Business Manager Holders Have Until 16 October 2028 to Meet the ¥30 Million Rule
Japan's revised Business Manager criteria carry a transitional window that closes on 16 October 2028, and permanent residence applications are excluded from it.
Immigration Services Agency
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Survey Finds No Japanese-Language Teacher Lined Up at 36% of Employment for Skill Development Intermediaries
A state-run survey reported on 23 October 2026 found that about 36% of the organisations expected to deliver Japanese-language training under Employment for Skill Development have no teacher lined up, ahead of the status's April 2027 start.
Indonesia Joins Pre-Entry Tuberculosis Screening on 2 November, Certificates Required from 4 January 2027
Designated clinics in Indonesia start accepting bookings for Japan's pre-entry tuberculosis screening on 2 November 2026, and from 4 January 2027 a certificate of no active tuberculosis must accompany a certificate of eligibility or visa application, while residents returning on a re-entry permit stay outside the programme.
Working Holiday Opens to Panama from 1 November and Brazil from 1 December
Two amendments to the Designated Activities notice add Panama to Japan's working holiday system from 1 November 2026 and Brazil from 1 December 2026, though neither country's age range, quota or paperwork has been published yet.
Catering at Hospitals and Care Homes Would Move Out of the Closed Food Service Field
A draft put to the expert panel on 19 October 2026 would move medical and welfare facility catering out of the suspended Specified Skilled Worker food service field and into food and beverage manufacturing from FY2027.
Japan Moves to Delete Designated Activities Item 15, with Comments Due 29 October
The Immigration Services Agency is consulting on deleting a designated-activities category that has had no users since 2018, with comments closing on 29 October 2026.
New Arrivals Dipped in Japan's First Half, While Resident Re-Entries Pushed the Total Up
The Immigration Services Agency's entry and departure figures for the first half of 2026, published on 16 October 2026, show foreign arrivals up 0.3 per cent to 21,447,220 while first-time entries fell to 19,706,953, leaving roughly 1.74 million entries by residents returning from abroad.
Changing Employer Under Employment for Skill Development Carries Seven Conditions
The Immigration Services Agency's updated Employment for Skill Development Q&A sets out the conditions for a worker-initiated change of employer from 1 April 2027, including a restriction period of one to two years set by sector and a compensation payment whose amount has not yet been issued.
Foreign Residents Reach a Record 4.28 Million as Business Manager Numbers Fall 8.6%
Japan's half-year immigration statistics, released on 16 October 2026, show a record 4,281,026 foreign residents at the end of June, a 4,034-holder drop in the Business Manager status, and overstayers down 4.8 per cent.
Specified Skilled Worker Support Caps Start 1 April 2027, with an Earlier Deadline for Support Organisations
From 1 April 2027 one support staffer may cover fewer than 50 Specified Skilled Worker (i) workers and, at a registered support organisation, fewer than 10 client employers, while organisations whose registration expires by 31 July 2027 must file renewals before that date to be judged under the current rules.
A Five-Year Period of Stay for Specified Skilled Worker (ii) Is Planned for January 2027
The Immigration Services Agency has consulted on adding a five-year period of stay to Specified Skilled Worker (ii), with the government planning a January 2027 start, while the five-year cumulative cap on Specified Skilled Worker (i) stays where it is.
Medical Status Set to Open to Dental Technicians and Speech-Language Therapists
The Immigration Services Agency is consulting on adding dental technicians and speech-language-hearing therapists to the Medical status of residence, with comments due by 15 October 2026 and the change planned for November 2026.
B1 Japanese from 1 April 2027 for New Specified Skilled Worker Applications, No Date Yet for Residents
The Immigration Services Agency has set 1 April 2027 as the start of the "B1 or above" Japanese standard for Specified Skilled Worker certificate of eligibility applications, and says the timing for change-of-status and renewal applications is still under consideration.
Hardship Reductions Cut Residence Fees to ¥10,000, but Not Online
Residents in hardship can pay ¥10,000 for an extension and ¥20,000 for permanent residence under measures in force since 1 October 2026, but the online application system does not process the reduction.
Employment for Skill Development Starts 1 April 2027, and Technical Interns Cannot Switch Into It
The Employment for Skill Development programme begins on 1 April 2027, the employer and supervising-organisation filing windows are already open, and the Immigration Services Agency confirms that Technical Intern Training holders cannot transfer into it.
Permanent Residence Guidelines Finalised, with Income Rules Applied to Pending Applications
The Immigration Services Agency issued the revised permanent residence guidelines and new revocation guidelines on 1 October 2026; most of the text applies from 1 April 2027, but the income and public-burden provisions reach applications already filed.
Specified Skilled Worker Numbers Hit a Record, and Food Service Has Run Out of Room
The Immigration Services Agency's end-June 2026 figures put Specified Skilled Worker residents at a record, with food service at 98.1 per cent of a ceiling that has been closed to new entrants since 13 April 2026.
Paying the New Residence Fees: Konbini or Bank Transfer Online, Stamps at the Counter
From 1 October the fee for a renewal or status change is not only larger but paid differently, and the online route carries a settlement surcharge the hardship reduction cannot reach.
