Data through April 2026 · updated July 2026 · part of Japan Immigration Statistics
Extending a period of stay is by far the most common procedure in Japan's immigration system — and the least understood statistically. In 2025, foreign residents filed a record 1.28 million extension applications, roughly seventeen times the number of permanent residence applications filed the same year.
The headline most applicants want: extensions are overwhelmingly approved. The approval rate has stayed between 97% and 99% for nearly two decades, through policy tightening, COVID, and record volumes.
Three observations from the series:
- Volume tracks the foreign population. Extensions roughly doubled from ~650,000 a year in the early 2010s to 1.28 million in 2025, mirroring the growth of foreign residents to a record 3.96 million.
- Denial is rare — but not random. The ~1–2% of refusals concentrate in predictable situations: activities inconsistent with the visa category, unreported job changes, and tax or insurance delinquency. The screening is light-touch precisely because the paperwork is expected to be in order.
- Contrast with permanent residence. A ~98% extension approval rate against PR's ~51–66% (see our PR analysis) shows where Japan actually applies discretion: routine stay is easy, permanent settlement is scrutinized.
The full data
| Year | New applications | Processed | Approved | Denied | Approval rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | 440,984 | 445,988 | 436,630 | 2,525 | 97.9% |
| 2008 | 443,399 | 441,909 | 434,307 | 1,951 | 98.3% |
| 2009 | 445,913 | 451,624 | 444,330 | 1,602 | 98.4% |
| 2010 | 390,692 | 396,083 | 389,439 | 1,787 | 98.3% |
| 2011 | 389,320 | 384,934 | 377,645 | 1,660 | 98.1% |
| 2012 | 419,480 | 414,379 | 407,570 | 1,343 | 98.4% |
| 2013 | 432,437 | 433,682 | 426,016 | 1,461 | 98.2% |
| 2014 | 457,293 | 451,547 | 443,703 | 1,290 | 98.3% |
| 2015 | 496,059 | 494,889 | 487,440 | 1,163 | 98.5% |
| 2016 | 548,012 | 540,722 | 532,800 | 1,168 | 98.5% |
| 2017 | 622,877 | 621,142 | 610,924 | 1,864 | 98.4% |
| 2018 | 621,092 | 619,555 | 603,043 | 4,034 | 97.3% |
| 2019 | 774,696 | 761,091 | 743,254 | 3,136 | 97.7% |
| 2020 | 889,557 | 889,177 | 873,416 | 1,999 | 98.2% |
| 2021 | 871,342 | 861,902 | 848,305 | 2,065 | 98.4% |
| 2022 | 764,564 | 768,920 | 753,923 | 1,677 | 98.0% |
| 2023 | 866,014 | 852,104 | 839,362 | 1,903 | 98.5% |
| 2024 | 1,172,385 | 1,146,867 | 1,131,093 | 1,476 | 98.6% |
| 2025 (prelim.) | 1,281,517 | 1,270,747 | 1,249,255 | 1,842 | 98.3% |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 465,673 | 396,758 | 386,157 | 905 | 97.3% |
“New applications” counts filings in that period; “processed” counts decisions issued (approvals + denials + withdrawals/other) — long-running applications mean a year's decisions include earlier filings. 2025 is our aggregation of the ISA's twelve monthly reports and may differ marginally from the official annual table when published.
Use this data
Download: extension-japan.csv (CSV, free to reuse with attribution). Compiled from the Immigration Services Agency's 出入国管理統計 via e-Stat; annual tables 2007–2024 and monthly tables through April 2026. Updated July 2026.
Cite this page:
Oak Immigration Services, “Visa Extensions in Japan: Applications and Approval Rate, 2007–2026” (July 2026), https://oak-admin.jp/japan-immigration-statistics/visa-extensions/ — data: Immigration Services Agency of Japan.
Frequently asked questions
How many visa extensions does Japan process each year?
About 1.27 million extension applications were processed in 2025 (preliminary, from Immigration Services Agency monthly data), a record volume — up from roughly 600,000–700,000 a decade earlier, tracking the growth of Japan's foreign resident population.
What percentage of visa extensions are approved in Japan?
Between 97% and 99% in every year since 2007. In 2025 approximately 98.3% of processed extension applications were approved. Refusals are rare and usually involve activity inconsistent with the visa status, unreported changes of employer, or unpaid taxes and social insurance.
Why would a visa extension be denied in Japan?
The common causes are: working outside the permitted scope of the status, an employer or job change that no longer fits the visa category, gaps in tax or social insurance payment, criminal issues, or insufficient documentation of ongoing activity. Extensions filed with consistent records are approved as a matter of routine.
Where does this data come from?
From the Immigration Services Agency's official 出入国管理統計 (Immigration Control Statistics), published on e-Stat: annual tables for 2007–2024 and monthly tables through April 2026, compiled by Oak Immigration Services. The CSV on this page is free to reuse with attribution.