Japan tightens permanent residency requirements for foreign nationals

Tokyo (ANTARA) - Japan’s Immigration Services Agency on Thursday revised the guidelines for granting permanent residency to foreign nationals by adding requirements for income above the Japanese household average and specific Japanese language proficiency.

The guidelines, which will come into effect in April 2027, also require applicants to demonstrate Japanese language proficiency at an ‘independent user’ level.

The income requirement will be applied retroactively to applications submitted from April 2026, as part of efforts by immigration authorities to ensure that foreign nationals can live independently in a financial sense.

The average annual Japanese household income reached approximately 5.75 million yen, or about 36,500 US dollars, in 2024.

The administration of Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is seeking to tighten rules regarding the admission of foreign nationals. At the same time, the Japanese government has also significantly increased the fees for applying for residency status.

Furthermore, applicants are required to have projected pension benefits equivalent to those received after participating in an employee pension programme for 30 years, based on the income level at the time of application.

In principle, applicants must have resided in Japan for more than 10 years to qualify for permanent residency. Previously, spouses of Japanese nationals or permanent residents could obtain permanent residency after being married for at least three years and residing in Japan for at least one year.

However, the revised guidelines extend these requirements to five years of marriage and three years of residence in Japan.

The Japan Immigration Services Agency received approximately 5,000 public comments after the draft guidelines were announced in August. Regarding the income requirement, several responses questioned the use of the average figure, as it could be significantly driven up by a small group of high-income individuals. They argued that using median income would provide a more accurate picture of general household conditions.

Permanent residents can reside in Japan indefinitely and without restrictions on activities, while retaining their original citizenship.