Giang

19, Vietnam

What is your education level?

High School

What is your current (or most recent) job?

Unemployed

When did you apply to come to Japan originally?

April 2020

Why does studying in Japan mean so much to you?

It’s been my dream and desire for many years. I have been carefully preparing for learning Japanese, studying the language, and trying to gain more experience and skills. Japan is the country I have been longing for to make my dream come true. I hope that the Japanese government will create good conditions for me. Please let me study and gain experience in this beautiful country.

When did you apply to come to Japan originally?

As a Vietnamese, I am proud of my country because it has very good disease prevention methods. I have learned how to prevent and protect myself from infectious diseases. When I go to Japan to study, I promise to quarantine myself according to Japanese regulations, enroll into the national health insurance scheme, and comply with all conditions set by the school or the Japanese government. I will serve and dedicate myself to the Japanese people if there is a job that will have a positive impact on Japanese society.

What will it mean to you if there is another delay for students to be able to come to Japan?

While I am waiting for the Japanese government to issue my visa, my job has become unstable and has a great impact on my current life as I have to change all my plans depending on the government’s decision. If this continues, I will have to give up my ambitions and dreams to study in Japan. I hope that the Japanese government will soon make the conditions right for me to study in Japan.

To Government Officials

The international students are young people who have been preparing to study in Japan for a long time, and many of them have already been granted student visas and are waiting for the borders to open.

Many other countries are accepting foreign students or making efforts to accept them with precautions in place while people wanting to study in Japan are still stuck in limbo.

With the suspension of new arrivals for almost a whole year, since April 2020, with a brief exception for October through December, the plight of overseas students is increasing. Without a timeline being announced as to when they will be able to come to Japan, they are stuck in their home countries waiting for news and their lives remain on hold. We hope you will take a look at the students stories, understand the difficulties they are facing and announce when they will be able to enter Japan again.

To the Japanese Media

Due to the spread of the novel coronavirus, an entry ban has been put in place, affecting all foreing student-visa holders for most of 2020 and 2021. However, the immigrations bureau continues accepting student visa applications and issuing Certificates of Eligibility without any indication of when students will actually be able to enter the country. To try and understand the reality of this long-lasting situation for students, we conducted a questionnaire among international students overseas who are waiting to enter Japan. The responses we have received clearly show the stress students are suffering as a result of the uncertainty about when they will be able to enter Japan and start their studies. Many other countries are accepting international students and students are forced to give up on their dream to study in Japan and switch to other countries like China or Korea instead or cancel altogether. Having these insights made us feel the need to convey the difficulty international students are facing to the Japanese society and government. We hope you will take a look at what the students have to say and share their stories to raise awareness of their plight.