Japan Retroactively Raises Permanent Residency Income Bar to National Average
Japan’s government announced new permanent residency guidelines on October 1, 2026, significantly raising income requirements for foreign applicants. The new rules mandate that applicants earn above the national average income for Japanese citizens, a threshold of approximately 4.5 million yen for individuals or 5.8 million yen for households. This represents a 50% increase from the previous baseline of 3 million yen. Crucially, the government stated that these higher income standards apply retroactively to applications filed as early as April 2026. Additionally, from April 2027, foreign spouses of Japanese citizens will need to have lived in Japan for three years and been married for five years, up from one and three years respectively. Non-spouse applicants must still reside in Japan for 10 years, but will face new pension benefit requirements equivalent to 30 years of contributions. These measures coincide with a 20-fold increase in residency fees and stricter language requirements, reflecting a broader crackdown on immigration despite ongoing labor shortages.
