Japan’s Sanae Takaichi announces new tightened measures for foreigners seeking permanent residency
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The measures come as the country’s conservative leader Sanae Takaichi looks to deliver on election promises, which were spearheaded by vast immigration reforms, in her historic supermajority election victory in February.
Japan toughened requirements for foreigners wanting to obtain permanent residency on Thursday, 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 will also rise 20-fold from Thursday. At one immigration office in central Tokyo, hundreds of people queued, hoping to wrap up procedures before the price spike.
Japan’s Sanae Takaichi announces new tightened measures for foreigners seeking permanent residency
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The measures come as the country’s conservative leader Sanae Takaichi looks to deliver on election promises, which were spearheaded by vast immigration reforms, in her historic supermajority election victory in February.
Japan toughened requirements for foreigners wanting to obtain permanent residency on Thursday, 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 will also rise 20-fold from Thursday. At one immigration office in central Tokyo, hundreds of people queued, hoping to wrap up procedures before the price spike.
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi holds a press conference after a cabinet reshuffle at the prime minister’s office in Tokyo, Thursday, Sept. 17, 2026
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi holds a press conference after a cabinet reshuffle at the prime minister’s office in Tokyo, Thursday, Sept. 17, 2026 Rie Kikuchi/Pool Photo via AP
“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 US-born university student Yujie Chono, 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 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 labour shortages in many sectors, opposition to immigration is growing, prompting a push by Takaichi for tighter regulations on foreign nationals.
“As the number of foreign residents in Japan increases, the government is facing the fact that some citizens feel anxiety and a sense of unfairness,” Takaichi said in an extended post on X on Sunday, adding that she was pushing for “orderly coexistence” with foreign nationals.
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