The government of Sanae Takaichi is facing pressure from its ruling partners, the Japan Innovation Party and the Japan Conservative Party, as it pushes forward with a series of the strictest immigration policy reforms since the 1950s. Among the reforms is a comprehensive tightening of the standards for permanent residency (PR) applications.
According to a report in the Nikkei on Saturday (April 4), the income guidelines for PR applications are expected to be significantly increased from the current 3 million yen (approximately $18,800) and the specific amount is expected to be finalized within the 2026 fiscal year.
In addition to raising the income threshold, the Takaichi government is considering raising the visa tenure threshold. Starting from April 1, 2027, PR applicants must hold a “five-year” long-term visa, ending the current system where applicants with a three-year visa can apply through a “flexible process.”
Furthermore, there is consideration for introducing new criteria such as “Japanese language proficiency.” The specific proficiency requirements, such as achieving JLPT N3 or higher, are expected to be finalized by April 2027 to ensure that permanent residents can integrate into the local community.
The new regulations grant the government the authority to revoke PR status. If PR holders intentionally fail to pay taxes or social insurance, the government will have the right to revoke their permanent residency.
Currently, Japan has 940,000 people holding PR status, accounting for 20% of all foreign residents. Their residency is unlimited, with no restrictions on employment. Generally, individuals who have lived in Japan for 10 years or more are eligible to apply for PR.
In January this year, the Japan Innovation Party submitted a proposal to Takaichi, requesting the formulation of a “population strategy” to set a cap on the proportion of foreigners in the total population, proposing a cautionary line of 10%. More radical political parties suggest limiting the proportion of foreigners at the local level to below 5%.
In a policy proposal in 2025, the Japan Innovation Party warned that “if the proportion of foreigners exceeds 10%, various social issues will arise in local communities.”
Before tightening the PR requirements, the naturalization criteria have already been aligned: from the original 5 years specified by law, the actual screening process has been extended to 10 years to be consistent with PR standards.
Additionally, the required tax documents submitted during the application process have been increased from 1 year to 5 years.
Following the United States’ EB-5 model of offering permanent residency through a $1 million investment, Japan also aims to attract wealthy individuals who can contribute significant tax revenue or expertise.
The Takaichi government significantly raised the threshold for “business management” visa investments last October. Previously, the investment amount required was 5 million yen, which has now increased to 30 million yen, with the aim of selecting entrepreneurs who truly possess economic strength.
To ensure that foreign students primarily focus on studying rather than using it as a means for work migration, the government plans to reduce the maximum weekly work hours from 28 to 20 starting in the 2026 fiscal year.
Simultaneously, visa fees are set to increase significantly for the first time since 1978. The Cabinet approved a bill in March to raise the single-entry visa fee from 3,000 yen to 15,000 yen, a fivefold increase.
As of the end of December 2025, the number of Chinese residents in Japan reached 930,428 people, representing a 6.5% increase from the previous year and accounting for 22.6% of the total foreign residents, making them still the largest foreign community in Japan.