Japan raises permanent residency fees for foreign nationals by twenty
Japan has increased permanent residency application fees by 20 times to 200,000 yen while introducing stricter income and language requirements. These measures are part of Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's strategy to manage the country's rapidly growing foreign population.
Why it matters
The policy reflects Japan's struggle to balance its reliance on foreign labor to address an aging population with domestic concerns regarding social change and immigration.
Share Save Add as preferred on Google Kelly Ng and Kurumi Mori , Tokyo correspondent Getty Images The hikes are part of immigration policy changes introduced to manage Japan's growing foreign population Japan has raised fees for foreigners seeking permanent residency in the country by 20 times to 200,000 yen ($1,270; £955).
Those seeking permanent residency must now also meet new income, pension and Japanese-language requirements.
Long lines formed outside immigration offices earlier this week as applicants sought to beat the fee hikes, with Tokyo's main immigration bureau reporting wait times of over seven hours.
The fee increases are part of a series of changes to Japan's immigration policy under Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, which aim to manage its rapidly growing foreign population.
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