Japan has tightened permanent residency requirements for foreign nationals, raising application fees by 20 times and adding new tests for income and Japanese language ability as Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi pushes to strengthen immigration controls.

The changes, which will be introduced in stages, require applicants seeking to live in the country permanently to demonstrate that their annual income is above the national average. They will also need to show they can hold casual conversations in Japanese.

Higher Fees for long-term Status

Application fees for permanent residency will increase from Thursday to 200,000 yen (US$1,275), up from 10,000 yen. The Ministry of Justice said the fee rises will take effect immediately alongside the start of the new process, and people queued at one immigration office in central Tokyo visited by AFP in an effort to complete procedures before the price increase.

At the same time, the previous guidelines did not specify set thresholds for income, pension levels or language proficiency.

New Checks on Social Rules and Pensions

Under the new rules, candidates must also show “understanding” of Japan’s social rules. They will have to demonstrate expected pension benefits equivalent to those of a person who has paid into the pension insurance system for 30 years.

Chono, a 22-year-old university student who has lived in Japan for a decade, said he waited for more than five hours to submit his paperwork ahead of the fee change. He said he understood the concern that taking in too many foreigners could harm Japan’s culture, but argued that the country also needs immigrants to help address demographic pressures.

Immigration Debate Intensifies

Opposition to immigration has grown in Japan despite the country’s ageing population and labour shortages. Takaichi has framed the policy as a way to achieve “orderly coexistence” with foreign residents.

She said in a post on X on Sunday that as the number of foreign residents increases, the government faces anxiety and a sense of unfairness among some people. Her remarks reflected concerns that public programmes aimed at attracting international workers have contributed to unease.

Anti-immigration sentiment has spread online, with false claims circulating, including allegations that a significant portion of welfare payments in Japan go to foreigners and that foreigners make Japanese streets less safe. Experts and many business leaders have warned, however, that Japan needs more foreign workers to sustain its economy.

The Nikkei business daily said in a recent editorial that Japan should welcome more long-term settlement rather than treating foreign residents solely as temporary labour. It called for expanding Japanese-language education and improving how foreign workers are treated.

Wider Crackdown on Visas

The tightening of permanent residency rules follows other government efforts to restrict certain pathways for foreign nationals. Last year, the ruling Liberal Democratic Party pushed to tighten regulations for business manager visas, meaning entrepreneurs could have to leave Japan if they failed to meet the updated conditions.

Foreign residents often seek permanent residency to secure long-term stability and freedom of employment. Those without it can face barriers such as difficulty obtaining mortgages.

Still, the government said the changes may prevent some people from applying but should not immediately force anyone already in Japan to leave. In the debate over immigration, Chono said momentum for promoting cultural diversity had stalled and that it might not fully return.

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1 October 2026

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13 hours ago, webfact said:

Still, the government said the changes may prevent some people from applying but should not immediately force anyone already in Japan to leave. In the debate over immigration, Chono said momentum for promoting cultural diversity had stalled and that it might not fully return.

You only have to look at the UK to see what a massive failure multiculturalism has been. I suspect many countries are looking over there and vowing not to repeat the mistakes. It will only get worse.

Therefore, Japan is right to protect its culture and history. Of course, immigrants are welcome in limited numbers if they meet very tight criteria, are law abiding, and integrate to local customs and norms. If they cannot do that, remove them.

Well done Japan, I look forward to visiting again without the likes of Johnny Somali embarrassing the West.

12 minutes ago, JonnyF said:

You only have to look at the UK to see what a massive failure multiculturalism has been. I suspect many countries are looking over there and vowing not to repeat the mistakes. It will only get worse.

Therefore, Japan is right to protect its culture and history. Of course, immigrants are welcome in limited numbers if they meet very tight criteria, are law abiding, and integrate to local customs and norms. If they cannot do that, remove them.

Well done Japan, I look forward to visiting again without the likes of Johnny Somali embarrassing the West.

Wow...........you can really see how those pesky small boat people are totally disrupting the UK.

STOP THE BOATS

They're trying to keep out the Vloggers who are buying up cheap rural homes in Japan and bragging about it online which is probably embarrassing for the Japanese locals who live in these rural areas that can't afford to move to Tokyo. 😄

18 minutes ago, Will B Good said:

Wow...........you can really see how those pesky small boat people are totally disrupting the UK.

STOP THE BOATS

Legal immigration is also a massive problem as the graph shows.

Those numbers are completely unsustainable in terms of housing, employment, education, healthcare etc.

That's before you even get to cultural eradication, societal issues, crime etc.

It keeps the globalists and multinational corporations happy though. Who cares about the quality of life for the population when you have low wages and unlimited labour to increase profits. Good to see you're on the right side of history again... 😄

Japan has it right. Be like Japan.

Fun fact. The Japanese flag is actually a pie chart showing how many Japanese want Japan to remain Japanese (red slice) compared to how many want liberal "Diversity" (blue slice).

You're welcome.

2 minutes ago, JonnyF said:

Legal immigration is also a massive problem as the graph shows.

