What is a Business Management Visa?
A business/management visa is a visa for foreign nationals residing in Japan for the purpose of operating a business.
Since a Business Manager visa requires an investment of 5 million yen in the application process, as well as rent for the business premises, and other taxes, many people may be thinking about taking on a part-time job or other side job until their business gets on track.
If you know any Japanese entrepreneurs, you may have heard their stories of hardship, such as working part-time at a convenience store late at night until their business got on track, or working part-time as a traffic maintenance worker or security guard to make ends meet.
This page explains whether you can have a side job (part-time job) with a business manager visa.
You cannot have a side job (part-time job) with a business manager visa
In conclusion, unfortunately, you cannot work part-time on a business manager visa. This is because, unlike Japanese people, the activities that foreigners can engage in in Japan are limited to the scope permitted by their visa.
As mentioned above, a Business Manager visa is a visa for operating a business. Since part-time work is an activity other than operating a business, if a foreigner on a Business Manager visa does it, it becomes an “unauthorized activity” and is illegal.
Can I not get permission to engage in activities outside of my visa status?
Foreigners who have stayed in Japan for study abroad or other reasons may be aware of the “permission to engage in activities outside of those permitted under the status of residence permitted under the visa status of residence” system.
This is a system that allows certain “activities outside of those permitted under the visa status of residence” in certain cases.
For example, a student visa is a visa for attending school in Japan, so working part-time is considered “unauthorized activity.” However, if you receive permission to engage in unauthorised activity, you will be allowed to work part-time for up to 28 hours a week.
In theory, it is possible to obtain permission to engage in activities other than those permitted under the status of residence granted under the Business Manager visa.
However, in practice, foreigners on a Business Manager visa will not be granted permission to engage in activities other than those permitted under the status of residence granted under the status of residence granted under the status of residence granted under the Business Manager visa even if they apply for such permission.
Therefore, from this perspective, it can be said that you cannot work part-time on a business manager visa.
What happens if I work part-time on a business manager visa?
If the immigration bureau finds out that you are engaging in part-time work or other activities outside of the scope of your visa status, it may result in your business manager visa being rejected when you apply to renew it.
Also, if you spend too much time on part-time work and barely manage your main business, your Business Manager visa may be revoked.
In the worst case scenario, you may be subject to criminal penalties such as imprisonment or fines, and may even be forced to leave Japan.
Engage in business management activities as a side job
A slightly different case is when a foreigner on a different work visa (Engineer, Specialist in Humanities, International Services, etc.) wants to start up and run a company as a side job while still working.
In this case, unlike a side job on a Business Manager visa, it may be permitted. However, you need to be aware of the following two points.
① Does it violate the rules of your current company?
Depending on the company you work for, your employment contract or work rules may prohibit you from having a side job.
In this case, even if it is legal under immigration law, you cannot start up a company and manage and operate it as a side job.
②Permission to engage in activities other than that permitted under the status of residence previously granted
As mentioned above, managing a company on a visa other than a business manager visa is considered an activity other than that permitted under the status of residence permitted by the visa holder, so you will need to obtain permission to engage in activities other than that permitted under the status of residence permitted by the visa holder to “manage and manage the company.”
There is a greater chance of getting permission to engage in activities outside the scope of your status of residence as a part-time worker with a Business Manager visa.
However, it is important to note that since the official Business Manager visa is already available, it is generally difficult to get permission to engage in activities outside the scope of your status of residence.
For highly skilled professional visas
If you have an Advanced Professional visa, you are legally allowed to run a company related to your visa as a side job.
Please note that this is only a side job, so you cannot run a company as your main activity.
In addition, running an unrelated company is considered an unlicensed activity and is therefore illegal, so we recommend that you have an expert make a judgment before establishing a company.
Conclusion
A business manager visa is a difficult visa to obtain in the first place, but as mentioned above,Since you are not allowed to take on part-time work as a stopgap until your business gets on track, this is a visa that is difficult to maintain even after being obtained.
It is important to prepare solid cash flow and business plans from the start of your company so that you do not find yourself unable to make ends meet even during periods when sales are low.
