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Sanae Takaichi leads the Japanese government in implementing stricter immigration policies and higher visa fees for foreign residents.

The Japanese government, led by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, has introduced a series of stricter immigration policies to manage the growing number of foreign residents. A significant change includes a 20-fold increase in the permanent residency application fee, rising from 10,000 yen to 200,000 yen starting October 1, 2026. In addition to the fee hike, the administration announced new guidelines for permanent residency. Applicants must now demonstrate an annual income exceeding the average for Japanese workers and possess a projected pension fund equivalent to 30 years of payouts for average-income Japanese workers. Applicants must also speak intermediate-level Japanese. These measures aim to ensure that foreign residents do not become a public burden and contribute to the national interest. The administration also raised the capital requirement for business manager visas from 5 million yen to 30 million yen. These changes follow a period of opening up to foreign workers and tourists, but have been tempered by a1 political backlash regarding overtourism and reports of foreign residents not adhering to local customs. The new rules have already begun to impact foreign nationals, with nearly 1,000 business manager visa holders leaving the country in the first half of 2026.

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