Regarding the acquisition of residence status, I have increasingly been exchanging various opinions with specialists.
Among these discussions, there has been talk that the screening process by the Immigration Services Agency is gradually becoming stricter.
For example, if someone has earned income before obtaining the “Business Manager” residence status, the application for that status may be denied. In addition, screening for the “Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services” status—commonly referred to as the white-collar visa—has become more stringent, and there are increasing cases in which the work is deemed to fall under simple labor and the application is therefore rejected.
If the application is denied, the individual may fall into unauthorized residence. In the worst case, they may be taken into detention at a facility of the Immigration Services Agency. Even though visitation from the outside is still possible, I have heard that the procedures for arranging such visits are becoming more complicated.
Some point out that these developments may be related to the fact that foreign national policies became a major issue in the recent House of Councillors election.
There are many foreign nationals who sincerely wish to work in Japan. As a practitioner, I hope to continue advocating to ensure that the process does not become unnecessarily difficult.