Japan to raise visa fees for foreign residents next fiscal year

Japan will substantially hike visa issuance fees for foreign residents in the next fiscal year and utilize the additional revenue to strengthen policies supporting multiculturalism, government sources said Thursday.The new fees come amid a rise in foreign residents in the country, with the cost of changing visa status or reissuing for a term of one year or longer to be hiked by up to 40,000 yen ($250) or so from the current 6,000 yen. A permanent residency visa may be upped to over 100,000 yen from 10,000 yen.The new fees are expected to be in line with those of western countries, with the …READ FULL ARTICLE