Japan Tightens Rules for Foreign Residents Seeking Permanent Status
Japan has introduced stricter requirements for foreign nationals seeking permanent residency, requiring applicants to earn above the national average income and demonstrate basic conversational ability in Japanese. Application fees increased twentyfold from Thursday, creating long queues at immigration offices as people rushed to submit applications before the new prices took effect.
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Japan introduced stricter requirements on Thursday for foreign nationals seeking permanent residency, according to AFP. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has made this change as part of a broader effort to tighten immigration controls. Under the new rules, which will be introduced gradually, applicants must demonstrate an annual income above the national average and show basic conversational ability in Japanese. These specific thresholds did not exist in the previous system.
Application fees rose twentyfold from Thursday, causing long queues at immigration offices as applicants rushed to file their paperwork before the increase took effect. Takaichi stated on social media that the government was responding to public anxiety about rising numbers of foreign residents, while emphasizing the goal of orderly coexistence. These changes are happening despite Japan facing an ageing population and labour shortages, which have encouraged the recruitment of foreign workers. However, anti-immigration sentiment has increased on social media, including unverified claims about foreign residents and welfare spending.
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