Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s government has increased Japanese permanent residency fee by 2000 per cent in an effort to quell rising concerns about immigration in the country.
Formerly $64, the application fee was increased to $1,271 with additional conditions such as proficiency in Japanese language, minimum annual income of $36,428 and pension.
“There are citizens who feel anxiety and a sense of unfairness,” Ms Takaichi wrote on social media days before the hike. “To address these concerns, [the government] is working to ensure that its policies toward foreign nationals are orderly, and that both Japanese citizens and foreign residents can live safely and securely.”
The development came months after Japan hiked its visa fees in March “to reflect inflation and exchange rate fluctuations,” a statement said at the time.
A five-year residence permit, rose from $38 to $475, indicating a 1300 per cent increase. Previously, non-permanent residents in Japan were required to pay 6,000 yen to renew their stay.
With the new pricing, they were now required to pay according to the length of time requested. They could now pay as high as 10,000 yen for three months and 75,000 yen to remain in Japan for five years.