Business Management Visa

Business management visa and capital

Business management visa and capital: Recommended for these people

  • I want to do business in Japan as a foreigner! I want to start a company!
  • I’m interested in Japan’s “Business Manager Visa”, but I don’t really understand it and I’m having trouble.
  • I would like to know about the capital required to obtain a business manager visa.
  • I’m worried that I will have to pay a large amount of money to obtain a business manager visa.
  • I heard that money (capital) is required to obtain a business manager visa. I don’t know how to pay for it.

This article contains useful information for the above people in an easy-to-understand manner. Of course, it is also a must-read for anyone who is interested in the Business Manager Visa.

Overview of Business Manager Visa and Capital

(1) Capital for those seeking a business manager visa

Establishing a company to obtain a business management visa

In order to obtain a business manager visa, you are required to establish a company prior to applying for the visa. Some people may say, “I didn’t know that, I’ve never heard of that before.” In any case, it can be said that starting a company is a fairly common way to start a business.

Capital to establish a company

The next question that arises is the procedure for establishing a company. How do you establish a company in Japan?

One part of this process is the “payment of capital, etc.”Many people who are aiming to obtain a business manager visa have questions about this capital.

It seems that many people who have good ideas and business skills miss out on opportunities to succeed as managers because they have a misunderstanding about capital. I’m sure that many of you reading this article don’t know much about capital.

(2) What you can learn from this article

In this article, you will learn the following points. Note that the following description is based on the assumption that you are a joint-stock company.

  • Do I have to pay anything to set up a company in Japan as a foreigner?
  • How to pay capital
  • What to do to establish a company after paying the capital
  • The most important thing to note about capital for business management visas

So, I will explain these points in an easy-to-understand manner below. This information will be useful for anyone who is interested in the Business Manager Visa.

Do I have to pay anything to set up a company in Japan as a foreigner?

(1) Outline

There are so many different systems and terms, don’t you find it confusing? It’s convenient to be able to easily get information on the Internet, but on the other hand, there is a possibility that the information is so overflowing that it is difficult to organize, and in the end, the essence of things is lost. In particular, the system for business management visas is so complicated that some people are at a loss, saying, “I don’t know what’s going on. What on earth should I do?”

So, first let’s organize the information briefly. Then we’ll look at it in more detail. In the end, the flow that this article is based on is as follows.

The process of obtaining a business manager visa
  1. I want to run a business in Japan.
  2. To do this, you need a visa. It’s called a business manager visa.
  3. To get this visa, you generally need to set up a company.
  4. In order to establish a company, you need to pay in capital. In order to obtain a business manager visa, the amount of capital or total investment must be 5 million yen or more.

In this article, we will focus on ④, taking the above into consideration. This is because ④ is the question that many people have about the Business Manager Visa.

(2) Common Misconceptions

  • To obtain a business manager visa, it seems that you have to invest more than 5 million yen in capital. Wow, that’s tough. I wonder if I can do it… I’m not confident.
  • I’m fine. 5 million yen investment? I can afford it. If I can prepare the money, I can get a visa, right?

Some of you reading this article may be thinking the same thing. In fact, neither of the above two ideas is correct. What does this mean?

(3) It’s okay if you don’t invest your own money!

The rules have been relaxed

That was certainly the case before. To be precise, before April 1, 2015, investment from foreigners was required to obtain a visa to conduct business activities. However, the rules have since changed. Therefore,

In order to carry out business activities, investment from foreigners is no longer legally required.

The reason for this is said to be to make it easier for Japanese companies to welcome foreigners into management and administrative activities.

Therefore, it is okay even if you do not invest more than 5 million yen in capital yourself.

However, it is an important factor in visa approval.

Below, I will go into a little more detail. Regarding the Business Manager Visa, what kind of activities are permitted as a status of residence? One of these activities is “managing a business.”

Moreover, to meet the requirement of “operating the business,” the applicant must be “substantially” involved in the business. To put it more simply, “You’re not just a nominal manager, are you? Are you actually involved in the business?”

So, what is the basis for determining whether or not an applicant is substantially involved in management? One of the factors is the amount of the applicant’s own investment. According to the examination guidelines, whether or not an applicant is substantially involved in management is determined based on the overall circumstances leading up to the start of the business. This includes the percentage of shares the applicant has acquired and the source of the funds invested in the business.

