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Japan is tightening long-term visas — what changes, for whom, and when

Japan is reshaping its long-term immigration rules in stages. Some changes are already in force: the Business Manager overhaul in October 2025, stricter student checks in 2026, and the new fees and permanent-residence income test on October 1, 2026. The biggest block arrives on April 1, 2027. Below, each visa type lists what changes and when. Each section covers fees, money and income tests, language rules, and anything else that moves.

The pattern is the same across categories. Japan wants proof that applicants can support themselves, follow the rules, pay their taxes and insurance, and speak at least some Japanese. Japan's January 23, 2026 policy package, the "Comprehensive Measures for the Acceptance of Foreign Nationals and Orderly Coexistence", frames it that way.

Nessel is not the source of truth for these numbers. Every figure below comes from the Immigration Services Agency (ISA) or reporting on it, and the sources are linked at the end. Confirm the current figure on the official page before you file anything.

The change that hits everyone: residence fees (in force October 1, 2026)

Until September 30, 2026, a change of status or an extension cost a flat ¥6,000 at the counter (¥5,500 online), and permanent residence cost ¥10,000. From October 1, 2026, the fee depends on how long a stay you are granted:

  • 3 months or less: ¥10,000 at the counter / ¥10,000 online
  • Over 3 months, up to 6 months: ¥18,000 / ¥15,000
  • Over 6 months, under 1 year: ¥25,000 / ¥21,000
  • 1 year: ¥33,000 / ¥27,000
  • Over 1 year, under 3 years: ¥48,000 / ¥42,000
  • 3 years, under 5 years: ¥64,000 / ¥56,000
  • 5 years or more: ¥75,000 / ¥65,000
  • Permanent residence: ¥200,000 (counter), up from ¥10,000

Some practical details:

  • Old fees for earlier applications. If ISA received your application by September 30, 2026, you pay the old fee even if it is approved later.
  • Online payment. Online applications are now paid by convenience store or bank transfer instead of revenue stamps. A settlement charge of ¥330 (¥550 for 3-year and longer stays) is added.
  • Hardship reductions. Fees can be reduced for people in serious financial hardship on humanitarian grounds.
  • Legal ceilings. The amended law raises the maximum the government can charge to ¥100,000 for extensions and changes, and ¥300,000 for permanent residence. The current amounts are not the upper limit.
  • Embassy fees are separate. These are fees paid inside Japan to ISA. The visa issuance fee you pay at a Japanese embassy is separate, so check it with your mission.

Permanent Resident

Japan has made permanent residence (PR) much harder to get. The revised guidelines were published on October 1, 2026, and they phase in by the date you apply, not the date you are approved.

Which rules apply to your application:

  • Filed by March 31, 2026: the older February 2026 guidelines apply.
  • Filed April 1, 2026 – March 31, 2027: the older guidelines apply, except that the new income and "public burden" tests already apply. This includes applications filed from April 1, 2026 that were still pending on October 1.
  • Filed on or after April 1, 2027: the full revised guidelines apply.

Fees (from October 1, 2026): ¥200,000, up from ¥10,000.

Income (applies now): Your household income must stay above the average income of Japanese households of the same size. A single applicant used to be judged against roughly ¥3 million a year. Reporting puts the average for a single working household at around ¥4.5 million. ISA has not published an official table, so treat that figure as an estimate, not a threshold. Some details matter:

  • Dependents raise the bar. Dependents you support count toward household size, even if they live abroad.
  • Dependent-visa earnings don't count. Part-time income a spouse earns on a Dependent visa is not added to household income.
  • It must be continuous. Meeting the bar in one year is not enough.

Pension (from April 1, 2027): ISA will project your future pension. The comparison point is what someone earning the average income would receive after 30 years in Employees' Pension. If your projection falls short, enough savings can make up the gap. The required amount depends on your age and has not been published. Freelancers, the self-employed, and people with long periods only in the National Pension are most exposed.

Language (from April 1, 2027): Japanese at B1 level under Japan's Japanese-language reference framework, checked by a method ISA has not yet announced. Do not assume a particular JLPT level counts. Some people are exempt:

  • Highly Skilled Professionals and their families
  • People with six or more years of Japanese primary or secondary schooling
  • Some Japan-born children of permanent residents

Other new tests (from April 1, 2027):

  • Japanese systems and rules. A check of your understanding of how Japan works, based on the Guidebook on Living and Working.
  • School attendance. Your school-age children must be attending school. It is not yet clear how international schools are treated.
  • Compliance record. Taxes, pension, and health insurance are reviewed at household level. A past record of late payment counts against you even if everything is paid now. Missed 14-day address or employer notifications also count.
  • Time abroad. One absence of six months or more, or two and a half years of absences in total within the last ten years, counts against you unless you had a good reason.

Spouses and children of Japanese nationals or permanent residents (from April 1, 2027): The PR shortcut gets longer.

  • Spouses: 5 years of genuine marriage plus 3 years living in Japan, up from 3 years plus 1.
  • Children: 3 years of residence, up from 1.

3-year visa holders: Until March 31, 2027, a 3-year period of stay counts as the "maximum period" that PR requires. After that, this only continues in narrow transitional cases.

Revocation (from April 1, 2027): PR can be cancelled for:

  • deliberate non-payment of taxes or social insurance
  • serious residence-card or notification violations
  • certain criminal convictions

ISA says this targets malicious cases. People who cannot pay because of illness, unemployment, or disaster are not the intended target. Someone whose PR is revoked is normally moved to another status, such as Long-Term Resident, rather than removed. The law has no transitional provision, so clear any unpaid amounts before April 2027.

Business Manager (in force October 16, 2025; renewal grace period ends October 16, 2028)

This is the most dramatic change. The investor and founder visa went from one of the easiest routes into Japan to one of the hardest.

