SNA (Yokohama) — The government announced that it widened the door to foreign nationals’ entry to Japan starting from November 8 for short-term business travelers, foreign students, and technical interns, but byzantine regulations continue to signal that the welcome mat for foreigners is not yet out, and students in particular are feeling the brunt.

In addition to the current daily arrival cap of only 3,500 people, the latest Covid policies announced by the Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare (MHLW) impose new requirements.

The most confusing part of the new scheme is related to a document called a “screening certificate,” which has now become mandatory for visa applications. This document requires that companies and schools apply domestically on behalf of their visa applicants, and this will take approximately two to four weeks to process.

As of November, those granted Certificates of Eligibility (COE) in the first half of 2020–yes, 2020–can obtain a screening certificate. Holders of COEs issued in the second half of 2020 will be able to start their applications in December. Students and trainees who were given COEs from January to March this year will have to wait until next January. A specified timeline has not been released for those who obtained their COEs since March.

The current screening certificate application schedule has provoked a backlash from the international student community. Some criticized the illogic of reserving November and December for only 2020 COE holders who were meant to enter the country from October 2020 to January 2021. Many students are supposed to begin their studies early next year, and the new system practically guarantees that many of them will still be unable to do so.

Social media comments reflect frustration and cynicism, including widespread accusations that the supposed easing of the travel ban is simply a political stunt and that the authorities still have no intention to let the majority of international students back into Japan.

Zhou Book Hao, a Chinese graduate student at Tokyo University of Technology, explained to the Shingetsu News Agency. “My university expects me to arrive in Japan before January 2022 to complete essential admission procedures in person. However, the plan announced by MHLW has thrown a spanner in the works.”

Zhou adds that he had spent four years studying the Japanese language and over ¥1 million yen (US$8,800) on related expenses in his preparation for a Master’s Degree. Therefore, he is intensely disappointed to see there is still no precise schedule in the announcement for students who received their COE after March this year.

In addition, he fears that the entry ban will once again be implemented during the winter, similar to what occurred last year. “If that happens, all my efforts and waiting this year will be in vain,” he said.

A significant number of international students have already been forced to forfeit opportunities to study in Japan, and the new red tape promises to trip up the plans of many others. No one foresaw that the Japanese government would require yet another layer of paperwork before they could get into the country.

For breaking news, follow on Twitter @ShingetsuNews