Japan considering separate eased entry cap on foreign students

The Yomiuri Shimbun

12:42 JST, March 2, 2022

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is expected to soon make an announcement about easing entry restrictions on foreign students through a separate quota, several government sources said.

The government had suspended the entry of non-resident foreign nationals amid the spread of the omicron variant of the novel coronavirus. From Tuesday, it allowed about 5,000 foreign nationals per day, including non-residents who wish to enter Japan for purposes other than tourism.

More than 100,000 foreign students are believed to have had their student visas approved but have not yet been able to enter Japan. Given the situation, the government deemed that the relaxed measures that started Tuesday are insufficient.

In the case of a separate quota, foreign students will be allowed to enter even if the number of people expected to enter the country has reached the set daily limit.

The entry quota for foreign students will be determined after examining the capacity of airport quarantine systems and other factors.

The announcement on a separate quota might come as early as Thursday.