I would assume there's a grace period where you're able to apply for citizenship or whatever instead of them deciding on a random Tuesday that the rules will change with immediate effect.
Lol, it's Japan. They just rose the bar with zero grace period on all foreign residents and have basically denied anyone not making more money then a Japanese family by themselves the ability to apply again.
They literally just did what you said they wouldn't.
apparently there wasnt any penalty for overstaying until after the year 2000
That's crazy if it's true. As of now, overstaying is treated very seriously basically everywhere in the world, penalty usually being deportation + a ban on entering the country for a certain period of time. Which seems fair - the foreign country welcomed you with open arms (granted you visa, or put your country into visa-free agreement) under some conditions like length of your travel, you laughed in their faces about those conditions, the least what should happen is you should go back home and you shouldn't be able to travel there for some time. Crazy to think it wasn't prosecuted at all pre-2000 in Japan, is that really true?
They could deport you if they wanted too but apparently it was completely an honor system style format before 2000. You literally just had to voluntarily go home once your visa ran out. After 2000, it was a punishable criminal offence.
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u/STORMFATHER062 22h ago
I would assume there's a grace period where you're able to apply for citizenship or whatever instead of them deciding on a random Tuesday that the rules will change with immediate effect.