Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae speaks during the 81st session of the United Nations (U.N.) General Assembly at U.N. Headquarters on September 22, 2026 in New York City. (Getty Images via AFP)
Japan toughened requirements for foreigners wanting to obtain permanent residency on Oct. 1 as part of Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s push to tighten immigration controls.
Under new rules that will come into effect in stages, foreign residents wishing to stay in Japan permanently will have to prove their annual income is above average and they can carry casual conversations in Japanese.
Application fees also rose 20-fold from Oct. 1 and at one immigration office in central Tokyo visited by AFP this week hundreds of people queued, hoping to wrap up procedures before the price spike.
“I understand that over-accepting foreigners might dilute Japan’s unique culture. But at the same time, given its low birth rate and aging population, Japan has to accept foreigners,” said American-born university student Yujie Chono, who was among those waiting.
The 22-year-old told AFP, in fluent Japanese, that he had been waiting for five hours to file his paperwork.
Previous guidelines did not lay out specific thresholds for income, pension or language skills.
Even though Japan has a rapidly ageing population and is suffering labor shortages in many sectors, opposition to immigration is growing, prompting a push by Takaichi for tighter regulations on foreign nationals.
Programs to attract international workers have fueled public worry.
Anti-immigration sentiment has spread across social media and false claims have circulated widely, including that a significant portion of welfare payments in Japan go to foreigners and that they are making Japanese streets less safe.
