Japan to Require Above-Average Incomes for Permanent Residency, Agency Says

Japan’s Immigration Services Agency unveiled draft rules Tuesday that would require applicants for permanent residency to maintain household incomes above the Japanese average, with the threshold adjusted for dependents.

The draft cites a 2024 health ministry survey that placed average household income at 5.75 million yen, or approximately $36,500 USD. Applicants would need to remain above that level continuously.

The financial test would replace a system that left more room for immigration officers’ discretion. The draft also adds pension, language, school-attendance and visa-status checks.

The agency called for “especially careful scrutiny” of applications. The changes are scheduled for formal implementation in October 2026.

Justice Minister Hiroshi Hiraguchi defended the review at a news conference Tuesday. He tied the changes to the status granted to successful applicants.

“Considering that permanent residents have the most stable status of residence, we have conducted the necessary review. . We consider all of these measures necessary to realize an orderly society in which Japanese and foreign nationals coexist.”

The government’s draft guidelines appear on the Immigration Services Agency’s guidelines page. Public comments remain open until Sept 2, 2026, through Japan’s e-Gov submission system.

The income test would reach beyond wages

Applicants would have to show annual household income that continuously exceeds the Japanese household average. The reference amount is 5.75 million yen, but the agency would raise or lower the applicable threshold according to the number of dependents.

That could screen out workers whose earnings remain below the benchmark. The research cited in the draft says 61.5% of Japanese households earn less than the average income threshold.

Lower-wage employees, freelancers and small-business owners could face the greatest difficulty meeting a continuous-income standard. The draft focuses on household resources rather than a single applicant’s salary.

Savings and assets could also become important under the proposed pension rule. Applicants would need projected pension benefits equivalent to those of someone who paid into Employees’ Pension Insurance, known as kosei nenkin, for 30 years at the relevant income level.

Applicants could cover pension shortfalls with significant savings or other assets. The draft does not treat current income as the only measure of long-term financial support.

Five-year status becomes a gate before filing

The draft reinforces a separate visa requirement that took effect immediately as of February 2026. Applicants must hold the longest available period of stay for their category when they apply, typically 5 years.

That condition could delay applications for people who otherwise meet the financial and residence standards. They would first need to obtain the longest status available in their category.

The proposed family rule is also narrower. Spouses of Japanese nationals would need 5 years of marriage and 3 years of residence, replacing the earlier standard of 3 years of marriage and 1 year of residence.

The agency would examine social integration as well. The draft formally lists Japanese-language proficiency and school attendance by applicants’ children of compulsory education age.

Those factors would add education and language records to the financial and immigration history already considered in an application. Integration would receive formal attention for the first time under the proposed guidelines.

Pending applications could face the new financial test

The agency has indicated that the stricter income criteria may apply to applications filed as early as April 2026 that remain pending when the new framework takes effect.

That would reach back into cases submitted before the planned October implementation date. Applicants with files still under review could therefore encounter the new financial standard.

The government also projects a sharp increase in the application fee. The charge could rise from 10,000 yen to as much as 200,000 yen by 2027, with the additional money intended to cover administrative costs and immigration-policy spending.

The proposed fee remains separate from the eligibility rules. A higher payment would not replace the income, pension, visa-period or integration requirements.

The administration links status to long-term settlement

Kentaro Ando, an agency official, said people receiving the status are expected to make Japan the center of their lives permanently. He said the revocation question therefore requires particular care.

“A person granted (permanent residency) status is expected to make Japan the base of his or her life for the remainder of that life. For that reason, particularly careful examination is required when deciding whether to revoke permission.”

The draft comes from Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s administration, which has promoted what it calls an “orderly society.” Government research cited in the material found that permanent residents receive welfare at rates similar to Japanese citizens.

The administration said it wants status limited to people who “actively yield concrete benefits to the country.” The proposal would move Japan toward standards described as stricter than its previous, more flexible approach.

Japan is also dealing with labor shortages and an aging population. The proposed restrictions would arrive alongside those demographic pressures, creating a tighter test for people already living and working in the country.

The Ministry of Justice’s 2026 update information list carries related policy material. The next formal date in the process is Sept 2, when the public-comment period is scheduled to close.