KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 30 — The Japanese government will introduce a new requirement for pre-travel authorisation on Malaysians and 70 other nationalities who currently enjoy visa-free travel to the country.

According to Japan Today, the new system tentatively called JESTA (Japan Electronic System for Travel Authorisation) will be modelled after a similar system used in the US to screen would-be visitors through an online application process.

The purpose of JESTA is to reduce the number of illegal immigrants from visa-exempt countries who overstay their permitted time in Japan. Currently, the period of stay for tourists from these countries ranges from 14 to 90 days, depending on the passport.

Under the current system, international airlines provide passenger information to the Japanese government for screening only after departure. This often results in travellers who fail the screening still arriving in Japan, where they are then officially ordered to leave, though many do not comply.

The government reports that a significant number of visitors abuse the current visa exemption system. Of the 49,801 illegal short-term visitors recorded in January 2016, over 28,000 were from visa-exempt countries and regions.

JESTA will require visa-exempt travellers to declare their entry purpose and place of stay online for pre-screening by the Immigration Services Agency. If flagged as a risk for illegal stay, the traveler will be denied authorization and encouraged to apply for a formal visa.

A trial system will also be launched soon, where passenger information will be screened against a blacklist after boarding but before takeoff.

More details on the application process and requirements will be released closer to the launch date.

https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2024/08/30/japan-to-impose-quasi-visa-on-malaysians-as-part-of-illegal-immigration-curbs/148713