  • Capital: at least ¥30 million, up from ¥5 million. Hiring two staff can no longer replace the capital requirement.
  • Staff: at least one full-time employee who is a Japanese national, a special permanent resident, a permanent resident, a spouse or child of either, or a Long-Term Resident. Staff on work visas do not count.
  • Language: either you or a full-time employee needs Japanese at CEFR B2 level. Accepted proof includes JLPT N2 or higher, a BJT score of 400 or higher, a degree from a Japanese university, or 20 years of residence in Japan.
  • Experience or education: three years of management experience, or a relevant master's, doctoral, or professional degree.
  • Business plan: must be reviewed by a qualified expert, such as an SME management consultant, CPA, or tax accountant.

Fees: the new residence fee scale applies to renewals from October 1, 2026.

Existing holders: If you renew before October 16, 2028, you can still be approved without meeting the new criteria. ISA will look at business performance, tax compliance, and whether you can realistically meet the new standards by your next renewal. After that date, the new criteria apply. Even then, missing the ¥30 million alone will not cause an automatic refusal if the business is sound and taxes are paid.

The same rules apply to Highly Skilled Professional (i)(c) holders whose work is business management.

Engineer / Specialist in Humanities / International Services

The entry requirements have not changed, but costs and scrutiny have gone up.

  • Fees (from October 1, 2026): a 1-year renewal costs ¥33,000 at the counter or ¥27,000 online, a 3-year renewal ¥64,000 / ¥56,000, and a 5-year renewal ¥75,000 / ¥65,000.
  • Dispatched workers (from March 2026): ISA now inspects the workplaces where agency or dispatched workers are placed, to catch people doing non-specialist work outside their status.
  • Path to PR: You meet the new PR rules if you apply from April 2027. Earlier time on an Intra-company Transferee visa no longer automatically counts toward the five-year work-visa period for PR.

Highly Skilled Professional

This is the least affected long-term route.

  • Fees: the new scale applies to renewals from October 1, 2026.
  • Language: HSP holders and their families are exempt from the B1 Japanese requirement for permanent residence.
  • PR shortcut: the 1-year (80+ points) and 3-year (70+ points) routes are unchanged.
  • Other PR rules still apply: the income, pension, and compliance tests still apply, and the points must be met throughout the qualifying period.
  • Business managers: HSP (i)(c) holders who run a business fall under the Business Manager criteria above.

Student

  • Japanese proficiency proof for language schools: 150 hours of study alone is no longer enough. Applicants need a test certificate or a school-run interview showing at least A1 level. This applies to changes of status and extensions filed from July 1, 2026, and to Certificates of Eligibility for students enrolling from October 2026.
  • Part-time work monitoring (from April 2026): every three months, Japanese language schools must check each student's employers, what work they do, and their daily hours, so the 28-hour weekly cap holds whichever day the week is counted from. The government is also using My Number income data to find students who break the limit.
  • Fees (from October 1, 2026): extensions now follow the new scale. A typical 1-year-3-month student extension falls in the "over 1 year, under 3 years" bracket: ¥48,000 at the counter, ¥42,000 online.

Specified Skilled Worker and the end of Technical Intern Training (April 1, 2027)

On April 1, 2027, Technical Intern Training is replaced by Employment for Skill Development (ESD). ESD is a three-year route designed to lead into Specified Skilled Worker (SSW).

Language requirements under ESD:

  • Before starting work: pass an A1-level Japanese test (JFT-Basic A1 or JLPT N5), or complete at least 100 hours of approved A1-level Japanese classes.
  • Within the first year: take an A1-level test.
  • By the end of three years: pass an A2-level test. Some sectors set higher targets.

Specified Skilled Worker (i): Moving into SSW (i) requires a skills test plus Japanese at about A2.2 (JFT-Basic or JLPT N4). From April 2027, people who completed older pre-Act training must pass both tests; the exemption for Technical Intern Training (ii) graduates remains. SSW (i) still does not allow family to join, except in limited humanitarian cases.

Current interns: they can finish under the old rules but cannot transfer into ESD.

Spouse, Long-Term Resident, and working holiday

  • Spouse of a Japanese national or permanent resident: Renewals use the new fee scale. The PR shortcut lengthens from April 2027 (see above). Spouses are exempt from the PR income test, but tax and insurance compliance and the "public burden" test still apply.
  • Long-Term Resident (including Japanese descendants): Renewals use the new fee scale. The 5-year PR shortcut is unchanged.
  • Working holiday: The visa is issued abroad and generally cannot be extended. The main effect is cost: switching to a work or student status inside Japan now costs the new change-of-status fee.

Visitors: JESTA (expected Japanese fiscal year 2028)

This is not a long-term visa, but it helps with planning. The JESTA electronic travel authorization was enacted in 2026. It is expected to begin during fiscal 2028, which runs from April 2028 to March 2029, and must launch by March 31, 2029. Travelers from visa-exempt countries will need to apply online before they fly. The fee has not been set. Ignore any site that already quotes one.

What to do now

  1. Plan your PR timing. If you are close to qualifying for permanent residence and hold a 3-year stay, have limited Employees' Pension history, or are below B1 Japanese, review your timing before March 31, 2027. Don't file an incomplete case to beat the date.
  2. Clear arrears before 2027. Pay any unpaid residence tax, pension, or health insurance now, and keep the receipts.
  3. Budget for renewals. A family of four renewing 3-year stays now pays roughly ¥224,000–¥256,000 in residence fees, where it used to pay ¥24,000.
  4. Start Japanese early. B1 for PR, B2 for Business Manager, and A1/A2 milestones for ESD and SSW all take months of study.
  5. Business Manager holders: prepare a written plan for capital, hiring, and language well before October 16, 2028.

Sources