Japan toughens guidelines for granting permanent residency

Japan's immigration agency has tightened the rules for granting permanent residency to foreign nationals, effective April 2027. Applicants must now have an income above the average household income of around 5.75 million yen ($36,500) in 2024. The requirement will apply to past applications starting April 2026. Applicants must also show Japanese-language proficiency at an independent user level.

The government aims to ensure financially independent applicants. The average annual pension benefits required is equivalent to those after 30 years of enrollment in the employees' pension program, based on income level at application. Applicants must have lived in Japan for over 10 years. Previously, spouses of Japanese nationals or permanent residents could gain residency after three years of marriage and one year of residence.

However, these thresholds are now increased to five years of marriage and three years of residence. After the guidelines were released in August, the Immigration Services Agency received around 5,000 public comments. Some argued the average income figure could be skewed by wealthy individuals, suggesting the median income would be more accurate.

Permanent residents can stay indefinitely in Japan without activity restrictions while retaining their original nationality.