Japan Immigration Act Amendments 2026–2027: List of Changes to the Residence System and Enforcement Dates

Note: This article is based on Japanese laws and materials published by the Immigration Services Agency of Japan (ISA) as of October 9, 2026.

The main changes made by amendments to the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act (入管法; the "Immigration Act") and in how statuses of residence are handled start at different times, between January 2026 and April 1, 2027. As of October 9, 2026, the revision of residence permission fees (在留手数料) and the addition of attached documents for Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services (技術・人文知識・国際業務) have already started. The Employment for Skill Development (ESD) Program (育成就労制度), the revocation of the status of residence of "Permanent Resident" (永住者), and the raising of the penalties for the offense of facilitating illegal work (不法就労助長罪) start on April 1, 2027.

This article is a list of what changes, for whom, and from when. Detailed explanations of each topic are left to the linked articles.

List of changes that started in 2026

As of October 9, 2026, all of the 2026 changes have started. The dates in the table are either the enforcement date or the reference date for the applications to which the new handling applies.

The basis for each row is shown in the sources in the sections below.

List of changes that start in 2027 or later

On April 1, 2027, the Employment for Skill Development Program, the revocation of the status of residence of "Permanent Resident", and the raising of the penalties for the offense of facilitating illegal work will start at the same time. The basis for these three is Act No. 60 of 2024.

The statuses are as of October 9, 2026.

The three acts that form the basis

The changes made by amendments to acts are divided among three acts. The numbers are close and the enforcement dates are easy to mix up, so please check them in the table.

Source: Immigration Services Agency of Japan, "The 2024 Amendments to the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act and Other Acts" (in Japanese), "The 2026 Act Amending the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act and Other Acts" (in Japanese)

Changes that concern all statuses of residence

The revision of residence permission fees and the Specified Residence Card concern people regardless of the type of status of residence.

Revision of residence permission fees

The fee for an extension of period of stay (在留期間の更新) and for a change of status of residence (在留資格の変更) is now 10,000 yen to 75,000 yen at the counter, depending on the period of stay that is granted. For permission for permanent residence (永住許可), it is 200,000 yen.

The new amounts apply to applications received on or after October 1, 2026. For applications received on or before September 30, the amount before the revision applies even if permission is granted on or after October 1. The amounts for each bracket are summarized in Japan Status of Residence Fee Increase, Effective October 2026.

Source: Immigration Services Agency of Japan, "Revision of Residence Permission Fee Amounts as of October 1, 2026" (in Japanese)

Specified Residence Card

Operation of the "Specified Residence Card", a residence card with the functions of the Individual Number Card (My Number Card) added to it, began on June 14, 2026. Obtaining one is optional, and you can also continue to hold a residence card and an Individual Number Card as two separate cards.

Source: Immigration Services Agency of Japan, "Application for Issuance of a Specified Residence Card" (in Japanese)

Changes that concern permanent residence

For permanent residence, the approach to examining permission (the guidelines) was revised on October 1, 2026, and the revocation system will start on April 1, 2027.

Revision of the Guidelines for Permission for Permanent Residence

The revised guidelines apply to applications filed on or after April 1, 2027. However, the two items of income and "not being a burden on the public" (公共の負担とならないこと) are also applied to applications that were filed on or after April 1, 2026 and were under examination as of October 1. The content of the revision is summarized in Japan Permanent Residence: October 2026 Revision – Income, Japanese Language, Spouse Provisions and Timing.

Applying for permanent residence with a period of stay of "3 years"

A person who holds a period of stay of "3 years" is treated as "residing with the longest period of stay" (最長の在留期間をもって在留している) if the application is filed on or before March 31, 2027. For applications filed on or after April 1, 2027, this treatment is available only if all of the conditions are met. The conditions are explained in Can You Apply for Permanent Residence in Japan With a "3 Years" Period of Stay?.

