Japan to ease entry restrictions for foreign students

The Japanese government has recently decided to accept business travelers from 16 countries, including Thailand and Vietnam.

And the other 14? Be nice to have a link or information on just who is being allowed in to the country, and vice versa!

Ok so they are first taking care of foreign students, then come next long-term residents and permanent residents... amazing Japan...

Foreign students from where? I don't understand. This writing is confusing.

Ok so they are first taking care of foreign students, then come next long-term residents and permanent residents... amazing Japan...

Yeah, students must go to school.

PRs only gotta work, pay taxes, send their own kids to school.....

Think the "foreign students" might be a eufamisom for those on "traineeships" without slave labour JAs Buisness model collapses.

Japanese agricultural farms are in short of workers and they need help of seasonal workers who help them. They all became old. The foreign "students" have become indispensable work forces in Japan. You see many "foreign students" working at convenient stores, restaurants etc.

All foreigners will be required to take polymerase chain reaction tests and prove that they are not infected with the virus when entering Japan, the sources said, adding that they will also be requested to stay in self-isolation for two weeks to monitor their health.

But not for the Japanese returning because, hey, their unique culture will protect them from the virus.

@Aly Rustom - article two days ago said the policy is the same for Japanese citizens.

Re-entry will be permitted for visa holders, including permanent residents and exchange students, on condition that they undergo coronavirus testing and quarantine for 14 days, the same policy that applies to Japanese citizens re-entering the country, NHK reported on Friday.

Re-entry will be permitted for visa holders, including permanent residents and exchange students, on condition that they undergo coronavirus testing and quarantine for 14 days, the same policy that applies to Japanese citizens re-entering the country, NHK reported on Friday.

From what I understand, and please correct me if I'm wrong, is that its a requirement for foreigners but not so for Japanese. The standards may be the same but the enforcement is different. Or is that incorrect?

So its the “minimum wage slaves” or rather special agriculture trainees first. Long term tax paying, fluent Japanese speaking parents of Japanese citizens last.

Thank you Japan.

From what I understand, and please correct me if I'm wrong, is that its a requirement for foreigners but not so for Japanese. The standards may be the same but the enforcement is different. Or is that incorrect?

That I don’t know. I’m just linking the article. Something I’ll try to check out though.

Vegetables and fruits have become so expensive.JA is in short supply of slave laborers.That is why Gvt sponsored slaves will be allowed in first and later self sponsored students.

A student is a student,what's the difference?Why the bias?

The rest of the PR's,Spouse etc who thought that after living here for decades,have families,some even own property and businesses & pay taxes would be considered...This should be an eye opener.You're on your own.You're just a Permanent Gaijin.Use and dump.

it is not clear what happens is one makes it to Japan and then is diagnosed with covid: would the foreigner, in such case, be sent back to their country even though they may pay health insurance in japan and not be entitled to treatment in their countries of origin?

Why every time they make new rules they’re always so opaque?

@Aly - information I can find suggests the testing is a requirement for Japanese citizens who have traveled from or through any of the countries that had restrictions placed on them. The quarantining I can’t find any info on.

Yeah, students must go to school.

PRs only gotta work, pay taxes, send their own kids to school.....

According to an article on here a couple of days ago they are also planning to lift the restrictions on PR holders.

@Aly - information I can find suggests the testing is a requirement for Japanese citizens who have traveled from or through any of the countries that had restrictions placed on them. The quarantining I can’t find any info on.

Ok Gotcha. Thank you so much for taking the time to do a search for me. I really do appreciate

Many self-supporting students are coming to Japan to find better paying jobs rather than studying. With COVID-19 showing signs of resurgence, they’ll have a hard time getting jobs here,

Ok Gotcha. Thank you so much for taking the time to do a search for me. I really do appreciate

No worries. As titin says above, it really is quite opaque. Also, your original comment does have a lot of validity especially when considering things that have been said by certain politicians in this country about superiority and such things.

The Japanese government has recently decided to accept business travelers from 16 countries, including Thailand and Vietnam.

This is yet another good sign, that they’re able to do this. Between the foreign exchange students being allowed back, as well as the PR’s, just another sign that things are starting to return back to normal.

Many thanks Japan for treating your long term residents like crap! Much appreciated.....NOT!!!

With COVID-19 showing signs of resurgence, they’ll have a hard time getting jobs here,

Are you sure about that @meiyouwenti? Because I’m not too sure about that considering Japan severe labor shortage, as well as the rapidly aging population. Just saying.

All these "rules " and "changes" are just too opaque and confusing for my poor old brain! I am a PR (also known as tourist in the jp government's eyes), I am not leaving Japan until either everything is 100% clear and certain or my Japanese passport comes through. Could be 100 years from now!

For "foreign students" read "cheap agricultural laborers".

Xenophobic, aging, hypocritical old Japan would literally starve without them.

I don't think those who test positive will be turned back, just hospitalized .

Japan currently denies entry from 146 countries and regions. The denial of re-entry for those with resident status has drawn strong criticism particularly from the country's expatriate community, as it effectively prevents them from traveling abroad and returning.

It doesn't get mentioned that more than a hundred countries are still in the list of banned

countries that Japan post still doesn't accept air parcel postage but only sea shipping citing

the corona virus leaving most of us making a leaving shipping abroad with zero prospect of

an income. The alternatives DHL, FEDEX, UPS, TNT are taking advantage charging astronomical

rates that small businesses cannot dare use. No support so far from this useless gov't and Japan post

though a private entity on paper and under the leadership of a amakudari former bureaucrat doesn't give

a rat about profits or answering to stock holders.

Foreign residents back of the queue. Nice to know how much you are valued.

Quote from above:

All foreigners will be required to take polymerase chain reaction tests and prove that they are not infected with the virus when entering Japan, the sources said, adding that they will also be requested to stay in self-isolation for two weeks to monitor their health.

So what about the potentially diseased Japanese coming back to Japan?

That's probably because the foreign residents are already here and they don't want us travelling to places where covid19 is prevalent.

@i@n It’s a pandemic. It’s everywhere.

Luddite

It’s a pandemic. It’s everywhere.

Here, if you don't test it doesn't exist.

I don't think those who test positive will be turned back, just hospitalized.

Could they put someone known to be positive on a plane? It doesn't sound realistic to me.

Could they put someone known to be positive on a plane? It doesn't sound realistic to me

Yeah, one reason I don't think they'll be turned back

@i@n It’s a pandemic. It’s everywhere.

Even if that is the definition of pandemic it still doesn't make it everywhere.

In any case, not all countries are included in the ban list, I suppose even if covid19 is there , it's not prevalent enough

Now I completely understand the NHK news last Friday night and why the emphasis was 100% on agricultural workers here on the trainee program. The objective is to let the cheap labor back into Japan.

I give NHK credit for their honesty as they said this outright.

All makes sense now

Great. If I have an emergency abroad and I come back, I've just got to make sure I can get a test which is not available to people with no symptoms, and then make sure my legs are strong enough to walk from Narita for two days until I reach home. Great. A big help, as usual.

You'll take the PCR test before flying.

That's the standard procedure in Europe and America.

Japan is retarded, but catching up with the rest.

Pukey2

I live near NRT I can give you a lift!

@jeancolmar Friend came back from Germany last week with his Japanese wife. Both had to take a test at the airport. And both have been told to isolate at home for two weeks.

No announcement at the task force press conference this evening, still looking at planning revisions to the discriminatory foreign residents travel ban, not actually doing anything. Nothing has changed. We are still stuck between a rock and a hard place.