Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act

If, as a result of the examination, an immigration inspector finds that a foreign national conforms to the conditions for landing prescribed in Article 7, paragraph (1), the inspector must affix a seal of verification for landing permission to the passport of the foreign national..

In the case referred to in the preceding paragraph, the determination of whether the foreign national falls under Article 5, paragraph (1), item (i) or (ii) must be made subject to a medical examination by a physician designated by the Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare or by the Commissioner of the Immigration Services Agency.

The immigration inspector, when affixing the seal set forth in paragraph (1), must decide the status of residence and period of stay of the foreign national and clearly state that fact in their passport; provided, however, that this does not apply in cases of a person who has been granted re-entry permission pursuant to the provisions of Article 26, paragraph (1), or a person who possesses a refugee travel document issued pursuant to the provisions of Article 61-2-15, paragraph (1).

If an immigration inspector has found that a foreign national who falls under all of the following items conforms to the conditions for landing prescribed in Article 7, paragraph (1), the inspector may record the foreign national's name, date of landing, the port of entry or departure at which the foreign national lands and other information as provided by Ministry of Justice Order in a file kept on a computer as provided for by Ministry of Justice Order to be used as a record and in lieu of the seal of verification for landing. In this case, notwithstanding the provisions of paragraph (1) of this Article, the immigration inspector does not have to affix the seal of verification set forth in the same paragraph:

the foreign national has received the registration set forth in paragraph (8) (for those persons who are registered as falling under item (i), sub-item (c) of the same paragraph, limited to those who possess a registered user card issued pursuant to the provisions of paragraph (1) or (8) of the following Article); and

the foreign national has provided personal identification information in an electronic or magnetic means pursuant to the provisions of Ministry of Justice Order in applying for landing.

If the immigration inspector records the prescribed data pursuant to the provisions of the preceding paragraph for a foreign national possessing a registered user card issued pursuant to the provisions of paragraph (1) or paragraph (8) of the following Article, the immigration inspector must clearly state that fact in the registered user card.

Except for cases in which a seal of verification for landing is affixed pursuant to the provisions of paragraph (1) or in which the prescribed information is recorded pursuant to the provisions of paragraph (4), the immigration inspector must transfer the foreign national to a special inquiry officer for conducting a hearing pursuant to the provisions of Article 10.

Except for cases in which there are special provisions in Section 4, a foreign national must not land unless they have had a seal of verification for landing affixed to their passport pursuant to the provisions of paragraph (1) of this Article, Article 10, paragraph (8), or Article 11, paragraph (4), or in which they have had their prescribed information recorded pursuant to the provisions of paragraph (4) of this Article.

If a foreign national residing in Japan seeks to depart from Japan with the intention of re-entering Japan and falls under all of the following items (except for item (iii) in the case of a special permanent resident) and wishes to have their prescribed information recorded pursuant to the provisions of paragraph (4) of this Article at the port of entry or departure at which the foreign national lands, the Commissioner of the Immigration Services Agency may register that fact pursuant to the provisions of Ministry of Justice Order.

a person who falls under any of the following sub-items (a) to (c):

a person who has received re-entry permission pursuant to the provisions of Article 26, paragraph (1);

a person who possesses a refugee travel document issued pursuant to the provisions of Article 61-2-15, paragraph (1);

a person who falls under all of the following (1) to (4):

the person is a person who, upon landing in Japan again, seeks to engage in the activities set forth in the right-hand column under "Temporary Visitor" of Appended Table I (3) while in Japan (excluding a person who falls under sub-item (a));

the number of times the person has received a seal of verification for landing pursuant to the provisions of paragraph (1), Article 10, paragraph (8) or Article 11, paragraph (4), or a recording pursuant to the provisions of paragraph (4), is equal to or greater than the number provided for by Ministry of Justice Order;

the person has no past record of being deported from Japan, or of departing from Japan under a departure order pursuant to the provisions of Article 55-85, paragraph (1); and

the person meets the other requirements provided for by Ministry of Justice Order as necessary for impartial control over immigration.

the foreign national has provided personal identification information in an electronic or magnetic means pursuant to the provisions of Ministry of Justice Order; and

the foreign national does not fall under any of the items of Article 5, paragraph (1) at the time of registration.

If the Commissioner of the Immigration Services Agency registers the prescribed information on a foreign national who falls under Article (8), item (i), sub-item (c) of the preceding Article pursuant to the provisions of the same paragraph, the Commissioner is to have an immigration inspector issue a registered user card to the foreign national.

