[2026] Summary of Immigration System Changes｜The Big Picture of What Changed This Year and What Is Coming

2026 is a year in which immigration system changes have been concentrated as never before. Higher fees, the integration of the residence card and the My Number Card, the review of the “Student” status operation, and the expansion of Specified Skilled Worker fields alongside a suspension of acceptance — all are changes that directly affect practice, yet because each was announced separately, the big picture is hard to grasp.

This article organizes what changes when chronologically, and, with a quick-reference table, guides you as to which changes are relevant in your situation. The details are compiled in individual articles, so please read from wherever you need.

Sources: Various publications of the Immigration Services Agency. All dates and figures in this article are based on the published content of that Agency and of the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare. Items whose enforcement date is not fixed are clearly marked “scheduled.”

The 2026 changes in chronological order

Timing	What changed / will change	Status
Jan 23, Reiwa 8	Specified Skilled Worker fields expanded from 16 to 19 (cabinet decision)	Decided
April, Reiwa 8	Strengthened tracking of students’ activities outside status by Japanese-language institutions	In operation
April 13, Reiwa 8	Suspension of Certificate of Eligibility issuance for Specified Skilled Worker (i) in the food-service field	In effect
May 22, Reiwa 8	”Zero Illegal Residents Plan — Powerful Promotion Package” published	Published
May 29, Reiwa 8	Amended Immigration Control Act enacted (higher fee ceilings, creation of JESTA). Promulgated June 5	Enacted
June 14, Reiwa 8	Launch of the Specified Residence Card. The residence-card format also changed	In operation
July 1, Reiwa 8	Stricter Japanese-language check for students (from applications for change of status / extension)	Applied
October, Reiwa 8	Same as above (for Certificate of Eligibility applications, from students planning to enroll in October or later)	Scheduled
Up to March 31, Reiwa 9	Fee increase for residence procedures (actual amounts set by cabinet order)	Enforcement date TBD
April 1, Reiwa 9	Enforcement of the Employment for Skill Development system (developmental dissolution of the Technical Intern Training system)	Scheduled
Up to March 31, Reiwa 11	Enforcement of JESTA (electronic travel authorization system)	Enforcement date TBD

Quick reference by situation

Students

This concerns both those entering Japanese-language institutions and those already enrolled.

• The method of checking Japanese-language ability has changed. The previously accepted proof of “150 hours or more of Japanese study” can no longer be used; a test certificate or confirmation by interview becomes necessary. → Stricter Japanese-Language Check for the Student Visa
• Tracking of part-time work has been strengthened. The Japanese-language institution you attend now confirms, once every three months, whether you have permission, your workplace, the content, and your daily hours, and keeps records. Managing the 28-hour limit is more important than ever. → Strengthened Tracking of Students’ Part-Time Work

Company staff who employ foreign nationals

Many of the 2026 changes affect the checking practices on the company side.

• The residence-card format has changed. The new format issued on or after June 14, Reiwa 8 does not show the period of stay on the card face. Checking the IC chip via the reader app becomes the premise. → Checking the IC Chip with the Residence Card Reader App
• The Specified Residence Card (integration of the residence card and the My Number Card) has begun. Acquisition is optional, but you should know how to handle the case where an employee acquires one. → What Is the Specified Residence Card?
• Enforcement is being strengthened. Facilitating illegal work is not excused by ignorance. → What Is the Zero Illegal Residents Plan?
• Please confirm there are no missed filings. The systems for the Immigration Services Agency and Hello Work are separate, so both are required. → Notification Obligation Calendar for Companies Employing Foreign Nationals

Companies accepting technical intern trainees

• The Employment for Skill Development system takes effect on April 1, Reiwa 9. There is much to prepare — the transition from Technical Intern Training, the handling of transfers, and relationships with supervising support organizations. → What Is the Employment for Skill Development System?

Companies using, or considering, Specified Skilled Worker

• While the fields expanded to 19, new acceptance in the food-service field has stopped. Each field has a cap on the projected number to be accepted, and acceptance can be suspended once it is reached. → Changes to the Specified Skilled Worker System

Business owners (Business Manager)

• Requests for supplementary documents are conspicuous in period-of-stay renewals. Because the review items increased with the October 16, Reiwa 7 reform, even those who have renewed many times are asked for documents they see for the first time. → Prepare for Business Manager Renewals on the Premise That Supplementary-Document Requests Will Come
• For the approval criteria themselves after the reform → Complete Guide to the Business Manager Visa

Those residing on a work status

• Fees will rise. Only the ceiling has been raised and the actual amount is undecided, but it is worth knowing when you consider the timing of a renewal or permanent-residence application. → Increase in Fees for Residence Procedures
• Forgetting to file can lead to revocation of your status. Please be especially careful when leaving or changing jobs. → Revocation of Status of Residence and Notification Obligations

Those living with family

• In a Dependent renewal, whether the dependency relationship continues is examined. → Dependent Renewal and Proving “Being Supported”
• If you are bringing over a child, whether it falls under a category of the Long-Term Resident notification is the entry point. → What Is the Long-Term Resident Notification?

Those visiting on a short stay, or inviting someone

• Once JESTA is introduced, even those coming under a visa waiver will need prior authorization. → What Is JESTA?
• Changing status after entering Japan on a short stay is, as a rule, not permitted. → Change from Short Stay to Another Status of Residence

What is not yet decided

Information on system changes mixes together what has already been enforced, what is to be enforced, and what has only a ceiling decided with the actual amount undecided. Misreading this leads to mistaking the timing of your preparations.

Item	What is decided	What is not decided
Fee increase	Ceiling amounts (change/extension 100,000 yen, permanent residence 300,000 yen)	The actual amounts (set by cabinet order) and the enforcement date
JESTA	Creation of the system, categories of covered travelers	Fees, application method, enforcement date
Employment for Skill Development	April 1, Reiwa 9 enforcement, the framework	Details of the transfer-restriction period by field
Suspension of food-service acceptance	The content of the suspension and covered procedures	The timing of resumption (published as undecided)

Note: You may see explanations such as “the renewal fee will become 100,000 yen,” but 100,000 yen is a ceiling, and the actual amount is set by cabinet order. Please be careful not to make decisions based on figures that are not yet fixed.

To prevent mistakes in a year when changes overlap

In a year when systems move at once, the following mix-ups are easy to make.

1. Confusing the ceiling with the actual amount — fees are the typical case.
2. Confusing what is enforced with what is scheduled — Employment for Skill Development is from April, Reiwa 9, and has not started yet.
3. Mistaking the conversion between the Japanese era and the Western calendar — Reiwa 7 is 2025, and Reiwa 9 is 2027. Conversion errors are seen even in other firms’ explanatory articles.
4. Assuming the same documents as last time will suffice — the Business Manager renewal is the typical case, where the review items themselves have increased.

When in doubt, checking the original text on the Immigration Services Agency website is the surest way. Our articles, too, are all prepared based on the publications of that Agency and the relevant ministries.

For those who do not know their status of residence itself

Before the system changes, those who wish to confirm the basics of their own status of residence should read from What Is Status of Residence? An Easy-to-Understand Guide to the Types and Basics. Those whose application has been denied should see When Your Residence Application Is Denied, and those doing procedures in Chiba Prefecture should see For Those Handling Residence Procedures in Chiba.

Our support

In a year of system changes, “the same as last time” does not work. Even if you are only at the stage of not knowing which changes are relevant to your situation, please feel free to consult us.

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