Japan Plans Stricter Permanent Residency Rules for Foreign Nationals

Aug 04, 2026 | News On Japan

TOKYO - Japan's Immigration Services Agency on August 4 released draft guidelines that would tighten the requirements for foreign nationals seeking permanent residency, including new income and pension standards designed to ensure applicants have economic conditions equal to or better than those of Japanese people.

"We carried out the necessary revisions in consideration of the fact that permanent residency is the most stable status of residence," Justice Minister Hiroshi Hiraguchi said.

The current guidelines require applicants to be able to support themselves independently, among other conditions. The agency has been reviewing the system following research that found permanent residents receive public assistance at roughly the same rate as Japanese nationals.

Under the proposed guidelines, applicants would be required to have "economic conditions equal to or above the level of Japanese nationals."

The draft would require annual income to be at least equal to the average income of Japanese households. Applicants would also need to be expected to receive a future pension equivalent to the amount available to someone who had been enrolled in the employees' pension system for 30 years.

The government also plans to tighten special provisions for spouses of Japanese nationals and others. The current requirements of at least three years of marriage and one year of residence in Japan would be raised to five years of marriage and three years of residence.

The agency will seek public comments on the proposed changes and aims to introduce the new income requirement as early as October 2026.

Source: TBS

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