Japan to let in foreign workers and students starting this month
Schools and companies will be expected to supervise travelers coming in under their sponsorship, and visitors will be asked to self-isolate after entering the country.
The looser restrictions on business travelers will apply to both short-term business trips and long-term relocation. The government will prioritize researchers and engineers, as well as workers who provide a "public benefit."
Japan had previously begun allowing a handful of government-sponsored foreign students into the country. This broader reopening will give priority to students who cannot graduate without in-person classes in Japan.
Cutting quarantine periods to three days or less from seven days is under consideration. To qualify, travelers, both Japanese and foreign nationals, will have to have received a vaccine booster and have been tested for COVID-19. The government plans to simplify the required paperwork and the screening process.
A decision will be made as early as next week based on how coronavirus cases are trending.
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