Early in January this year, I visited the Counsellor of the Immigration Bureau within the Justice Ministry to deliever the EBC White Paper and explain our concerns with the upcoming change from the current Alien Registration Card to the new "Resident Card".
For information the EBC White Paper, you can view our recommendations here; http://www.ebc-jp.com/index.php/committees/list-of-committees/759
Or for the whole white paper, please download here; http://www.ebc-jp.com/downloads/2010-WP-E.pdf
I was very encouraged by both the attitude of the Counsellor Koide in terms of listening to our concerns and the way in which the Immigration Bureau is genuinely looking for the best system for not only their ease of management, but also for the convenience of all foreigners in Japan. Here are some points that came from the meeting;
- Most visa categories will have their validity length extended from 3 years to 5 years. Re-entry permits will be extended in line with this too (more on re-entry permits below). Good benefit for most foreigners here.
- The date of implementation of the new system will be announced in autmun of this year (2011). As per the bill passed with regard to these changes, implementation must by made by July 2012.
- Residential address updates will be made at your local ward / city / town office. Updating your local office will result in automatic updating of your Immigration Records held with the Immigration Bureau.
- On implementation of this system, all foreign residents will be placed into "Jumin Toroku (Resident's Record)" like any other Japanese. This will result in all new foreigners to Japan having to submit a "Jumin Toroku Application" to their local ward / city / town office on arrival, in addition to anything required for the "Resident Card Application".
- The new system will see "Re-Entry Permits" exempt as long as you re-enter Japan within 12-months. The Immigration Bureau has confirmed that 99% of foreigners leaving Japan on the current Re-Entry Permit system return within 12-months. They forsee few issues with what happens after exceeding 12-months if you don't have a re-entry permit.
- The bill passed that will change the "Alien Registration Act" keeps the re-entry permit system. While we are not sure to the meaning behind this, it would appear that for long terms out of Japan and for some "special cases" (that no doubt concern those of Korean and Chinese descent) re-entry permits will still be required.
- The Counsellor confirmed that the Immigration Bureau will be reducing the information placed on the new "Resident Card" to about half the number of categories as the current version, and that only these displayed categories will be kept in the IC Card within the Resident Card. They have indicated that they completely understand the privacy issues related to the Resident Card, and will be making sure that a high level of security is maintained for the new card.
Things look very promising for a more convenient system to be introduced in 2012. However, for arriving foreigners there are still going to be the same initial visits to your local authorities to get yourself registered!
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Vulnerability in Relocation
I have worked with many people on their relocations to Japan. A variety of personalities, situations, backgrounds; every relocation is different. What I hadn't thought much about was vulnerability; the fear of shame, not be accepted or not being able to connect.
The following is one of the most thought-provoking TED presentations I have seen.
The following is one of the most thought-provoking TED presentations I have seen.
As relocation consultants and supporters of people's lives in Japan, we all need to consider vulnerability more.
More Than Japan Housing, More Than Japan Cars and Furniture, More than Japan Serviced Apartments, More Than Japan Destination Services, More Than Japan License Conversion, More Than Japan Information!
The H&R Group is MORE THAN RELOCATION!
www.morethanrelo.com
Sunday, February 6, 2011
Cognitive Surplus and Relocation
I have recently read Clay Shirky's book "Cognitive Surplus" that is good background to social media and "creativity and generosity in a connected age".
For anyone who can't quite get their head around social media and its place in our chaning society, I would highly recommend the read; Buy from Amazon
Shirky describes 4 necessary components for social media to exist;
1. Means- The growth of the Internet and the new ability to "publish" content publically at little or no cost.
2. Motive- In any field, for any hobby or interest, amateurs have always existed. ie. People that love their particular activity for the beauty of the activity, not money or any other phony motivation, but for the pure love of doing whatever they do. Like minds with the motive to do what they love can now connect with each other so much easier.
3. Opportunity- Digital networks make sharing cheap. In the old days, if you wrote a book and wanted others to read it, you got it printed through a publisher....... at a very high cost. Now you can offer your digital book to thousands of people for almost nothing. In past lives, people didn't share, but not because they didn't want to, but because the opportunity did not present itself. Social media has changed this, and amateurs now have the opportunity to share their works.
1, 2 and 3 above, are basically about "community", "cost" and "clarity". An increase in the size of communities, a decrease in the cost of sharing and clarity in the presentation of information make it possible to increasingly combine information and knowledge like never before. But there is a 4th ingredient needed to make social media work.
4. CULTURE- People's beahaviour toward one another isn't fully defined by the market or just the motive or opportunity, but also by the culture that exists within that community. A community needs a set of shared assumptions about how it should go about their activities; in order to be fully functional a group has to do more than just understand what its members care about or love. The book uses the example of groups within "PatientsLikeMe.com"; basically people with like illnesses who share their experiences, feelings, fear, etc. Hospitals, doctors and the like have not been able to cultivate such groups in the past, as the culture of their profession is to maintain the "privacy of information" and not share the records of their patients. The groups on "PatientsLikeMe.com" have a different culture; they are willing to share their medical records for the benefit of others.
It is in this way that Social Media not only requires culture as an ingredient to success, but Social Media is also changing the culture of many things that could not be changed in previous worlds. It is my desire to, likewise, change the culture in relocation for the better of the industry.
For anyone who can't quite get their head around social media and its place in our chaning society, I would highly recommend the read; Buy from Amazon
Shirky describes 4 necessary components for social media to exist;
1. Means- The growth of the Internet and the new ability to "publish" content publically at little or no cost.
2. Motive- In any field, for any hobby or interest, amateurs have always existed. ie. People that love their particular activity for the beauty of the activity, not money or any other phony motivation, but for the pure love of doing whatever they do. Like minds with the motive to do what they love can now connect with each other so much easier.
3. Opportunity- Digital networks make sharing cheap. In the old days, if you wrote a book and wanted others to read it, you got it printed through a publisher....... at a very high cost. Now you can offer your digital book to thousands of people for almost nothing. In past lives, people didn't share, but not because they didn't want to, but because the opportunity did not present itself. Social media has changed this, and amateurs now have the opportunity to share their works.
1, 2 and 3 above, are basically about "community", "cost" and "clarity". An increase in the size of communities, a decrease in the cost of sharing and clarity in the presentation of information make it possible to increasingly combine information and knowledge like never before. But there is a 4th ingredient needed to make social media work.
4. CULTURE- People's beahaviour toward one another isn't fully defined by the market or just the motive or opportunity, but also by the culture that exists within that community. A community needs a set of shared assumptions about how it should go about their activities; in order to be fully functional a group has to do more than just understand what its members care about or love. The book uses the example of groups within "PatientsLikeMe.com"; basically people with like illnesses who share their experiences, feelings, fear, etc. Hospitals, doctors and the like have not been able to cultivate such groups in the past, as the culture of their profession is to maintain the "privacy of information" and not share the records of their patients. The groups on "PatientsLikeMe.com" have a different culture; they are willing to share their medical records for the benefit of others.
It is in this way that Social Media not only requires culture as an ingredient to success, but Social Media is also changing the culture of many things that could not be changed in previous worlds. It is my desire to, likewise, change the culture in relocation for the better of the industry.
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