TOKYO - The government plans to raise the bar for granting permanent residency to foreigners by requiring incomes higher than the average for Japanese households and a certain level of projected pension benefits, a source familiar with the matter said Saturday.
The government will revise relevant guidelines on Oct. 1 and start introducing them from applications submitted next April in principle.
Under the current guidelines, the three requirements for obtaining permanent residency are "good conduct," the possession of assets or skills sufficient to maintain an independent livelihood and a determination that the person's permanent residency is in the "best interests" of Japan.
By revising the guidelines, an applicant will additionally be required to have an annual income in excess of the average for a Japanese household as well as projected pension benefits based on that income equivalent to enrollment in an employees' pension program for 30 years.
If the projected pension benefits fall short, applicants will be able to meet the threshold by making up the difference with savings and other assets.
In deciding whether an applicant's permanent residency is in the "best interests" of Japan, the new rules will also call for taking into account the person's Japanese language abilities and understanding of the country's rules.
As of the end of last year, a total of 947,000 people held permanent residency status.
