Japan is making permanent residency far more expensive for foreigners, and the jump is hard to miss.
The fee has risen 20-fold to 200,000 yen ($1,270), while applicants also face tougher financial, pension and language requirements.
The changes have already created a scramble.
Long queues formed at immigration offices as applicants rushed to beat the deadline, with Tokyo’s main bureau reporting waits of more than seven hours.
But why tighten the rules now? Japan’s foreign population reached a record 4.12 million at the end of 2025.
The ageing country increasingly depends on overseas workers to fill labour shortages.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has made immigration management a priority.
Some Japanese people may feel “concern or unfairness” as the foreign population grows.
Higher Residency Bar
From October, residency extension fees will range from 10,000 to 75,000 yen depending on the requested stay.
Permanent residency applicants must also earn at least the national average household income of 5.75 million yen.
Tokyo resident Micaiah Michaela-Spence, who has lived in Japan for a decade, questions the approach.
“We’re being asked to make more than the average Japanese person, pay a significantly higher fee,” he told the BBC.
From April, basic Japanese proficiency and stricter pension requirements will also apply.
For foreigners hoping to build a long-term life in Japan, the question is becoming simple: how high should the bar go?