Source: Immigration Services Agency of Japan, "Guidelines for Permission for Permanent Residence (revised on October 1, 2026)" (in Japanese), Part 6 and Note 4

Revocation of the status of residence of "Permanent Resident"

From April 1, 2027, grounds on which the status of residence of "Permanent Resident" can be revoked (grounds for revocation, 取消事由) will be added. There are three: failing to fulfill obligations under the Immigration Act, willfully failing to pay taxes or social insurance premiums, and being sentenced to imprisonment (拘禁刑) for certain crimes.

Even when one of these applies, the Minister of Justice will change the status to another status of residence ex officio, except where it is not appropriate for the person to continue to reside in Japan. Examples of who is covered are summarized in What Is Japan's Permanent Residency Revocation System?.

Source: Immigration Services Agency of Japan, "Guidelines on Revocation of the Status of Residence of "Permanent Resident"" (in Japanese), Part 1 and Part 4

Changes that concern Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services and Intra-company Transferee

Neither is an amendment to an act; both are changes to the documents submitted with an application, and they started between March and April 2026. The requirements for Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services ("Gijinkoku", 技人国) as a whole are explained in Japan Gijinkoku Visa: Complete Guide.

Gijinkoku: attached documents for Categories 3 and 4

Starting with applications filed on or after April 15, 2026, two attached documents were added for companies that fall under Category 3 or 4. The Category is a classification that divides the organization the applicant belongs to (the place of employment) into Categories 1 to 4.

What was added are the Declaration concerning the Representative of the Organization (所属機関の代表者に関する申告書) and documents showing language ability. The latter show, where the applicant mainly engages in work dealing directly with people, etc. using language ability, that the applicant's ability in the language used in the work is equivalent to CEFR B2. The work that is covered is summarized in Japan Gijinkoku Visa: CEFR B2-Equivalent Proof for Interpreting, Customer Service.

Source: Immigration Services Agency of Japan, "Status of Residence "Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services"" (in Japanese), "Notices" (お知らせ)

Gijinkoku: working as a dispatched worker

Starting with applications filed on or after March 9, 2026, the documents to be submitted when working as a dispatched worker changed. Written pledges (誓約書) from each of the dispatching company and the client (the company receiving the dispatched worker), the Notice of Employment (労働条件通知書; a written notice of working conditions), the individual worker dispatch contract (労働者派遣個別契約書) and other documents are submitted.

If the client has not been determined at the time of application, permission cannot be obtained. The handling where the client is decided after the training given immediately after hiring is explained in Japan Gijinkoku Visa: Pledges and Documents from Dispatching Company and Client.

Source: Immigration Services Agency of Japan, "Handling of Cases Where the Applicant Works as a Dispatched Worker" (in Japanese; July 2026)

Intra-company Transferee: documents to be submitted for Categories 3 and 4

From April 1, 2026, the list of documents to be submitted for Categories 3 and 4 changed. As documents showing the existence of the business office where the applicant worked before the transfer, documents on corporate registration issued by a public authority, among others, have been added. The documents that were added are summarized in Japan Intra-company Transferee Visa: Document Changes from April 2026.

Source: Immigration Services Agency of Japan, "Changes to the Documents to be Submitted for the Status of Residence "Intra-company Transferee" (in operation from April 1, 2026)" (in Japanese)

Changes that concern Specified Skilled Worker and Employment for Skill Development

For Specified Skilled Worker in the food service industry field, the issuance of Certificates of Eligibility is stopped, and the Employment for Skill Development Program will start on April 1, 2027. The Specified Skilled Worker system as a whole is explained in Japan Specified Skilled Worker (SSW) Visa: (i) vs (ii), 19 Fields, Employer Requirements and Procedures.

Specified Skilled Worker, "food service industry" field

On April 13, 2026, the ISA temporarily stopped issuing Certificates of Eligibility (the certificate used to bring a person from overseas to Japan) in the food service industry field. This is because the number of people residing in Japan was expected to exceed the expected number of acceptance (受入れ見込数; the upper limit of 50,000 people).

Applications for Change of Status of Residence (在留資格変更許可申請) to Specified Skilled Worker (i) (food service industry field) accepted on or after the same date are, in principle, denied. Applications accompanying a job change within the food service industry field, and extensions of period of stay, are examined as usual.

