Policy Updates

The Immigration Services Agency has confirmed the revision of residence-permit fees. Change/renewal fees move to a tiered structure, and the permanent residence fee rises to ¥200,000. Applications received by 30 September are charged at the current rates.

Fee payment for online applications is changing to convenience-store or bank payment. Any notification email not sent from "@service-dgft.com" is a scam, and caution is needed.

The sending countries for Employment for Skill Development have expanded to four, with Sri Lanka and Laos added. Operational guidelines for the logistics warehousing and forestry sectors were published, and OTIT began accepting plan accreditation applications.

Hokkaido's minimum wage rises to ¥1,131 an hour from 1 October. The ¥56 increase is the sixth consecutive rise and the first time the rate has exceeded ¥1,100. Note that application is based on the date work is actually performed.

In the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare's 2025 Survey on the Actual Situation of Foreign Employment, the biggest challenge companies cited was difficulty communicating in Japanese. Wages and the breakdown by status of residence were also published.

The Specified Skilled Worker operational guidelines were revised on 20 August. Changes cover consolidating eligibility documents into periodic reporting, a prompt to consult when a host organisation's corporate status changes, and clarified duty requirements for SSW (ii).

On the new-format residence card, the period of stay, type of permission and date of permission no longer appear on the card face. An update to the reader app now lets these be checked within the app.

The Immigration Services Agency has published a draft revision of the criteria for reviewing and revoking permanent residence permission, currently open for public comment (until 4 September). This remains at the draft stage and is not yet a formal decision.

The Ministry of Justice and Immigration Services Agency have published the second "Immigration Services Basic Plan" — a strategic document revised for the first time in seven years, setting out future direction including the rationalisation of permanent residence permission.

Hokkaido is holding a foreign talent recruitment and retention seminar and round-table at four venues — Asahikawa, Sapporo, Obihiro and Hakodate — with experts explaining status of residence and workplace retention.