Those numbers are completely unsustainable in terms of housing, employment, education, healthcare etc.

That's before you even get to cultural eradication, societal issues, crime etc.

It keeps the globalists and multinational corporations happy though. Who cares about the quality of life for the population when you have low wages and unlimited labour to increase profits. Good to see you're on the right side of history again... 😄

Japan has it right. Be like Japan.

Fun fact. The Japanese flag is actually a pie chart showing how many Japanese want Japan to remain Japanese (red slice) compared to how many want liberal "Diversity" (blue slice).

You're welcome.

A massive problem.....or a massive solution?

What might the impact be of no legal migration looking at this chart.............

5 minutes ago, Will B Good said:

A massive problem.....or a massive solution?

What might the impact be of no legal migration looking at this chart.............

Let's see. 100,000 applications, and the UK has 1.778 million currently unemployed. I think this one might be solvable...

One assumes your solution to an overflowing bath is to turn on the other tap?

Just now, JonnyF said:

Let's see. 100,000 applications, and the UK has 1.778 million currently unemployed. I think this one might be solvable...

One assumes your solution to an overflowing bath is to turn on the other tap?

Well, we all know what assume spells.....but accepting your point ...................why are successive governments, both of which could turn the tap off in an instant, allowing and even encouraging this inward migration?

CBA to stop it? They get backhanders? They don't know what else to do?..........or is it because, like it or not, it is essential for the economy we have these people..........maybe guys cosplaying in black dress, with face masks setting fire to hotels with Pakistani cricketers can't code, don't have nursing qualifications................

48 minutes ago, Will B Good said:

Well, we all know what assume spells.....but accepting your point ...................why are successive governments, both of which could turn the tap off in an instant, allowing and even encouraging this inward migration?

CBA to stop it? They get backhanders? They don't know what else to do?..........or is it because, like it or not, it is essential for the economy we have these people..........maybe guys cosplaying in black dress, with face masks setting fire to hotels with Pakistani cricketers can't code, don't have nursing qualifications................

Of course, in the short term there may be certain fields where we need highly skilled immigrants. That's why you have a points based system that allows very limited, managed numbers of immigrants to fill specific areas where there is a shortage.

Long term, you train your own people in those fields.

The current system of simply allowing "numbers" to come flooding in and claiming it works because GDP rises is basically a Ponzi scheme. Will these people never need pensions of their own? Will they never claim benefits or use services? It's a house of cards that will come crashing down.

Just now, JonnyF said:

Of course, in the short term there may be certain fields where we need highly skilled immigrants. That's why you have a points based system that allows very limited, managed numbers of immigrants to fill specific areas where there is a shortage.

Long term, you train your own people in those fields.

The current system of simply allowing "numbers" to come flooding in and claiming it works because GDP rises is basically a Ponzi scheme. Will these people never need pensions of their own? Will they never claim benefits or use services? It's a house of cards that will come crashing down.

Always looking on the bright side.......oh.....and then there's the gift that keeps giving..........

• The Post-Brexit Shift: Ending free movement cut off the supply of readily available European labor for sectors like agriculture, hospitality, and logistics. When employers couldn't attract domestic workers they lobbied the government for international visa routes instead.

Edited 45 minutes ago45 min by Will B Good

1 hour ago, Will B Good said:

A massive problem.....or a massive solution?

What might the impact be of no legal migration looking at this chart.............

How does temporary/seasonal get to be classed as a key sector?

Many of these "applications" may be accompanied by hope rather than qualification.

An how come so many qualified Britons can't get jobs with the NHS?

NHS recruitment crisis leaves graduates wondering if they...

Dozens of midwifery, physiotherapy and nursing students contact BBC over fears they won't get jobs.

Edited 34 minutes ago34 min by nauseus

2 minutes ago, nauseus said:

Many of these "applications" may be accompanied by hope rather than qualification.

An how come so many qualified Britons can't get jobs with the NHS?

NHS recruitment crisis leaves graduates wondering if they...

Dozens of midwifery, physiotherapy and nursing students contact BBC over fears they won't get jobs.

I doubt they arrive in the hope of getting a job.....as far as I can recall they have to have a sponsor and a job waiting for them.

Regarding the qualified Brits......they have little difficulty getting employment in shortage areas......the problems lies with unqualified Brits...i.e. graduates might be qualified to get a training place, but NHS managers (as an example) don't want a trainee, they want a qualified doctor to solve their immediate problems.

15 minutes ago, Will B Good said:

I doubt they arrive in the hope of getting a job.....as far as I can recall they have to have a sponsor and a job waiting for them.

Regarding the qualified Brits......they have little difficulty getting employment in shortage areas......the problems lies with unqualified Brits...i.e. graduates might be qualified to get a training place, but NHS managers (as an example) don't want a trainee, they want a qualified doctor to solve their immediate problems.

That ignores the story in the link.

Why is the NHS funding students in certain specializations if they only want doctors?

It seems that NHS management are continuing with their history of costly incompetence.