Sanae Takaichi in Japan announces new strengthened measures for foreigners seeking permanent residence
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Japan on Thursday tightened requirements for foreigners seeking permanent residency, part of Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s efforts to tighten immigration controls.
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Under new rules that will come into effect in stages, foreign residents wishing to stay in Japan permanently will have to prove that their annual income is above average and that they can have informal conversations in Japanese.
The application fees will also be multiplied by 20 from Thursday. At an immigration office in central Tokyo, hundreds of people queued, hoping to complete procedures before prices soar.
“I understand that accepting too many foreigners could dilute Japan’s unique culture. But at the same time, given its low birth rate and aging population, Japan needs to accept foreigners,” said Yujie Chono, a U.S.-born university student who was among those waiting.
The 22-year-old told the AFP news agency, in fluent Japanese, that he had been waiting for five hours to complete his paperwork. Previous guidelines did not set specific thresholds for income, pension or language skills.
Even though Japan has a rapidly aging population and labor shortages in many sectors, opposition to immigration is growing, prompting Takaichi to push for stricter regulations on foreign nationals.
“As the number of foreign residents in Japan increases, the government is faced with the fact that some citizens feel anxiety and a sense of injustice,” Takaichi said in an extended post on X on Sunday, adding that she was pushing for “orderly coexistence” with foreign nationals.
Programs aimed at attracting international workers fueled public concern, anti-immigration sentiment spread on social media and false claims widely circulated, including that a significant share of Japan’s welfare payments went to foreigners and that they made Japanese streets less safe.
Experts and many business leaders warn, however, that Japan must welcome more foreign workers to survive.
“Japan should stop treating foreigners as mere temporary labor and instead promote their long-term settlement by expanding Japanese language teaching and improving their treatment,” the Nikkei business daily said recently in an editorial.
Foreigners were a major issue in last year’s upper house elections, which saw the strong rise of Sanseito’s “Japanese First” party, which describes immigration as a “silent invasion.”
The new permanent residency rules come after the ruling Liberal Democratic Party last year pushed to tighten regulations on business visas, meaning entrepreneurs will be forced to leave Japan if they do not meet the new requirements.
Thursday’s changes could prevent some people from applying for permanent residency, but should not immediately push anyone to leave the country.
According to the regulations, the permanent residence application fee will amount to 200,000 yen (€1,116), compared to 10,000 yen (€56) currently.
Applicants must also demonstrate “understanding” of social rules and demonstrate expected retirement benefits equivalent to those of someone who has paid into retirement insurance for 30 years.
Additional sources • AFP, AP
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