Major reform of the Business Manager Visa from Oct 16

On October 16, 2025, the Business Manager Visa (residence status “Business Management”) was significantly revised and implemented.
The key points of the revision are as follows.

After the revision, the requirements will be systematically stricter in terms of “capital,” “employment of personnel,” “management experience and academic background,” “Japanese language ability,” and “expert verification,” significantly raising the hurdles for foreigners establishing companies and obtaining visas.

Immigration Services Agency of Japan Website: Amendments to the Ministerial Ordinance on Landing Criteria, etc., concerning the “Business Manager” residence status.

Main Points of the Revision

• Significant increase in capital requirements: Minimum capital or total investment increased from 5 million yen to 30 million yen.
• Management experience and academic background requirements: Applicants must have either “at least 3 years of management experience” or “a master’s degree or higher in business or a related field.”
• Obligation to employ full-time staff: It is mandatory to employ at least one full-time employee (Japanese national, permanent resident, their spouse, long-term resident, etc.).
• Addition of Japanese language proficiency requirement: Either the applicant or a full-time employee must possess a sufficient level of Japanese language proficiency (JLPT N2, etc.).
• Expert verification of business plan: Pre-verification (evaluation and certification) of the new business plan by a specialist such as a small and medium-sized enterprise consultant, certified public accountant, or tax accountant is mandatory at the time of application.
• Business premises requirements: Home offices are not permitted. A dedicated business premises is required.
• Others. Management that lacks substance, such as one primarily based on outsourcing, will not be recognized, and the substance of the business and its long-term stable operation will be strictly evaluated.

Transitional Measures and Points to Note

• These new standards will also apply to existing visa holders from the next renewal (a flexible approach may be taken as a transitional measure for three years after implementation (October 16, 2025 – October 16, 2028)).
• All criteria must be met simultaneously when applying; individual flexible judgments and “loopholes” are eliminated.
• Because the “authenticity” and “future prospects” of the business will be more strictly scrutinized than under the old standards (until October 15, 2025), expert support is crucial.

If you are requesting company incorporation services that involve applying for a business management visa, we can connect you with an administrative scrivener for the visa application and a tax accountant for reviewing the business plan. Please feel free to contact me.