The information to be stated in the registered user card are the following:

name, date of birth, sex, country of nationality or the region provided for in Article 2, item (v), sub-item(b);

the number, date of issuance and expiration date of the validity period, of the registered user card;

In accordance with the provisions of Ministry of Justice Order, the registered user card is to display a photograph of the foreign national registered pursuant to the provisions of paragraph (8) of the preceding Article. In this case, the Commissioner of the Immigration Services Agency may use the photograph that was provided by the foreign national pursuant to the provisions of Article 6, paragraph (3) and other provisions of the laws and regulations prescribed by Ministry of Justice Order.

Beyond what is provided for in the preceding two paragraphs, the format of the registered user card, the particulars to be stated in the registered user card and other necessary particulars regarding the registered user card are to be provided for by Ministry of Justice Order.

The Commissioner of the Immigration Services Agency may record all or a part of the particulars set forth in the items of paragraph (2) and the information which is to be indicated pursuant to the provisions of the paragraph (3) on the registered user card in an electronic or magnetic means pursuant to the provisions of Ministry of Justice Order.

The validity period of a registered user card is to be until the date on which three years have passed since the day of issuance or the expiration date of the passport possessed by the foreign national who was issued the registered user card, whichever comes earlier.

A foreign national who has been issued with a registered user card may apply to the Commissioner of the Immigration Services Agency for reissuance of the registered user card through the procedures specified in Ministry of Justice Order if the case falls under any of the following items:

the foreign national no longer has the registered user card in their possession due to loss, theft, destruction or other grounds; or

the registered user card has been noticeably damaged or soiled, or if the record pursuant to the provisions of paragraph (5) has been damaged.

The Commissioner of the Immigration Services Agency is to have an immigration inspector issue a new registered user card to the foreign national if an application has been filed pursuant to the provisions of the preceding paragraph. With regard to the application of the provisions of paragraph (6) in this case, "the date of issuance" in the same paragraph is replaced with "the date of issuance of the registered user card pursuant to the provisions of paragraph (1) with regard to foreign nationals issued with a registered user card" and "the foreign national who was issued with a registered user card" is replaced with "the foreign national".

If a foreign national is transferred to a special inquiry officer pursuant to the provisions of Article 7, paragraph (4) or Article 9, paragraph (6), the special inquiry officer must promptly conduct an oral hearing for the foreign national.

If the special inquiry officer conducts an oral hearing, its record must be prepared.

The foreign national or an agent appearing upon their request may, in the course of the oral hearing, produce evidence and interrogate witnesses.

The foreign national may have the attendance of one of their relatives or acquaintances with the permission of the special inquiry officer.

The special inquiry officer may, ex officio or upon the request of the foreign national, order the appearance of witnesses, put them under oath and seek testimony in accordance with the procedures provided for by Ministry of Justice Order.

The special inquiry officer may make inquiries to public offices or to public or private organizations and request necessary facts to be reported, if necessary for the oral hearing.

If the special inquiry officer finds, as a result of the hearing, that the foreign national who has been transferred to the officer pursuant to the provisions of Article 7, paragraph (4) does not fall under any of the items of paragraph (3) of Article 6, the officer is to promptly notify the foreign national of their findings and order the foreign national to depart Japan, and must also inform the captain of the vessel or aircraft or the aircraft who operates the vessel or aircraft by which the foreign national arrived; provided, however, that this does not apply if the foreign national provides the special inquiry officer with personal identification information in an electronic or magnetic means pursuant to the provisions of Ministry of Justice Order.

If the special inquiry officer finds, as a result of the oral hearing, that the foreign national (in the case of a foreign national who has been transferred to the officer pursuant to the provisions of Article 7, paragraph (4), this only applies to a foreign national who the special inquiry officer finds to under any item of Article 6, paragraph (3) or to a foreign national who provides the special inquiry officer with personal identification information in an electronic or magnetic means pursuant to the provisions of Ministry of Justice Order; hereinafter the same applies in paragraph (10)) conforms to the conditions for landing as prescribed in Article 7, paragraph (1), the special inquiry officer must immediately affix the seal of verification for landing to the foreign national's passport.

The provisions of Article 9, paragraph (3) apply mutatis mutandis to the seal of verification for landing set forth in the preceding paragraph.

If the special inquiry officer finds, as a result of the oral hearing, that the foreign national does not conform to the conditions for landing prescribed in Article 7, paragraph (1), the officer is to promptly notify the foreign national of their findings and the reasons therefor, and must inform the foreign national that they may file an objection pursuant to the provisions of the following Article.

If the foreign national, upon receipt of the notice set forth in the preceding paragraph, accepts the findings set forth in the preceding paragraph, the special inquiry officer is to order the foreign national to depart from Japan after the foreign national has signed a statement that they will not file an objection, and must also inform the captain of the vessel or aircraft or the carrier who operates the vessel or aircraft by which the foreign national arrived to that effect.