In the status of examination that the ISA posted on September 10, 2026 as well, the suspension is continuing. The people who fall under the exceptions are summarized in Japan Specified Skilled Worker Food Service Acceptance Suspension.

Source: Immigration Services Agency of Japan, "Operation of the Upper Limit on Acceptance in the "Food Service Industry" Field of Specified Skilled Worker" (in Japanese), "Status of Examination of Residence Applications for Specified Skilled Worker (i) (Food Service Industry Field)" (in Japanese)

Employment for Skill Development Program

Employment for Skill Development (育成就労) is a status of residence that will replace Technical Intern Training, and its purpose is to develop and secure human resources. Technical intern trainees who are in Japan as of April 1, 2027 can continue their technical intern training.

On the same day, where support for specified skilled workers (i) is outsourced to an outside party, the parties to which it can be outsourced will be limited to registered support organizations (登録支援機関). There is a transitional measure for companies that already outsource part of their support to a party other than a registered support organization. As for applications prior to the enforcement date, applications for a license for a supervising and support organization (監理支援機関) have been accepted since April 15, 2026, and applications for accreditation of an ESD Plan (育成就労計画) since September 1, 2026. The requirements for acceptance are summarized in What Is Japan's Employment for Skill Development Program?.

Source: Immigration Services Agency of Japan, "Q&A on the Employment for Skill Development Program" (in Japanese), Q3 and Q78

Changes that concern companies that employ foreign nationals

On and after April 1, 2027, the penalties for the offense of facilitating illegal work will be raised to imprisonment for not more than five years / a fine of not more than 5 million yen.

Raising of the penalties for the offense of facilitating illegal work

As of October 9, 2026, the penalties are imprisonment for not more than three years or a fine of not more than 3 million yen, or both (Article 73-2, paragraph 1 of the Immigration Act). The raising was provided for by Act No. 60 of 2024. The acts that are covered and the checks to make when hiring are explained in our article on the offense of facilitating illegal work.

Source: Immigration Services Agency of Japan, "Explanation of the Zero Illegal Residents Plan: Package for Strong Promotion (不法滞在者ゼロプラン強力推進パッケージの解説)" (in Japanese), footnote 14

The amended Gyoseishoshi Act

A person who is not a Gyoseishoshi (行政書士; administrative scrivener, officially "Certified Administrative Procedures Legal Specialist") or a Gyoseishoshi corporation (行政書士法人) may not prepare documents to be submitted to public agencies as a business (業として; that is, on a regular basis) (except where another act provides otherwise, among other cases). The amendment that came into effect on January 1, 2026 added to this provision the wording "at the request of others and for a fee, regardless of the name under which it is received" (他人の依頼を受けいかなる名目によるかを問わず報酬を得て), and put in place a provision under which a fine is also imposed on the corporation. How this relates to status of residence application documents is summarized in Gyoseishoshi Act Amendment (Effective Jan 2026).

Source: Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, "Outline of the Act Partially Amending the Gyoseishoshi Act" (in Japanese)

Changes that concern Student, naturalization and Temporary Visitor

The reviews for Student and for naturalization started in 2026. For JESTA, which authorizes, before entry, people who stay as Temporary Visitors under an exemption from the visa (査証) requirement and others, the enforcement date has not been indicated (as of October 9, 2026).

Student: confirming the Japanese language proficiency of people enrolling in Japanese language institutions

It has become mandatory to confirm the Japanese language proficiency of people enrolling in Japanese language institutions by a test certificate or by an interview. For a change of status of residence and an extension of period of stay, this has applied to applications filed on or after July 1, 2026. For a Certificate of Eligibility, it applies from the applications of students who enroll in or after October 2026.

Educational institutions are also required to check the status of international students' part-time jobs (activities other than those permitted under the status of residence, 資格外活動) once every three months. Who is covered and the exceptions are summarized in Japan Student Visa: Japanese Proficiency Checks and Keeping Track of Part-Time Work.

