Immigration changes coming in 2012

A new immigration law was passed in 2009 and scheduled to be implemented in summer 2012. This new law includes various changes for non-Japanese living in Japan, such as the following:

• New immigration procedures
• A new "residence card" to replace the current alien registration card
• No need for a re-entry permit if you return to Japan within a year
• Non-Japanese residents will be added to the national registry (Japanese nationals are already listed in the registry, with the exception of a few towns). 

Wondering how this change will affect you?

Check out the following Japan Times article (one of my recent columns) for more details: Bye-bye to the gaijin card, welcome to the Juki Net in '12