Japan government to impose tougher requirements for permanent residency

TOKYO – The Japanese government plans to raise the bar for granting permanent residency to foreigners by requiring incomes higher than the average for Japanese households and a certain level of projected pension benefits, a source familiar with the matter said on July 25.The move comes as the government led by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi pushes for tougher measures to address illegal activities and other concerns involving foreign nationals.The government will revise guidelines on permanent residency permits on Oct 1 and begin applying them, in principle, to applications submitted from April 2027.Under the current guidelines, the three main requirements for obtaining permanent residency are “good conduct”, the possession of assets or skills sufficient to maintain an independent livelihood and a determination that the person’s permanent residency is in the “best interests” of Japan.Applicants must, in principle, have resided in Japan for at least 10 years. As at the end of 2025, about 947,000 people held permanent residency status, with many from China and the Philippines.Under the revised guidelines, an applicant will additionally be required to have an annual income in excess of the average for a Japanese household, as well as projected pension benefits equivalent to those the applicant would receive after 30 years of enrolment in an employees’ pension programme at that income level.If the projected pension benefits fall short, applicants will be able to meet the threshold by making up the difference with savings and other assets.In deciding whether an applicant’s permanent residency is in the “best interests” of Japan, the new rules will also call for taking into account the person’s Japanese language abilities and understanding of the country’s rules.Permanent residency is currently granted to a spouse of a Japanese national or a permanent resident when the marriage has lasted for at least three years and the spouse has resided in Japan for at least one year.But the marriage and residency requirements will be raised to five years and three years, respectively, according to the source.The changes already introduced by the Takaichi government include generally requiring naturalisation applicants to have lived in Japan for at least 10 years under a stricter screening practice introduced on April 1. KYODO NEWS