Japan has raised fees for foreign nationals changing or renewing residency status, increasing the permanent residency charge 20-fold to 200,000 yen ($1,270; £955), while tightening eligibility rules with income, pension and Japanese-language requirements. The income standard applies to applications submitted from April 2026, and broader revised guidelines take effect in April 2027. Applicants will generally need stable income at or above the 2024 average annual Japanese household income of about 5.75 million yen, projected pension benefits equivalent to those from 30 years in the employees' pension system, and basic Japanese proficiency. The changes prompted long queues, including wait times of more than seven hours at Tokyo's main immigration bureau and about 350 people outside Osaka's immigration bureau before the increase. Japan also raised visa fees fivefold in July, its first such increase in 50 years, citing inflation and exchange-rate fluctuations. The measures come as the foreign-resident population reached a record 4.12 million at the end of 2025, while an aging population relies increasingly on foreign workers and public concern over immigration grows.