The conditions for Business Manager Visas have been significantly changed.

Dear all,

A new ministerial ordinance was announced last week on October 10th.

As a result, the conditions for Business Manager Visas have been significantly changed.

This ordinance will come into effect on October 16, 2025.

The new standards will apply to applications made after this date.

In addition, current Business Manager Visa holders will be required to meet the new standards when applying for visa renewals after October 16, 2028, three years after the new ordinance's implementation date.

Please see below for an overview of the changes.

For more detailed information, please refer to the guidelines below, "Regarding the Revision of the Permission Standards for Business Managers.

2025/10/15

Yoshihisa Takenaka

"Review of the 'Business Manager/Manager' Status of Residence Requirements"

(The following is an English translation of the attached file (Summary of Revisions) from the web page of the Immigration Services Agency.)

		Current Requirement	Revised Requirement
1	Capital/Total Investment	5 million yen	30 million yen
2	Career/Academic Background (Manager)	None	3 years or more of business management experience (Note 2) OR Acquisition of a master's degree or higher equivalent in business administration or the business field of the enterprise to be managed
3	Employment Obligation	None (Requirement for 2 or more employees as an alternative to the capital requirement)	Obligation to employ one or more full-time employees (Note 3)
4	Japanese Language Ability	None	The applicant or one of the full-time employees must possess a considerable level of Japanese language ability (Note 4)
5	Confirmation by Expert at the Time of Status of Residence Decision	None	Obligation to obtain confirmation of the new business plan by a person with specialized knowledge of business management (excluding cases such as those on a scale equivalent to a listed company)

Notes:

(Note 1) For those already residing in Japan, the principle is to require conformity to the revised landing permission criteria from the first application for permission for extension of the period of stay after three years have passed from the enforcement.

(Note 2) "Business management experience" includes startup preparation activities based on the "Designated Activities" status of residence.

(Note 3) The term "Full-time employees" exclude those who reside with the status of residence in the upper column of Appended Table 1 of the Act, and include Japanese nationals, special permanent residents, and those who reside with the status of residence in Appended Table 2 of the Act ("permanent residents," "spouse or child of a Japanese national," "spouse or child of a permanent resident," and "long-term residents").

(Note 4) A considerable level of Japanese language proficiency is assumed to be equivalent to CEFR B2. Note that the term "full-time staff" here also includes foreign nationals residing in Japan with a status of residence in the upper column of Appended Table 1 of the Act.

(This is the English translation of the attached file (Guidelines for the Revision of the Permission Criteria for Business Manager Status of Residence) from the web page of the Immigration Services Agency.)

(Published on October 10, Reiwa 7 [2025])

Regarding the Revision of the Permission Standards for "Business Manager," (Enforcement Date: October 16, Reiwa 7 [2025])

Main Revision Details

5.Handling of the Business Plan

• The business plan submitted at the time of status of residence determination will be required to be confirmed by a person with specialized knowledge of management (Note) as a document that assesses the plan as having concreteness, rationality, and feasibility (Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act Enforcement Regulations, Appended Table III, "Activities listed in the lower column of the 'Business Manager' item of Appended Table I (2) of the Act," Item 1(i)).

• (Note) As of the enforcement date, the following persons are deemed to be the said person:

• Small and Medium Enterprise Management Consultant (Chusho Kigyo Shindanshi)
• Certified Public Accountant (Kōnin Kaikeishi)
• Tax Accountant (Zeirishi)

• In addition, please note that engaging in the creation of application documents, etc., to be submitted to government agencies for a fee as a business by anyone other than a lawyer or administrative scrivener may constitute a violation of the Administrative Scrivener Act.

Application Handling

1. Business Content
   • If the actual state of activity as a manager is not sufficiently recognized, such as when outsourcing all operations, it will be treated as not being engaged in activities that fall under the "Business Manager" status of residence.
2. Business Office
   • As it is necessary to secure an office for conducting business activities corresponding to the revised scale, etc., using one's residence also as the business office is, in principle, not permitted.
3. Application for Permanent Residence, etc.
   • If the applicant does not conform to the revised permission standards after the enforcement date, the following will not be approved:
     • Applications for permanent residence from "Business Manager," "Highly Skilled Professional (i)(c)," or "Highly Skilled Professional (ii)" (those based on "Business Manager" activities).
     • Applications for change of status of residence from "Highly Skilled Professional (i)(c)" to "Highly Skilled Professional (ii)".
4. Departure from Japan During Stay
   • If the applicant has departed from Japan for a long period without justifiable reason during their period of stay, permission for extension of the period of stay will not be granted, as the actual state of activity in Japan will be deemed non-existent.
5. Fulfillment of Public Dues (Taxes and Social Security Contributions)
   • At the time of application for extension of the period of stay, the fulfillment status of the following public dues payment obligations will be confirmed:
     1.  Labor Insurance Application Status
        • Fulfillment of qualification acquisition for employment insurance
        • Fulfillment of insurance premium payment for employment insurance
        • Status of application procedures for workers' compensation insurance
     2. Social Insurance Application Status
        • Fulfillment of qualification acquisition for health insurance and employees' pension insurance
        • Fulfillment of payment of the above social insurance premiums
     3. Payment Status of the Following National and Local Taxes Payable by the Business Office
        • In the case of a corporation:
          • National Tax: Withholding income tax and special income tax for reconstruction, corporation tax, consumption tax, and local consumption tax
          • Local Tax: Corporate resident tax, corporate enterprise tax
        • In the case of a sole proprietor
          • National Tax: Withholding income tax and special income tax for reconstruction, self-assessment income tax and special income tax for reconstruction, consumption tax and local consumption tax, inheritance tax, gift tax
          • Local Tax: Individual resident tax, individual enterprise tax
6. Acquisition of Necessary Permits and Licenses for Operating a Business
   • Submission of documents proving the status of acquisition of necessary permits and licenses related to the business operated by the applicant will be requested.
   • (Note) If there is a justifiable reason, such as the inability to acquire the permit or license until after receiving the status of residence, submission will be requested at the time of the next application for an extension of the period of stay.

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