TOKYO (Kyodo) -- The number of foreigners holding business manager visas who left Japan without applying for reentry permits nearly quadrupled in the first half of 2026 from a year earlier, government data showed Thursday.

The sharp increase came to light ahead of Friday's first anniversary of Japan's tightening of business manager visa requirements, including raising the minimum capital requirement to 30 million yen ($190,000) from 5 million yen.

The number rose to 953 from 246 in the same period in 2025, according to Immigration Services Agency statistics. Under Japan's immigration system, foreign residents who leave without obtaining reentry permits lose their existing residence status.

The business manager visa allows foreigners to start, operate or manage a business in Japan. The number of visa holders grew to 46,781 at the end of 2025, about 1.7 times the figure at the end of 2020, but the system came under scrutiny after revelations that some people had established companies with no actual operations solely to obtain the visa.

Under the tightened requirements, applicants must also employ at least one full-time staff member.

Immigration agency data showed that the monthly number of departures without reentry permits remained in double digits through November 2025 but rose to triple digits in December, reaching 226 in June this year.

The changes are part of a broader tightening of regulations for foreign residents, including higher fees for residence status applications.