Visa Japan Tokyo

27/11/2025

📰Important Update: Japan's Residency Application Fees Set for Major Increase

The Japanese government is planning a significant increase to the fees for various residency procedures.

Proposed fee changes (digest):
- Change of Status of Residence or Renewal: ¥6,000 → Approximately ¥30,000 to ¥40,000
- Permanent Residency (Eiju) Permit: ¥10,000 → over ¥100,000

The revenue generated from these higher fees is planned to be used for two main purposes:
- Improving the Acceptance Environment
- Immigration Management

Essentially, the fees you pay will be used to fund the system that supports and manages foreign residents in Japan.

This is currently a proposal under consideration. It is not yet law.
We will continue to monitor the news and provide updates on when these changes might take effect.

Full article▶️
https://visajapan.tokyo/2025/11/26/raise-residency-application-fees/

Japan is planning a major increase in residency application fees to fund new foreigner policies and services. Proposed changes include higher costs for visa renewals and permanent residency. Learn how these updates may affect your plans to

04/11/2025

📰Japan Tightens Rules: Crackdown on Unpaid Medical Bills and National Health Insurance Non-Payment by Foreign Nationals.
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The Japanese government has finalized a policy to significantly strengthen measures against two growing issues: unpaid medical bills incurred by foreign visitors and non-payment of National Health Insurance (NHI) premiums by foreign residents. This comprehensive approach will be included in the upcoming "Basic Policy on Economic and Fiscal Management" (honebuto hōshin) and will have a major impact on residence and entry screening.

▶️ 1. Strict Enforcement on NHI Premium Non-Payment (Starting June 2027)

Foreign nationals residing in Japan for over three months are legally obligated to enroll in the National Health Insurance (NHI) program. To address low compliance rates, the government is preparing a powerful new mechanism:

📌Impact on Visa Status: Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare Kenichiro Ueno announced that preparations are underway to begin denying changes or renewals of residence status (visa) for foreign residents who are delinquent on NHI premiums, starting around June 2027.

📌Information Sharing: The new policy will explicitly state the effective utilization of "cooperation between non-payment information and medical fee non-payment information for residence screening." This means that failing to pay NHI premiums will now directly jeopardize a foreigner's ability to remain in Japan.

▶️ 2. Expanded Measures Against Unpaid Medical Bills

Measures against unpaid medical costs are being expanded to cover both short-term visitors and mid- to long-term residents.

📌For Foreign Visitors (Short-term Stays):

Tighter Entry Screening: The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) will share information on visitors who have a history of unpaid medical bills above a certain threshold (currently a cumulative balance of over ¥200,000) with the Immigration Services Agency (ISA). This will enable the ISA to implement more stringent entry screening.

Lowering the Threshold: The ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) has advocated for considering a reduction in this monetary threshold, meaning even smaller unpaid amounts could trigger a stricter entry review.

Mandatory Private Insurance: The government is also moving forward with discussions on making it mandatory for foreign visitors to purchase private medical insurance prior to entering Japan.

📌For Mid- to Long-term Residents:
The existing measure of sharing unpaid medical bill information with the ISA, which has been primarily focused on short-term visitors, will be expanded to include mid- to long-term residents, with the data used to inform their residence status assessments.

▶️ 3. Promoting an "Orderly Coexistence Society"

These strengthened measures are framed not as punitive actions, but as a commitment to ensuring the fairness and sustainability of Japan's social security system.

As Minister Ueno stated, the goal is to "promote the proper use of the social security system from the perspective of realizing an orderly society of coexistence where Japanese nationals and foreign nationals mutually respect each other and can live with peace of mind."

By requiring all residents to fulfill their public obligations, the government aims to strengthen the foundation of the healthcare system for everyone. Attention now turns to the concrete design and implementation of these new rules, which will significantly redefine the responsibilities of foreigners living in or visiting Japan.

12/09/2025

📰Immigration Agency to Tighten Japanese Language Requirements for ‘Business Manager’ Visa

Regarding the ‘Business Manager’ residence status for foreigners aiming to start a business in Japan, the Immigration Services Agency is finalising negotiations to tighten Japanese language proficiency requirements. This is in addition to a proposed revision to the ministerial ordinance that would increase the minimum capital requirement sixfold and require either the entrepreneur or a full-time employee to demonstrate “considerable Japanese language proficiency”.

