On June 29, APFS presented a petition concerning re-entry foreign nationals at Tokyo Regional Immigration Service Bureau. At present, Japan refuses to accept foreign nationals who have visited a particular country or region. Therefore, foreign nationals who possess a status of residence cannot re-entry into Japan and APFS receives many questions from them and their family. So, APFS submitted a request document based on these voices. The detailed content is as follows: first, to permit the extension of the status of residence in case foreign nationals cannot go back to Japan due to the COVID-19 outbreak and the status of residence was expired; second, to permit foreign nationals with other statuses of residence to re-entry or entry into Japan as those based on their “status or position” such as permanent resident and others can enter into Japan, judging whether there are special circumstances by departure date and area in some cases when they have left Japan with re-entry permission before the day country or region, where foreign nationals are currently living, was designated as an area subject to denial of permission to entry into Japan.
Postscript: New policy was announced on July 31, 2020.
Japanese version: https://www.mofa.go.jp/mofaj/page1_000864.html
English version: https://www.mofa.go.jp/ca/fna/page4e_001074.html
It has been possible that foreign nationals who possess a status of residence (including those who are not with “status or position” such as permanent residents and others) re-entry/ entry into Japan. The relaxation is solely applied to those who have left Japan with re-entry permits for a country or region before such a country stays becoming an area subject to denial of landing. These foreigners have to present “the Letter of Confirmation of Submitting Required Documentation for Re-entry into Japan” from the Japanese overseas establishment at the country or region where applicants reside as well as a “certificate of negative test result” of pre-entry testing.
