Immigration Agency to Revise Permanent Residency Guidelines, Requiring Income Above Average Japanese Household and 30 Years of Equivalent Pension Contributions
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The Immigration Services Agency announced on August 4, 2026 that it would revise the guidelines used to screen applications for permanent residency. The changes are expected to take effect in two stages, in October 2026 and April 2027, requiring applicants to have income "at or above the average household income level of Japanese citizens" and projected pension benefits equivalent to having contributed to the employees' pension system for 30 years.
The move follows an Immigration Services Agency survey that found the welfare receipt rate among permanent residents was 1.96%, roughly on par with the overall national rate of 1.62%. The agency concluded that the "independent livelihood" requirement currently used in permanent residency screening may not be functioning adequately, prompting the tightening of standards. Starting in April 2027, the guidelines will also explicitly state that permanent residency must "actively and concretely benefit Japan," with unpaid taxes or social insurance premiums, legal violations, or insufficient understanding of Japan's systems counted as negative factors. The special exception for spouses of Japanese citizens or permanent residents will also be tightened, with the required marriage duration rising from three to five years and the required period of residency rising from one to three years. In April 2027, specific criteria for revoking permanent residency, including examples such as intentional non-payment of taxes or insurance premiums, will also be introduced.
Current status: As of this writing, this is a policy announcement stage; formal implementation is expected to follow procedures such as public comment. This article will be updated as further details emerge.
This case can be seen as putting concrete numerical requirements behind the policy of tightening permanent residency rules laid out in the "Second Basic Plan for Immigration Control" announced on July 31 (related coverage). Alongside other measures such as the emergency addition of 226 immigration staff (related coverage), this reflects the government's approach of simultaneously expanding acceptance quantitatively while tightening management qualitatively.