The government is considering raising the current ¥10,000 ($64) fee that foreign nationals pay to obtain permanent residency to as high as ¥300,000 and tightening the criteria for naturalization.
The proposals form part of Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s plans to set the direction of Japan’s policies regarding foreign nationals in January. They were discussed at the ruling Liberal Democratic Party’s headquarters for policies regarding foreign nationals on Thursday.
As the number of foreign residents in Japan increases rapidly, Takaichi’s government argues that the country needs to upgrade its staff and systems to handle the heavier workload of screening immigrants.