A joint visa information seminar organized by OMPEA and Suriya was successfully held on December 27, 2025, at the Chiba City Culture Center (千葉市文化センター). The event was designed to share practical knowledge and up-to-date information on Japanese visas and residency status for young people from Myanmar who are living and working in Japan.
The two-hour program opened with the reading of the agenda and a formal opening session. This was followed by an introduction to OMPEA by its President, Ko Kyi Thu Shein, and an overview of Suriya presented by Ko Aung Myint Thu Kyaw.
The core of the event was a panel discussion held in two sessions, lasting approximately 50 minutes in total. The panelists included Ko Kyi Thu Shein, Ma Su Myanmar, Ko Aung Myint Thu Kyaw, and Ko Min Khant Lin, with the second session also featuring Mr. Ishikawa Masayuki, a Japanese immigration and visa lawyer. During the discussion, panelists shared their personal visa experiences, the types of visas they had previously obtained, and practical insights drawn from their own journeys.
The discussion also covered the Specified Skilled Worker (Tokutei Ginō / 特定技能) visa in depth, including its categories, advantages and disadvantages, considerations on whether it should be pursued, and potential risks of misuse or abuse. In addition, possible changes to Japan’s visa policies under the new Prime Minister were analyzed across various visa categories, including student visas, Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services (Gijinkoku), SSW, Tokutei Ginō, permanent residency (PR), citizenship, and dependent visas.
Following the panel discussion, the panelists addressed questions submitted in advance by participants, as well as frequently asked visa-related questions received by Suriya. A free Q&A session then allowed attendees to ask questions directly. The Q&A segment lasted around 30 minutes, during which participants gained many practical and useful recommendations.
In the final segment of the event, Ms. Shu Mu Wa, an OMPEA office representative, explained the procedures and guidelines for becoming an OMPEA member. The event concluded with the presentation of a commemorative gift to the participant who had traveled from the farthest location, presented by OMPEA President Ko Kyi Thu Hein, followed by group photographs with all attendees to mark the occasion.
