Japan Slashes Permanent Residency Opportunities with Staggering Fee Hike

Japan has introduced significant changes to its immigration policies, including a substantial increase in the fee for foreigners applying for permanent residency. The new fee of 200,000 yen is 20 times higher than the previous rate of 10,000 yen and took effect on October 1st.

The change is part of a broader overhaul of Japan's immigration policy under Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, who has made managing the country's growing foreign population a key priority. The number of foreign residents in Japan has exceeded 4.12 million, a record 9.5% increase from the previous year.

Applicants for permanent residency must now demonstrate a stable income at or above the Japanese average, which is around 5.75 million yen as of 2024. New requirements also include basic Japanese language proficiency and expected pension benefits equivalent to those of someone who has been enrolled in the employee pension system for 30 years.