Ohara & Furukawa, Author at Ohara & Furukawa

February 24, 2016

On what grounds can someone be deported from Japan?

Deportation is used by the Japanese government as a last option for foreign nationals who refuse to obey the terms of their stay in Japan. A foreigner who stays past the authorized period of stay on his or her visa, who works in a field outside of the authorize visa activities, who is convicted of violating Japan’s anti-narcotics laws or convicted of a criminal offense and sentenced to imprisonment without suspension of the sentence may be deported from Japan.

February 24, 2016

Why should someone take the option to return voluntarily to their home country when undergoing deportation proceedings?

Deporting a foreign national back to their home country is an expensive process. Often, Japanese tax payers must pay for the detention of the foreign national, the hearings related to the immigration offense and the plane ticket back to the foreign national’s home country. To save this expense the Japanese government instituted the voluntary system of departure orders. These departure orders differ from normal deportation proceedings because the foreign national voluntarily leaves Japan at his or her own expense.

February 24, 2016

Can a foreign national choose to leave Japan voluntarily even after being detained at an immigration detention center?

Choosing to leave Japan voluntarily during deportation proceedings can be very beneficial for the foreign national. Instead of being barred from reentering Japan for 5 years, the foreign national can return to Japan in only one year. While 1 year may seem like a long time, it is still greatly preferable to the alternative 5 year ban.

February 24, 2016

Is a visa required to work or visit Japan?

A short stay in Japan for tourism purposes usually will not require a visa. As of 2013 Japan had agreements with 66 countries to waive the visa requirements to stay in Japan under certain conditions. A foreign national arriving in Japan as part of the visa waiver program for touring or business is limited in the length of time they are allowed to spend in Japan depending on their country of origin. Citizens of most countries on the list can stay in Japan for up to 3 months, but citizens of certain countries, such as Germany and Mexico can stay […]