Japan's tightened residency requirements

Japan has revised its criteria for granting permanent residency to foreign nationals, introducing stricter conditions that applicants must meet. The new rules allow authorities to revoke or deny permanent residency status in cases such as failure to pay taxes, social insurance premiums, or other public obligations. Officials have framed the move as addressing concerns about compliance among the growing population of foreign residents, as Japan continues to rely more heavily on immigration to offset its shrinking workforce. Alongside these conduct-based rules, Japan has also raised the fee for permanent residency applications twentyfold.