This “considerable Japanese language proficiency” refers to the “B2 (Upper-Intermediate)” level (JLPT N2), the third highest of six international standards. It requires the ability to understand more complex content and express opinions, as well as engage in daily conversation.

This indicates that the Japanese language proficiency requirement could become a stricter hurdle than the increase in minimum capital.

The Japanese language proficiency requirement could therefore present a greater challenge than the increase in minimum capital. The reasons are as follows:
It can be more difficult than fundraising. Increasing capital can be achieved through fundraising efforts. However, acquiring a B2-level proficiency in Japanese requires a significant investment of time and money. Even individuals with business experience and specialised skills may find the language barrier to be a significant obstacle when starting a business.
Japanese proficiency may not be essential, depending on the nature of the business. Many global or IT-related businesses, for example, can be conducted with little to no use of Japanese. For entrepreneurs planning such businesses, the requirement to be proficient in Japanese becomes an unnecessary burden that is unrelated to the essence of the business.
Difficulty in securing personnel: While it is possible to meet this requirement by employing a full-time Japanese speaker, securing personnel with B2-level proficiency can be challenging in the early stages of starting a business. This will be especially challenging for small and medium-sized enterprises and start-ups, as the recruitment costs and personnel expenses will be significant.
Therefore, it can be concluded that this Japanese language proficiency requirement is not merely a financial hurdle, but rather a stricter examination of the eligibility of foreign entrepreneurs. Although this measure aims to ‘mitigate social friction’, there are concerns that it may also deter highly skilled individuals from starting a business in Japan.

24/08/2025

📰Japan Considers Stricter Visa Rules for Foreign Entrepreneurs

Japan’s Immigration Services Agency is planning to tighten the requirements for the “Business Manager” visa, a residency status designed for foreign entrepreneurs. This move is aimed at preventing individuals from obtaining the visa for the sole purpose of immigration, rather than for its intended use of starting a legitimate business.

The main change under consideration is a significant increase in the minimum capital requirement for a business. The agency is looking to raise the necessary capital from the current 5 million yen to 30 million yen, a six-fold increase. This adjustment would bring Japan’s requirements more in line with those of other countries.

During a recent meeting of the Immigration Agency’s expert panel, there were mixed views on the proposal. Some members argued that a substantial increase in the capital requirement is necessary to prevent misuse of the system. Others suggested that a more effective approach would be to strengthen existing investigations into businesses. A more cautious opinion was also raised, suggesting that the agency should first determine how many foreigners are currently using the “Business Manager” visa for purposes other than its intended use before making any major changes.

10/06/2025

Japan is reportedly set to raise the capital requirement for "Business Manager" visas for foreign entrepreneurs, currently set at a "cheap" ¥5 million (approx. $32,000 USD). This aims to curb the influx of individuals, mainly Chinese, who obtain visas for purposes other than legitimate business, like setting up shell companies for residency. South Korea's equivalent visa requires about ¥30 million. The government plans to discuss this within the fiscal year to revise Justice Ministry ordinances.

https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/ad9b1501d26e2f9b9041c64f01dc16d425febfac 起業外国人のビザ要件引き上げへ…現状は格安「資本金５００万円以上」、中国人ら目的外の大量流入抑制（読売新聞オンライン） - Yahoo!ニュース

　出入国在留管理庁は、日本で起業する外国人経営者向けの在留資格「経営・管理ビザ」の取得について、「５００万円以上」とする金額要件を引き上げる方向で調整に入った。諸外国に比べて「格安」とされる要件を厳

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Azalea after cherry bolossm.

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It’s good

12/12/2024

【クリスマス・ソングマラソン　2024 〜12日目】

クリスマス・ソング・マラソンも今日で丁度半分

インフレが進む昨今ですが、そんなインフレ・バブル時代に大人気だったカントリーシンガー、ケニーロジャースとドリーパートンのデュオアルバムから、、

Christmas to remember

北島三郎と都はるみが共演したようなもんですかね、、といっても同世代にしかわからない(^_^;

曲は良いので、、、

Christmas song duet

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Summer is finally here innASAKUSA!

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The Tokyo immigration now. Today's case is PR visa.

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Good morning Sunny Saturday. Sakura in full bloom

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Hello, Rainy Nogoya.

resident