are being given your marching orders. And if you are here illegally, and you get caught, well...deportees are now banned from reentry for five (up from one) years.

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