Japan to raise residency fees by up to 2,900% despite deepening labour crisis

Settling in Japan as a foreign national is about to become much more expensive after the government passed legislation to sharply increase visa application fees. Critics argue the policy is short-sighted amid a worsening labour shortage, but conservatives have dismissed such concerns, insisting that robots and artificial intelligence will soon replace workers in low-paid, service-sector roles. Detractors also contend the legislation is designed to deter less affluent migrants from developing...

By Julian Ryall