Entry and Return Procedures: Visa and Certificate of Eligibility

“Visa”
In principle, a foreign national who wishes to land in Japan must possess a valid passport and a valid visa issued by a Japanese consular officer.
The visa “confirms” that the passport possessed by the foreigner is a valid passport legally issued by an authorized official and has the nature of a “recommendation” that the entry and stay in Japan of the foreigner is appropriate under the conditions stated in the visa. Issuance of visas in Japan is the responsibility of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

“Certificate of Eligibility”
The Immigration Control Act provides that when a foreign national intends to land in Japan with a status of residence other than “Temporary Visitor”, the Minister of Justice shall, upon application, examine the conformity of the landing conditions regarding the status of residence in advance, and if the conditions are met, a certificate to that effect may be issued (Application for Certificate of Eligibility for Resident Status ). The document issued is called a Certificate of Eligibility. The purpose of the Certificate of Eligibility system is to simplify, expedite, and improve the efficiency of immigration procedures.

A certificate of eligibility is issued to a foreign national who intends to land in Japan after the Minister of Justice conducts a preliminary examination to determine whether or not his/her activities in Japan meet the requirements for landing in Japan (eligibility for status of residence and compliance with landing criteria). Even if the activity that the foreign national intends to engage in in Japan is found to be in accordance with the applicable status of residence and landing criteria, if it is found that the foreign national does not meet the other landing requirements, such as being subject to landing refusal, a certificate of eligibility will not be issued.

When a foreign national applies for a visa by presenting a certificate of eligibility to a Japanese consulate, it is treated as if the Minister of Justice has completed a preliminary examination of the conditions for landing related to the status of residence, and the examination regarding the issuance of a visa will be expedited.

In addition, foreigners who present the said certificate will be treated by the immigration inspector as those who meet the landing requirements for status of residence, and thus the landing examination will be simplified and expedited.