Story perspectives

Japan Raises Permanent Residency Fee to ¥200,000

By Drooid · Oct 1, 2026, 3:03 PM UTC · How we work

Summary

Japan Raises Residency Fee

Japan raises permanent residency fee from ¥10,000 to ¥200,000, effective October 1 2026.
Applicants must earn at least ¥5.75 million yearly income and pass a basic Japanese test from April 2027.
Tokyo immigration bureau reports wait times over seven hours as queues lengthen.
Some foreign residents submitted applications before September 30 to avoid the higher fee.
Applicants facing hardship or refugees may qualify for reduced fees as low as ¥20,000.

Summary

Japan Tightens Worker Rules

Government announced tighter eligibility checks for business managers, intra-company transferees, and certain skilled workers.
Government foresees a severe labor shortage over the next decade, increasing reliance on foreign workers.
Agriculture, construction, and healthcare sectors have become structurally dependent on foreign trainees and skilled migrants.
New fee schedule was benchmarked against immigration charges in comparable OECD countries.
Additional fee revenue will fund expanded refugee protection and assistance programs.

History

Historical Context

In 1993 Japan launched the Technical Intern Training Program (TITP), a policy designed to supply foreign labor to under-staffed industries. The Ministry of Justice recorded 10,000 trainees in 1993, rising to 300,000 by 2020 and yielding ¥1.2 billion in annual fees. Today Tokyo’s immigration bureau mirrors that approach by raising permanent-residency fees from ¥10,000 to ¥200,000 and tightening eligibility for skilled workers. The precedent suggests Japan will deepen reliance on foreign labor while funding refugee programs with UNHCR, reshaping its demographic and economic trajectory.

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Japan Raises Residency Fee

Japan raises permanent residency fee from ¥10,000 to ¥200,000, effective October 1 2026.
Applicants must earn at least ¥5.75 million yearly income and pass a basic Japanese test from April 2027.
Tokyo immigration bureau reports wait times over seven hours as queues lengthen.
Some foreign residents submitted applications before September 30 to avoid the higher fee.
Applicants facing hardship or refugees may qualify for reduced fees as low as ¥20,000.

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