Q Shoe Guy

From my quick looksie you can also apply at the Tokyo Immigration Bureau......You will need a special form, plus your passport, and visa information (I assume your gaijin card too,but this is not explicitly written). I certainly don't see any time saving on the way out, perhaps on the way in though (but this is only in NRT.......) You still have to give your prints and photo each time, the immigration booth is still manned (as opposed to the Canadian system), as are the greenline customs booths which they stop all to have a chat!

jib71

Yes - you can register for this scheme in Terminal 1 or Terminal 2 of Narita Airport when you go through immigration to leave the country. (Also at the Tokyo immigration prison in the docklands).

The initial description of the service makes it sound unhelpful:

(1) On arrival
Advance to a position directly in front of the immigration officer. Place your passport in the reader. After it is confirmed that you are the registered person, you will provide your fingerprints and face photo. Then give your ED Card and passport to the immigration officer and after he checks, the gate will open and this concludes the procedure for arrivals inspection.

If this is correct, I'll give this service a pass...

Q Shoe Guy

Well that is what I thought I read too, but what is the point of the card if they are going to get your prints/mugshot anyway? I guess you get a special line, and that is all.......

hamburgler

Interesting, of course the version for Japanese folks seems to be more straightforward, without any immigration officer at all. Still, since I'm leaving on 11/21, I think I'll try it then and see how it works. OTOH, I do like getting all the Narita stamps now...

kcvt750

It might actually be worth it if most people feel this way & the queue is resultantly shorter.

mjm

Just came back through and have confirmed that Japanese nationals are welcome to hang out through immigration in the plebian line with their loved ones/ family members. Vice Versa is no go.

And that machine for photos and prints is a doozy. Looks a bit like something out of a science fiction flick.

Going to miss the under 2 minute drill like today.

Mike

Marq

I always come into Terminal 1 and have never taken more than a minute or two to get through immigration. Is this really going to make that much of a difference? I have always been up front (or close to the front) flying into Narita and have been towards the front of the crowd. Since planes in Terminal 1 seem to be better spaced than Terminal 2, shouldn't the overlap of pax going through immigration still be minimal?

I guess I will see for myself 10 Dec.

Marc

Unimatrix One

This is ridiculous. Even the US lets my Japanese wife go through the US citizens line with me. They have fingerprint readers and cameras at all stations, so they can take her prints and photo even when she goes through the US line. There is no reason why Japan can't do the same, or why they can't continue to let re-entry permit holders go through the Japanese line.

I can't believe Japan will now treat visitors even worse than the US! (And with policies that do nothing to enhance security.) What is this, a race to the bottom?

Unimatrix One

The linked file says that foreigners have to get fingerprinted even at departure!?? So we have to go through this madness not only upon entry but also when we leave Japan??

Q Shoe Guy

Nice huh............

valve bouncer

If you refuse to give them your prints on departure they kick you out of the country..........

Q Shoe Guy

Don't forget to give them the gaijin card when you are forced to leave...........!

hamburgler

Just received this from ACCJ. Looks like, at least temporarily, families with one Japanese+one foreign parent can use the JP line at immigration.

The following is a recap of measures that will be introduced to ensure
that the new procedures are implemented as smoothly as possible:

Narita International Airport - Tokyo:
- Add 100 immigration officers during the transition period
- Provide dedicated queues for foreigners with re-entry permits
- Provide dedicated queues for airline crew members and disabled/
reduced mobility passengers
- Offer automated immigration gates in Terminal 1 South Wing and
Terminal 2 for pre-registered travelers. Registration is available at
the Tokyo Regional Immigration Bureau or the Narita District Office
- Install cameras/fingerprint readers at all positions and dynamically
expand number of queues available to foreigners
- At least initially, allow mixed nationality families with children
under the age of 16 and one Japanese parent to use the Japanese
passport holder lanes

Central Japan International Airport - Nagoya:
- Add 18 immigration officers during the transition period
- Provide a dedicated queue for airline crew members and disabled/
reduced mobility passengers
- Install cameras/fingerprint readers at all positions and dynamically
expand number of queues available to foreigners
- At least initially allow mixed nationality families (at least one
Japanese parent) to use Japanese passport holder lanes
- Consider installing automated immigration gates during 2008

Kansai International Airport - Osaka:
- Add immigrations officers (number under study) during transition period
- Provide a dedicated queue for airline crew members and disabled/
reduced mobility passengers
- Install cameras/fingerprint readers at all positions and dynamically
expand number of queues available to foreigners
- Consider installing automated immigration gates during 2008
Note: the Kansai region is home to a large number of Korean special
permanent residents who will use the Japanese passport holders lanes
and are not subject to biometric data collection

Other airports:
The U.S. carriers have met with the local immigrations authorities and
believe that because a high percentage of passengers using these
secondary airports, foreign citizens will encounter few problems.

RichardInSF

So it looks like of the big 3, KIX will be the least prepared and no thought at all has been given to Haneda, which has a number of international flights, although apparently that doesn't matter since no U.S. carriers are involved!

Adding 100 extra officers to Narita has the following effect: in each direction, I think (not sure) there are 2 places to go through in terminal 1 and 2 places in terminal 2. So that is 8 places where a passenger can interact with immigration. It takes 4 shifts, 5 if you have holiday time and vacation time, to cover 24/7, so doing the math, that means at most 3 extra positions open, on average, at each location if they have forced overtime for immigration staff.

With the additional time required, apparently on both entry and exit, this small an addition is, of course, a recipe for disaster, espcially with tired officers forced to do overtime.

Also, where are they going to get these extra immigration inspectors? Will they pull them off visa processing? What happens when they decide they no longer need the extra staff?

Whatever the mess is like, I will be experiencing it in 2 weeks. My condolences to those who have to experience it before I do.

Q Shoe Guy

When have "koumuin" ever done overtime?