Sanseito bill seeks to replace Japan Immigration Services Agency with new office
Sanseito files Diet bill to fold Immigration Services Agency into new foreigner control office
Sanseito submitted a bill to the House of Councillors on June 17 to create a Cabinet Office agency that would centralize all policy on foreign nationals, party communications and Japanese media reported. The proposed body would absorb or replace the Immigration Services Agency, consolidating residence management, visa policy and oversight of foreign residents under one roof.
The bill is a proposal only. Nothing has passed and no enactment dates exist. Sanseito remains a small opposition force after its 2025 upper house surge on a "Japanese First" platform, so the filing functions largely as a marker pushing the immigration debate rightward.
The current Diet session runs through July 17, 2026.
Who would feel it if pieces become law
Sanseito's text doesn't spell out concrete rules for travelers or residents, but the party backs tighter monitoring of foreign residents and restrictions on their access to healthcare and capital ownership.
Parallel proposals already circulating in the ruling coalition give a clearer sense of direction:
- Tripling the international departure tax from 1,000 yen to 3,000 yen
- Raising single-entry visa fees from 3,000 yen to a 10,000-15,000 yen range
- Denying residency renewals to foreigners with unpaid taxes or social insurance
- Formal data-sharing between immigration, tax offices and health insurance systems
- A harder driver's license conversion test (50 questions, 90% pass mark) and a ban on temporary visitors converting overseas licenses
A May 2026 law also created a national intelligence bureau with cross-ministerial reach, part of the same centralizing trend Sanseito is tapping.
What nomads and expats should track
Nothing in this bill changes paperwork, fees or status checks today. Visa applications, residence card renewals and entry procedures continue under existing Immigration Services Agency rules.
Long-term residents with outstanding tax or social insurance balances are the most exposed group if any version of the enforcement package advances, because data-sharing between agencies is the piece both Sanseito and the LDP agree on. Remote workers on short stays should watch the departure tax and visa fee proposals in the FY 2026 tax reform framework, which move on a separate track from the Sanseito bill.
Read our full Japan guide for the complete picture on residency, visas and current nomad news.
Frequently asked questions
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