What are the conditions for obtaining a business manager visa? Check the requirements and necessary documents

What is a Business Manager Visa?

As the name suggests, a business manager visa is a status of residence for engaging in business management and administrative work. Regardless of the type of business, if a foreigner wishes to conduct any business in Japan, they must obtain this visa in principle.

Requirements for obtaining a Business Management Visa

There are no educational requirements for the Business Manager Visa. This means that even foreigners who have no higher education may be able to obtain a Business Manager Visa.
In addition, if you are going to be involved in management, having work experience in a related field will be an advantage in the screening process, but work experience is not necessarily required (if you are going to be involved in management rather than management, you will need more than three years of work experience).

This may sound like an easy thing to obtain, but the hurdles to actually getting it are not low at all. Because the possibility of obtaining it is open to anyone, the very feasibility of the business you are planning to carry out in Japan will be subject to strict scrutiny.
In principle, a foreigner who wants to start a new business in Japan must meet the following requirements when obtaining a business manager visa.

Secure a business location

To obtain a visa, you must have an office with a separate area – a virtual office is not recognized as a business establishment.
In addition, a residential property cannot be used as an office. If you use the same building as both your home and office, you must clearly separate the residential and business spaces, and you must also clearly separate the payment of utility fees, etc.

The total capital or investment amount is 5 million yen, or there are two or more full-time employees.

The business to be managed or administered must be of a certain scale. Specifically, the total capital or investment must be at least 5 million yen, or there must be at least two full-time employees.
The applicant does not necessarily have to provide the capital himself, but the source of the capital will be strictly checked. Therefore, it is necessary to provide a reasonable explanation to the Immigration Bureau about the fundraising process.

Demonstrate the appropriateness, stability, and continuity of the business

You need to demonstrate the appropriateness, stability, and continuity of the business you are about to start through a business plan, etc. We will explain this in more detail later.

The applicant will effectively manage the business

Foreigners who apply for a Business Manager Visa must actually be engaged in managing the business. It is not permitted to only lend your name and not actually be involved in management.
On the other hand, this also means that it is difficult for multiple foreigners to obtain Business Manager Visas as co-managers. This is because, in reality, it is difficult to imagine that a newly launched venture business will require more than two full-time managers.
If the business scale is large, visas may be granted for more than two people, but it is generally safe to assume that a business manager visa will be issued for only one person when starting up a business.
If two people wish to apply for visas, one person could apply for a Business Manager visa as the business owner, and the other could apply for a Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services visa as an employee.

Required Documents for Business Administration Visa Application

The documents required for application for a Certificate of Eligibility for a Business Manager visa are as follows:

[Documents for applicants]
Application for Certificate of Eligibility for Residence Status
Resumes (including educational and work history)
Documents explaining the process of forming capital contributions

[Company documents]
Copy of corporate account
A copy of the office lease agreement
office photos
Certificate of company registration
Copy of Articles of Incorporation
A copy of the minutes of the shareholders’ meeting at which the compensation of directors and corporate auditors was resolved
business plan
Copy of consent form
Copies of resolutions of appointment and location of head office
Copy of the resolution for selection of representative director at the time of incorporation
Copy of letter of acceptance of office
Copy of Certificate of Payment
Contracts, invoices, etc. exchanged with suppliers and customers
A copy of the notification of establishment of a payroll payment office, etc. (with the stamp of acceptance from the tax office)
A copy of the application form for approval of the special term for payment of withholding income tax (with the stamp of acceptance from the tax office)
A copy of the notification of incorporation (with the receipt stamp of the tax office)
A copy of the application for approval of blue tax return (with the receipt stamp of the tax office)
A copy of the business overview of the corporation (at the time of incorporation) (with the stamp of acceptance from the tax office)

Key points for business manager visa certification

Of the requirements for obtaining a business management visa explained earlier, perhaps the most elusive is demonstrating the appropriateness, stability, and continuity of the business. Let’s take a closer look at what the key points of the examination are.

① Appropriateness of the business

Since you will be conducting business in Japan, you must of course comply with Japanese law. It goes without saying that you need to conduct business legally, but you should also check that there are no problems with your sources of raw materials and products, your sales destinations, and other routes.
Licenses and permits are required if you are running a restaurant, accommodation business, or alcohol sales business. Make sure to check in advance whether licenses and permits are required for the business you are planning to run.
Also, be aware that when you establish a company, you are required to enroll in social insurance. Even if your company does not employ any employees and only has the president as an employee, it is mandatory to enroll in social insurance.

②Business stability

The stability of a business is primarily determined by the contents of its business plan. If the products or services to be offered are not clearly defined and only exist as vague concepts, the risk of rejection increases. The business plan must clearly specify what products or services will be provided, at what price range, and to which customers.
Attaching contracts or agreements exchanged with business partners can also serve as a positive factor in demonstrating business stability. If suppliers or buyers have already been identified, it is advisable to proactively present such documents as supporting evidence.
This kind of detailed and well-supported information enhances the credibility of a business plan and helps establish confidence in its stability. Let me know if you’d like any refinements.
The numbers in your income statement are also extremely important.If reasonable figures are listed for product pricing, purchasing prices, selling and administrative expenses, etc., and there is a clear outlook for profits, then the business can be deemed to be sufficiently stable.On the other hand, if the income statement is poorly prepared, the stability of the business will be called into question.

③ Business continuity

Business continuity is an issue that mainly comes up when renewing your visa. If you have excessive debts, there is a high risk that your renewal will not be approved. To avoid this situation, please make a solid income and expenditure plan in advance.

Renewal of Business Manager Visa after Approval

As mentioned above, the most important thing to be careful of when renewing a visa is to ensure that the company does not become insolvent. Insolvency does not mean simply having a deficit, but a situation in which the total liabilities exceed the total assets. If you apply for a visa renewal while insolvent, there is a very high risk that your application will be rejected.
It goes without saying that even if you are not in debt, a deficit is not desirable. If your financial statements show a deficit, you will need to follow up in some way, such as submitting a revised business plan and showing a reasonable path to turning a profit.
It is also important to properly fulfill the aforementioned social insurance enrollment, payment of insurance premiums, and tax obligations such as income tax and corporate tax.

Please consult with an administrative scrivener to obtain a business management visa.

When applying for a business manager visa, it is important to keep in mind the key points of the examination. In particular, the business plan must be persuasive enough to convince the Immigration Bureau. In addition, it is thought that creating articles of incorporation is also very difficult for foreigners.
If you have any concerns about visa applications or company incorporation procedures, we recommend that you first consult with a highly specialized administrative scrivener.