BI releases guidelines on Philippine Nikkei-Jin

The Bureau of Immigration (BI) on Friday announced the release of its guidelines for Japanese nationals who emigrated from Japan and their descendants, also known as Nikkei-Jin.

“The BI recognizes the needs of Filipinos who have the status of Nikkei-Jin under the Japanese law. They are Filipinos who are likewise descendants of Japanese nationals," Immigration Commissioner Norman Tansingco said in a statement.

"Hence we see the importance of crafting specific guidelines in processing their immigration documents,” he added.

According to the BI, a Philippine Nikkei-Jin may depart the country with or without a Philippine passport.

The Bureau, however, said that a Philippine Nikkei-Jin who departs the country without a Philippine passport “loses the presumption of being a Filipino for purposes of traveling outside the Philippines.”

"In such cases, a Philippine Nikkei-Jin may travel abroad to and from Japan with a Japanese passport or travel document and a BI order recognizing him as Nikkei-Jin," it said.

The BI said the order would also allow the Nikkei-Jin to depart from the country with a deferment of payment of immigration fees.

Meanwhile, the agency said a Philippine Nikkei-Jin who will arrive in the Philippines without a passport must also present a BI order that recognizes him as a Nikkei-Jin.

Otherwise, it said, rules for foreign nationals will apply to the Philippine Nikkei-Jin.

“If however, the Philippine Nikkei-Jin has already renounced his Philippine citizenship, then he will be treated as a foreign national, subject to rules regulating aliens in the Philippines,” Tansingco said. —VAL, GMA Integrated News