Japan raises residency fee for foreign nationals by twenty-fold

The hikes are part of immigration policy changes introduced to manage Japan's growing foreign population Japan has raised fees for foreigners seeking to reside in the country, with the cost of permanent residency increasing 20-fold to 200,000 yen ($1,270; £955).

Those seeking permanent residency must now also meet new income, pension and Japanese-language requirements." From April next year, permanent residency applicants will face even tighter requirements, including basic Japanese language proficiency.