What Japan promised as a part of immigration reform has finally been executed yesterday. The fees for foreign nationals seeking a change or a renewal of their residency status in Japan has been hiked dramatically to 200,000 Yen (US$1,280), according to a news report by Kyodo News. In relation with this development, there were long lines of foreign nationals who applied at regional immigration service centers hoping to beat the scheduled hike of residency fees.
To learn about the events that preceded the new residency fees, click here, here and here.
To put things in perspective, posted below is the excerpt from the Kyodo News report. Some parts in boldface…
Japan on Thursday hiked fees for foreign nationals seeking to change or renew their residency status, with the cost of permanent residency jumping twentyfold to 200,000 yen ($1,280).
The increase triggered a last-minute rush to apply under the old rates earlier this week, with long lines forming at immigration offices and heavy traffic making it difficult for some people to use the government’s online application system.
At the Osaka Regional Immigration Services Bureau on Tuesday, about 350 people were waiting when the office opened at 9 a.m., with the line stretching outside the building.
Before the hikes, the fees for non-permanent residency applications were 6,000 yen to change residency status or extending the period of stay. The fee for permanent residency was 10,000 yen.
From Thursday, the fee varies according to the period of stay granted, starting at 10,000 yen for three months or less and rising to 75,000 yen for five years or more.
The change comes following a revision to Japan’s immigration and refugee law enacted in May, with the government citing rising costs for visa screening.
For some foreign residents trying to continue working and living in Japan, including asylum seekers who fled hardship at home, the higher fees are adding to their financial burden.
A man in his 30s from East Africa, who came to Japan in 2023, said he is seeking refugee status for political reasons. He is currently unemployed after his seasonal job ended, adding that finding work has been difficult as many Japanese companies are reluctant to hire asylum seekers.
He currently holds a six-month “designated activities” residency status, meaning his renewal fee will rise to 18,000 yen under the new system.
“I like Japan,” he said, adding that he intends to pay the fees required to remain in the country. But he said policymakers should listen more closely to people directly affected by immigration rules.
An Indonesian man, 35, who went to the Osaka immigration office to apply for permanent residency before the increase took effect, said the twentyfold rise had come as a shock.
Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this development? Now that higher residency fees are already in effect, do you anticipate a huge back backlash by foreign residents and their respective national governments against Japan? Do you think the woke mob and open borders zealots around the world will criticize Japan and pressure them to reverse all the immigration reforms they executed? Do you think the hiked fees will somehow compel illegal aliens and illegal immigrants to surrender to the local authorities and leave Japan?
You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.
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