So, my home country is classified level 3 for the risk of infectious diseases and apparently, I am not allowed to visit. I am already boosted and the Covid positivity rate in my home country is not any different from other countries classified as level 2 and below. I have not seen my aging parents for 3 years now and I don’t think I can do it for another year.
So my question is, If I decide to go home anyways, what could be the consequences? Do I have any legal reprieve incase things go south?
I have already submitted my notification of overseas travel and now I’m waiting for a possible fight with my supervisor and (or) dean.
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University student here, but I’m an undergrad and it seems like you’re a graduate student. Personally, never tried to go back home during those COVID times, but I know people who did, and some of these also heard from their unis that they needed permission to travel.
I know one person who had issues with immigration and they didn’t want to let him in, and the university was amongst the people who tried helping him by contacting the japanese immigration and telling them he was actually a resident who had a ‘purpose’ to be here. So, I guess they wouldn’t help you in your case.
I also know another student who simply reported this bs to his embassy in Japan, there was some ruckus and the obvious conclusion was that they don’t have any rights nor power to control where you’re going. So in fact, nobody tells their university that they’re leaving Japan
However, since you’re a graduate student, you’re directly linked to a supervisor to do your research, so I don’t know if there’s anything that stops him from ‘breaking up’ with you if he doesn’t want you to return to your country and then find out about it.
Are you an employee or a student?
If they don’t allow you to travel, why submit a notification instead of just travelling and telling them you will be at Hokkaido or wherever to avoid the fight? Doesn’t make sense to me to report to them something that is none of their business while knowing it will backfire at you.
Why not just go over a holiday and not tell them? All these policies are mostly just for show, it’s pandemic theater.
The whole reason why Japan never had actual lockdowns is because of constitutional freedom of movement, so I would guess if it really comes down to it, the uni forbidding you to leave would be unconstitutional?
Just don’t tell them. It’s none of their business in the first place.
Can a uni even do this? I traveled home multiple times during COVID, and never had to tell my uni
Is the policy available online? Seems like this might be a limitation for study abroad? (As in domestic students looking to study abroad?)
Are you a graduate system?(if yes master or phd?) Would you mind if I dm’d you some questions? I’m planning to apply for start next april and was curious about a few things.
I’m not aware of any legal protection if the university did decide to punish or expel you – it seems like they are following the official advice about a legitimate public health interest. Obviously you can’t be physically stopped from leaving, but a constitutional right to free movement doesn’t mean you can’t lose your visa by exercising that right.
Just say you’ve cancelled and will do something else in that time. It’s none of his business. Your supervisor or university shouldn’t be involved in your personal life.
Not a university, but the japanese language school, I was studying at, asked us to inform them if we go home for holidays. One of senpai forgot (or just didn’t want) to do that back in 2017. Then the school rejected to write a recommendation documents needed for entering university or applying for working visa. But I heard that she entered senmon anyway, so probably they found a compromise.
>So my question is, If I decide to go home anyways, what could be the consequences? Do I have any legal reprieve incase things go south?
In general, universities can’t do anything to students. Their prohibition is largely merely advice.
But …
1. As a PhD student, you might be a MEXT scholar. If you’re on MEXT, I think they can obligate you to be here in Japan both to get paid and as a term of the scholarship.
2. Assuming we’re talking MOFA classifications, Japan (the country) might require you to quarantine or may even prohibit your return.
3. If you’re not fulfilling your obligations for your program, then they could do something.
For 3, most universities in Japan depend on a large number of unwritten rules rather than formal regulations, so they’ll probably have a hard time doing anything formally to you.
Go for it. Its none of their business.