Under the Takaichi administration, a tough stance on foreigners issues is promoted as one of its key policies—but how will it deal with the “Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services visa”? A huge loophole fueling increased immigration Moreover, the real darkness lies in the route leading to permanent residency. The Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services visa obtained after graduating from an F-rank university is itself a work visa, and while it has a limited period of stay, changing one’s status from student to this visa is the orthodox route for long-term settlement in Japan. By following this route, one becomes eligible to apply for permanent residency after generally meeting a 10-year residency requirement. During that time, one can bring over a spouse and children (under a dependent visa). Unlike the Business Manager visa, which requires economic contribution, the conditions here are comparatively lenient. This allows new graduates to bring family members from their very first year of employment. Spouses and children are permitted to work part-time for up to 28 hours per week. If necessary, the entire family can work for a compatriot’s company, and by receiving wages in cash, they can effectively reduce their tax burden without even needing permission for activities outside their visa status. There are also cases where, after bringing family members to Japan, the main visa holder resigns and lives on unemployment benefits while the entire family supports themselves through part-time work. While such loopholes remain untouched, there is also a special route that allows permanent residency applications in as little as one year. This is done by switching from the Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services visa to the Highly Skilled Professional visa. The requirements include factors such as academic degree and annual income, with a total of 70 points required (80 points allow application for permanent residency in as little as one year). The hurdle is by no means low. • New graduate full-time employee with zero work experience (employment certificate only): +10 points• Annual income of 10 million yen: +40 points• Age 29 or younger: +15 points• Passing JLPT N1: +15 points This totals 80 points. However, earning 10 million yen as a new graduate with no experience is extremely rare—limited to major listed companies or certain foreign firms—and virtually impossible. Most ordinary companies start salaries at around 3 to 5 million yen annually. That leaves the total at only 50 to 60 points. And yet, a backdoor trick exists. Beyond simply padding income by working at a compatriot-owned company, some individuals are officially employed by companies set up by relatives or acquaintances, pay income tax and social insurance on paper, and then return the remaining cash to the company. In short, as long as one can maintain the appearance of a 10-million-yen annual income, applying for permanent residency in as little as one year becomes possible. Of course, this constitutes fraud, and immigration screening has become stricter year by year. Still, for such unscrupulous individuals, the main remaining hurdle is Japanese-language proficiency. The motivation and demand behind recent incidents of impersonation and cheating in language exams—attempts to solve everything with money—lie precisely here. Are F-rank universities visa-issuing institutions? In any case, the Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services visa effectively functions as a visa promoting long-term residence and settlement, and is a major factor behind the increase in the foreign population. In reality, increases in family accompaniment have intensified competition for public housing, and publicly funded daycare centers and kindergartens are exceeding capacity—issues already reported in Saitama and Chiba. If children of families on this visa are raised through the public system from ages 0 to 18, receiving the same education and medical care as Japanese citizens, they gain benefits amounting to at least several million yen (education costs: mostly free; medical expenses: infant subsidies; child allowance: 2.1 million yen paid). Enormous amounts of public funds are being poured every year into the education, healthcare, and allowances for children of families holding this visa. Seen in this light, the 8,000 holders of the Business Manager visa begin to look insignificant. If one truly seeks reform without sacred cows, the real core of the immigration issue lies with F-rank universities that have effectively become Engineer/Specialist visa issuing institutions. However, it is Japan itself that has welcomed increased immigration through subsidies and institutional design once these students were accepted as university students. Without self-reflection, merely changing tactics while continuing to dig one’s own grave cannot be denied. If total-volume restrictions are to be implemented swiftly, the quickest solution would be to close the biggest hole—foreign students and universities that cannot survive without subsidies. Otherwise, the Japanese public’s wallet will be exhausted.