Japan tightens rules for foreigners wanting permanent residency

TOKYO: Japan toughened on Thursday (Oct 1) requirements for foreigners wanting to obtain permanent residency, as part of Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's push to tighten immigration controls.

Under new rules that will come into effect in stages, foreign residents wishing to stay in Japan permanently will have to prove their annual income is above average and that they can carry casual conversations in Japanese.

Application fees will also rise 20-fold from Thursday, and at one immigration office in central Tokyo visited by AFP this week, hundreds of people queued, hoping to wrap up procedures before the price spike.

"I understand that over-accepting foreigners ... might dilute Japan's unique culture. But at the same time, given its low birth rate and ageing population, Japan has to accept foreigners," said American-born university student Yujie Chono, who was among those waiting.

The 22-year-old told AFP, in fluent Japanese, that he'd been waiting for five hours to file his paperwork.

Previous guidelines did not lay out specific thresholds for income, pension or language skills.

Even though Japan has a rapidly ageing population and is suffering labour shortages in many sectors, opposition to immigration is growing, prompting a push by Takaichi for tighter regulations on foreign nationals.

"As the number of foreign residents in Japan increases, the government is facing the fact that some citizens feel anxiety and a sense of unfairness," Takaichi said in an extended post on X on Sunday, adding that she was pushing for "orderly coexistence" with foreign nationals.

Programmes to attract international workers have fuelled public worry.

Anti-immigration sentiment has spread across social media and false claims have circulated widely, including that a significant portion of welfare payments in Japan go to foreigners and that they are making Japanese streets less safe.

Experts and many business leaders warn, however, that Japan must welcome more foreign workers to sustain itself.

Japan needs to open its doors to more foreigners, the Nikkei business daily said in a recent editorial.

"Japan should stop viewing foreigners merely as a temporary labour force and instead promote their long-term settlement by expanding Japanese-language education and improving their treatment," it said.