Japan Immigration News

(The Mainichi)Japan immigration agency fee hike plan raises concerns over burden on asylum applicants

Release Date
2026-07-06
Media
The Mainichi
Summary
Japan’s Immigration Services Agency has proposed higher residence fees based on length of stay, with shorter-term residents paying more frequently and therefore bearing a heavier total burden. The agency says the increase is needed to cover staffing, screening systems, deportation enforcement, and integration programs.

Refugee applicants may be especially affected because many receive short “designated activities” stays and must renew repeatedly while often unable to work. The draft would also limit fee reductions to those receiving official protective assistance, which may exclude many financially struggling applicants. Refugee support groups argue that residence status should not depend on ability to pay and call for broader fee reductions, noting that several countries, including the U.K., Canada, France, and Germany, do not charge fees while refugee applications are pending.
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