Japan to Boost Immigration Agency Staff by 200 – Crackdown on Illegal Residents & Faster Processing

Xavi
22 hours ago
3 min read

Updated: 7 hours ago

Japan to increase Immigration Services Agency staff by 200 for enforcement against illegal residents and faster processing. — Japan to increase Immigration Services Agency staff by 200 to strengthen enforcement against illegal residents

TOKYO — July 23, 2026 — The Japanese government is planning to increase the number of employees at the Immigration Services Agency by about 200 starting next fiscal year , informed sources said Wednesday. The personnel increase is aimed at strengthening enforcement against illegal residents and speeding up residency status screenings amid the growing number of foreign residents in Japan.

According to sources, a revision of the ordinance to implement the increase is anticipated to be approved at a Cabinet meeting as soon as this month.

Quick Facts: Japan Immigration Agency Staff Increase 2026

Feature	Details
Staff Increase	Approximately 200 additional employees
Implementation	Starting next fiscal year
Fiscal 2025 Staff	6,499 total employees (1,687 immigration control officers, 3,988 immigration inspectors)
Increase Since FY 2020	Up 633 employees
Illegal Residents (as of Jan 2026)	68,488
Government Package Announced	May 2026 (strengthened measures)

Why Japan Is Increasing Immigration Staff

Growing Number of Foreign Residents

Japan's foreign resident population has reached record levels, putting significant pressure on the Immigration Services Agency's resources. The agency had 6,499 employees in fiscal 2025 , but the workload has grown substantially alongside the increasing number of foreign nationals living and working in Japan.

Need for Faster Processing

The personnel increase is designed to:

Speed up residency status screenings for foreign nationals
Reduce processing backlogs for visa and residency applications
Improve service delivery for legal foreign residents

Strengthening Enforcement Against Illegal Residents

While the number of foreign nationals staying in Japan illegally stood at 68,488 as of January 2026 , even after two straight years of decrease , the government sees a need for stronger enforcement.

The Government's Broader Strategy

May 2026 Policy Package

In May 2026, the Justice Ministry announced a new policy package aimed at strengthening measures against foreign nationals staying in the country illegally, including :

Increasing the agency's staff to crack down on businesses facilitating illegal employment
Collecting related information on social media
Strengthening enforcement mechanisms

Recent Changes Supporting Enforcement

The staff increase complements other recent measures:

Business Manager Visa Changes: In October 2025, the minimum capital requirement for the Business Manager visa was raised from ¥5 million to ¥30 million to prevent abuse
Residency Fee Hikes: Permanent residency costs increased to ¥200,000 from October 2026
Visa Fee Increases: Single-entry visa fees raised from ¥3,000 to ¥15,000 from July 2026

What This Means for Employers and Foreign Nationals

For Foreign Nationals

Impact	Details
Faster Processing	Expected reductions in residency status screening times
Stricter Enforcement	Increased scrutiny on illegal residents and overstays
Improved Services	Better support for legal foreign residents
Stronger Social Media Monitoring	Enhanced detection of illegal employment

For Employers

Increased scrutiny on businesses hiring foreign workers
Stricter penalties for facilitating illegal employment
Significance of adhering to immigration and employment regulations
Documentation requirements likely to remain strict

Budgetary Context

The Cabinet Approved a Smaller 2026 Budget

The Cabinet approved the 2026 budget in December 2025, allocating ¥115.5 trillion in general account spending, which represented a reduction of about ¥2.6 trillion from the initial 2025 budget, marking the first cut in 12 years . Despite this overall budget reduction, the government is prioritising the immigration agency staff increase to address critical enforcement and processing needs.

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