Japan raises the bar on residency. Cue the outrage.

A job placement company in Hanoi conducts a Japanese class in October 2022 for job seekers hoping to find employment in Japan. | Bloomberg

Sep 21, 2026

From the U.S. green card to the U.K.’s “indefinite leave to remain,” permanent residency in a country that’s not your own can be a prickly issue. Japan is now getting choosier about who gets to stay for good.

Under Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, the country has tightened various rules around immigration, including higher renewal fees for visas and stricter enforcement of overstayers. The latest proposal is to raise the bar on permanent residency, adding requirements for minimum salary and Japanese language ability.

Critics, and some residents, are up in arms at the suggested changes. The Asahi Daily deemed them “a revision that will doom the dreams and enthusiasm of foreigners.” Some liken the moves to anti-immigration crackdowns taken by the Trump administration and other right-wing governments. “Japan should not shut the door on permanent residents,” said the Mainichi.

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