Source: Immigration Services Agency of Japan, "Partial Review of the Handling of Persons Enrolling in Japanese Language Institutions" (in Japanese)

Examination of naturalization applications

At a press conference on March 27, 2026, the Minister of Justice announced that the examination of naturalization applications would be reviewed from April 1. The content is to require, in principle, that the person has resided in Japan for 10 years or more, and to lengthen the period over which the payment status of taxes and social insurance premiums is checked. The residence requirement (住所条件) of five years or more provided for in the Nationality Act (国籍法) remains unchanged as the premise.

Source: Ministry of Justice, "Summary of the Minister of Justice's Press Conference after the Cabinet Meeting (March 27, 2026)" (in Japanese)

Summary

All of the 2026 changes, including the revision of residence permission fees, have started. On April 1, 2027, the Employment for Skill Development Program, the revocation of the status of residence of "Permanent Resident", and the raising of the penalties for the offense of facilitating illegal work will start. The revised Guidelines for Permission for Permanent Residence will also apply as a whole to applications filed on or after the same date.

First, in the "Who is affected" column of the lists, check the rows that apply to your company or to you. Then, by reading the linked articles, you can check the requirements and the required documents. What is relevant for each status of residence held by the foreign nationals you employ is something we check together with you in a consultation on work visas.

References

• Immigration Services Agency of Japan, "The 2024 Amendments to the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act and Other Acts" (in Japanese)
• Immigration Services Agency of Japan, "Overview of the Amended Act (Establishment of the Employment for Skill Development Program, etc.)" (in Japanese)
• Immigration Services Agency of Japan, "The 2026 Act Amending the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act and Other Acts" (in Japanese)
• Immigration Services Agency of Japan, "Revision of Residence Permission Fee Amounts as of October 1, 2026" (in Japanese; including the leaflet)
• Immigration Services Agency of Japan, "Application for Issuance of a Specified Residence Card" (in Japanese)
• Immigration Services Agency of Japan, "Guidelines for Permission for Permanent Residence (revised on October 1, 2026)" (in Japanese)
• Immigration Services Agency of Japan, "About the Guidelines on Revocation of the Status of Residence of "Permanent Resident"" (in Japanese; October 2026)
• Immigration Services Agency of Japan, "Status of Residence "Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services"" (in Japanese)
• Immigration Services Agency of Japan, "Handling of Cases Where the Applicant Works as a Dispatched Worker" (in Japanese; July 2026)
• Immigration Services Agency of Japan, "Changes to the Documents to be Submitted for the Status of Residence "Intra-company Transferee"" (in Japanese; in operation from April 1, 2026)
• Immigration Services Agency of Japan, "Operation of the Upper Limit on Acceptance in the "Food Service Industry" Field of Specified Skilled Worker" (in Japanese; March 27, 2026)
• Immigration Services Agency of Japan, "Measures to Temporarily Suspend the Issuance of Certificates of Eligibility in the "Food Service Industry" Field of Specified Skilled Worker" (in Japanese; April 13, 2026)
• Immigration Services Agency of Japan, "Status of Examination of Residence Applications for Specified Skilled Worker (i) (Food Service Industry Field)" (in Japanese; posted September 10, 2026)
• Immigration Services Agency of Japan, "Q&A on the Employment for Skill Development Program" (in Japanese)
• Immigration Services Agency of Japan, "Explanation of the Zero Illegal Residents Plan: Package for Strong Promotion" (in Japanese)
• Immigration Services Agency of Japan, "Partial Review of the Handling of Persons Enrolling in Japanese Language Institutions" (in Japanese)
• Ministry of Justice, "Summary of the Minister of Justice's Press Conference after the Cabinet Meeting (March 27, 2026)" (in Japanese)
• Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, "Outline of the Act Partially Amending the Gyoseishoshi Act" (in Japanese)
• Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act, Article 67 and Article 73-2 (current); Article 22-4, paragraph 1, items 8 and 9, and Article 22-6 (as amended by Act No. 60 of 2024; coming into effect on April 1, 2027; the item numbers differ from those in the current text) (e-Gov Laws and Regulations Search, in Japanese)
• Gyoseishoshi Act, Article 1-3, Article 19, paragraph 1, and Article 23-3 (e-Gov Laws and Regulations Search, in Japanese)