Ministry Asks Language Schools to Look Past the JLPT as Applications Overflow
The education ministry and the Immigration Services Agency have asked language schools to point students at tests other than the JLPT, after the December sitting in Japan closed early for lack of seats.
Joint Kiosks Start at Narita Terminals 1 and 2, but Residents Take a Different Route
Narita's two largest terminals began joint immigration-customs kiosk operations on 24 September. The customs half applies to residence card holders in full; the immigration half does not work the same way.
Immigration Agency Warns of Fake Fee-Payment Emails Before the 1 October Switch
The Immigration Services Agency warned on 24 September about fraudulent emails demanding residence application fees, days before online applicants start paying by convenience store or bank transfer.
Ten Days to File Before Japan's Residence Fees Rise
Applications accepted on or before 30 September keep the current fees. From 1 October a renewal costs between ¥10,000 and ¥75,000, and permanent residence goes to ¥200,000.
Aviation Joins the Employment for Skill Development Programme
The government presented a plan on 9 September to open the aviation field to Ikusei Shuro. The programme's overall ceiling does not move, so the new field draws on the existing allocation.
Enforcement Package Strengthened as Business Manager Departures Near 1,000
The Immigration Services Agency published a reinforced Zero Overstayers package at the end of August, while figures showed nearly 1,000 Business Manager visa holders left Japan in the first half of 2026.
Residence Permit Fees Confirmed for 1 October: Up to ¥75,000 to Renew
The Immigration Services Agency published the new fee schedule in late August. A flat ¥6,000 renewal becomes a scale running to ¥75,000, and permanent residence goes from ¥10,000 to ¥200,000.
Public Comment Opens on the Permanent Residence and Revocation Guidelines
The Immigration Services Agency opened consultation in August on two documents: revised permanent residence approval guidelines, and the first guidelines on when permanent residence can be revoked.
Japan's New Basic Plan for Immigration Control Sets Six Pillars
The Justice Ministry published a new Basic Plan for Immigration Control in July — the document that frames immigration policy for the years ahead, including JESTA by 2028.
Permanent Residence: Income and Pension Thresholds Proposed
Reports in late July set out the government's intended permanent residence criteria — household income above the national average, pension equivalent to 30 years of enrolment, and a language test.
Justice Ministry Team Reports on Japanese-Language and Civics Programmes for Foreign Residents
A Justice Ministry project team set out in July how a structured programme teaching Japanese and the country's rules would work — the mechanism behind January's panel recommendation.
The Specified Residence Card Merges Your Residence Card and My Number Card
From 14 June 2026 mid- to long-term residents can apply for a single card combining residence card and My Number card functions. It is optional, and there are reasons to think about it.
Japan and Thailand Sign a Cooperation Memorandum on Employment for Skill Development
Japan signed a memorandum of cooperation with Thailand on the Ikusei Shuro programme in June, part of the bilateral groundwork that has to be in place before the 2027 start.
New Residence Card Format, and an Official FAQ on the Business Manager Rules
A run of Immigration Services Agency notices in late May covered the new residence card design, photo rules for children, Specified Skilled Worker reporting, and the questions the agency is fielding most on keiei kanri.
Survey Finds Foreign Business Owners Squeezed by the New Business Manager Rules
Six months after Japan raised the capital and staffing bar for the Business Manager visa, a survey of foreign entrepreneurs shows how many are struggling to requalify at renewal.
Japan's Largest Work Visa Now Carries a Japanese-Language Requirement
From 15 April 2026 applicants for Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services status must show Japanese-language proficiency. The status covers more than 475,000 people.
Employment for Skill Development: Operational Guidelines Published Ahead of the 2027 Start
The Immigration Services Agency released the operating manual for Ikusei Shuro, the programme replacing technical intern training from April 2027, along with revised standards for two Specified Skilled Worker sectors.
Foreign Residents in Japan Pass Four Million for the First Time
The Immigration Services Agency's end-2025 figures put the foreign resident population at 4,125,395 — up 9.5% in a year, and the first time the total has cleared four million.
Immigration Agency Tightens the Permanent Residence Guidelines
The Immigration Services Agency revised how it assesses permanent residence applications in late February, putting more weight on tax, pension and public-charge conduct.
Immigration Agency Publishes Preliminary 2025 Arrival Figures
The Immigration Services Agency's preliminary count of foreign arrivals and Japanese departures for 2025 sets the baseline for this year's border policy arguments.
Government Panel Calls for a Required Japanese-Language Programme for Foreign Residents
A government expert panel's final report in January 2026 recommended structured language and civics learning for foreign residents, and floated tying it to long-term status.
J-Find Visa: Immigration Agency Updates the Eligible University List for 2026
The Future Creation Individual (J-Find) route lets graduates of highly ranked universities job-hunt in Japan for up to two years. The qualifying list was refreshed in January 2026.
Japan's 2026 Visa Changes: What Is Already Decided
Worker intake targets, a naturalisation review and a fee overhaul were all settled before the year began. Here is what foreign residents in Japan should expect in 2026.