Reject Invasion Of Ukraine, These Two Russian Women Get Long-Term Visa From Japan

Japanese visa illustration. (Wikimedia Commons/Paul Davidson)

JAKARTA - Japan granted long-term visas as special exceptions for two Russian women after they chose to leave their country for opposing an invasion of Ukraine, according to sources familiar with this.

The two women in their 20s were allowed to change their short-term stay status to a student visa without having to return to their home countries as usually required, in a rare agreement made taking political views into account.

These two friends from eastern Siberia have an interest in Japanese culture, deciding to go to Sakura Country last September after Russia ordered partial military mobilization, fearing they would be involved to provide logistical support.

They arrived in Japan in November after obtaining a short-term visa for 90 days. The two then extended their visa, looking for opportunities to stay in the long term.

After coming to Japan, the two women claimed returning to Russia would jeopardize their safety, having garnered support for Ukraine on social media and other channels.

It is known that the anti-war movement is facing a crackdown and free speech in Russia is severely restricted.

The two women, whose population status changes were approved in May, will learn Japanese until March 2025 at a vocational school in Chiba Prefecture, according to supporters.

Japanese immigration law stipulates short-term stay status cannot be changed unless there is an "extraordinary situation". In normal situations, the pair must apply for a new visa on a Japanese diplomatic mission in Russia.

An Immigration Service Agency official said, although no statistics on similar cases were available, the granting of status changes to the two Russian women could be considered a special exception.

"We have never handled a case where (the change in status in the country) was approved because of political views," said Nao Wakamatsu, a representative of the Daiichi Sogo Group, as reported by Kyodo News July 31.

The two women told Kyodo News they thanked their supporters and Japanese immigration authorities for giving them the opportunity to stay in Japan.