Japan likely to raise immigration fees
Japan's House of Representatives on Tuesday passed a bill to raise the ceiling on fees for immigration procedures, making it likely to be enacted during the current parliamentary session ending in July, Jiji Press reported.
The amendment to the immigration control and refugee recognition law was approved by a majority vote at a plenary meeting of the lower chamber of the Diet, with backing from the Liberal Democratic Party-led ruling camp and opposition parties including the Democratic Party for the People and Sanseito.
If the bill clears the House of Councillors, the upper chamber, the new fees would be implemented within this fiscal year, which ends next March.
Under the revision, the ceiling would be raised to 100,000 yen for permission to change residence status and extend the period of stay and to 300,000 yen for permanent residence permission. Actual fees would be determined based on a relevant ordinance within these limits.
Currently, the fee cap for the three categories is 10,000 yen.
Earlier, it was reported that the Japanese government was considering eliminating face-to-face immigration checks for most foreign tourists as part of efforts to simplify entry procedures and manage the growing number of international visitors.