Japan proposes tougher permanent residency rules

Japan’s Immigration Services Agency has moved from internal planning to formal consultation on tougher permanent residency rules for foreigners. The agency said it opened a public-comment process on August 4 for draft revisions to its permanent residency guidelines, part of a broader government effort on what it called the “proper management” of the status. (moj.go.jp) Japan Today reported on August 5 that the draft would require applicants to keep household income above the average for Japanese households and show projected pension benefits at a specified level. (japantoday.com) The outlet said the agency plans to collect public comments before putting the new rules into effect in April 2027. (public-comment.e-gov.go.jp) The proposal matters because permanent residency in Japan is a distinct status, not citizenship. Permanent residents can stay indefinitely and work without activity restrictions while keeping their original nationality, Japan Today said. (moj.go.jp) ### What exactly is Japan changing in the permanent residency test? The draft would replace the current broad standard of having “sufficient assets or skills” with more measurable thresholds. Japan Today said applicants would need annual household income above the Japanese household average, using several government data sources as benchmarks. (japantoday.com) A second new test would focus on pension benefits. Japan Today said applicants would have to show projected pension benefits equivalent to those payable after 30 years in the employees’ pension program at their income level, though a shortfall could be offset with financial assets. (japantoday.com) The same report said the revised guidelines would also add a Japanese-language requirement at the level of an “independent user.” ### What are the current rules, and how is this different? (japantoday.com) Japan’s current permanent residency guidelines, last revised on February 24, require good conduct, the ability to maintain an independent livelihood, and a finding that permanent residency is in Japan’s interests. They also generally require 10 years of residence in Japan, including at least five years under work or residence status. (japantoday.com) The existing rules do not set the kind of explicit income-above-average or projected-pension thresholds described in the new draft. They also contain exceptions for some applicants, including spouses and children of Japanese nationals or permanent residents, and for recognized refugees in parts of the livelihood test. (japantoday.com) ### What number is the government using as the income benchmark? The key reference point in the draft is 5.75 million yen. Japan Today said the income benchmark would be tied to the average income per household in Japan in 2024, citing a health ministry survey on living conditions released on July 15. (moj.go.jp) That figure gives applicants and employers the clearest early signal of how the new standard could be applied. The draft, as described by Japan Today, would measure household income rather than only an individual applicant’s wages. (moj.go.jp) ### Are family-based applicants affected too? Japan Today said the proposal would also tighten the path for spouses of Japanese nationals or permanent residents. Under current rules, permanent residency can be granted when a marriage has lasted at least three years and the non-Japanese spouse has lived in Japan for at least one year. (japantoday.com) The draft would raise those thresholds to five years of marriage and three years of residence, the report said. (japantoday.com) ### Why does the agency say it is doing this now? The Immigration Services Agency said the draft was prepared in light of a January 23, 2026 government package on accepting foreign nationals and promoting what it called “orderly coexistence.” The agency’s public-comment notice said the revisions are intended to clarify the position of permanent resident status and the basic factors to be considered in screening applications. (japantoday.com) Japan Today linked the proposal to Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s push for an “orderly society” in which Japanese and foreign nationals coexist while illegal activity is curbed. (japantoday.com) ### What happens next, and when would any change take effect? The public-comment period runs from August 4 to September 3, according to the agency’s notice. Comments can be submitted through e-Gov, by email or by post to the agency’s office in Kasumigaseki, Tokyo. April 2027 is the target date for implementation, Japan Today said. (moj.go.jp) As of the end of 2025, about 947,000 people held permanent residency status in Japan, according to the same report. (public-comment.e-gov.go.jp) (japantoday.com)