The bottom line is that if you have very little investment in the business yourself, it’s hard to imagine you’re actually involved in it.

(4) It’s not enough to just have money

Given the above, some people may be thinking, “Okay, let’s prepare 5 million yen.” Or, some people may already be in a position where they can prepare the cash.

However, you still can’t relax. It’s not enough to just prepare the money. What does that mean? This is the most problematic point in practice regarding capital for a business manager visa. Therefore, I will introduce it at the end of this article.

How to pay capital

(1) Two patterns

The capital required to establish a company is paid into a bank account. There are two main ways to do this:

Two types of capital for establishing a company
  1. I am a foreigner living in Japan.
  2. I do not live in Japan.

(2) Problems and Solutions

Of these, pattern ② is particularly likely to be problematic. In the case of ②, it is common for the person to not have a personal account at a Japanese bank. If this is the case, since there is no bank account to receive the capital payment, it is possible that the payment of the capital cannot be made, and as a result, there is a concern that the company cannot be established.

“No, I’m fine. I’ll go to Japan for a little trip (short stay) next time, and I’ll open a Japanese bank account while I’m there.” I’m sure some of you reading this article have thought the same thing. However, unfortunately, that’s no good. You’ll be turned down no matter which bank you go to.

For the above reasons, in the case of pattern ②, you will need a collaborator to set up your company. Specifically,

One option is to ask your collaborators to temporarily become members of the company’s founding (known as promoters or founding directors).

What to do to establish a company after paying the capital

(1) One of the documents required when establishing a company

Let’s say you’ve successfully set up a bank account and completed the payment of capital. But that’s not the end of it. To establish a company, you need to submit documents that prove that the full amount of capital required for the establishment of the company has been paid.

Don’t let your guard down after you’ve finished making your payment, but take advantage of the opportunity to do what you need to do. You don’t want to put it off, end up forgetting about it, and then have to panic later.

(2) What to do

Copy of bankbook

Once you have completed the capital transfer, you will want to check your bankbook and record the transaction history. Next, you will want to copy your bankbook. However, you may be wondering which parts of your bankbook you should copy. It will be easier if you know this beforehand. There are three places to copy:

  • Passbook cover
  • Back of the cover of the bankbook
  • A page showing the transfer of capital

Creating a payment receipt

In fact, the copy above is not enough. Next, you need to create a payment certificate. This is to prove that the capital has been paid into the account. However, you may be wondering what exactly you should write on it. Don’t worry. The information that should be written on the payment certificate is fixed, so you only need to write the following.

  • Total amount to be paid
  • Number of shares paid
  • Amount per share
  • Date (last capital transfer date)
  • Company location (head office)
  • Company name (trade name)
  • Name of Representative Director

The most important thing to note about capital for business management visas

(1) The source of the investment is being questioned

Now that you have paid the investment, you are finally ready to start working towards obtaining a business manager visa. However, what would you do if you were asked the following question?

How and where did you get the 5 million yen in capital?

You may be thinking, “Whatever. I have the money ready, so where it comes from is not that important?” However, you should be prepared to clearly explain the answers to the above questions. Because if you don’t, there is a possibility that you won’t be able to get a visa.

(2) Examples of proof methods

Written proof

There are many ways to obtain investment funds. You can earn money legally by working and saving, borrow from a financial institution, borrow from your parents, etc.

So how do you prove your case? Immigration examination is a document examination. Therefore, proof is also based on documents. It may be easier to imagine if you say that you submit documentary evidence.

Examples of documents to be submitted

When you say you should submit evidence, it can be hard to know what documents and materials you should submit specifically. Below are some examples of documents that you can use as evidence.

  • income certificate
  • Notification postcard regarding overseas remittance
  • Carry-on and unaccompanied baggage declaration form (Customs)
  • Loan agreement (a contract in which you promise to lend and repay money)
  • Sales contract (if you sell your own real estate to raise money)
  • Home country passbook

Of course, there may be other documents that can be used besides the ones listed above. Therefore, it is a good idea to be aware of the existence of documents that may be useful for the above proof at the stage of raising capital.

summary

In this article, we have covered topics that many people are particularly concerned about regarding obtaining a business manager visa. Some people may feel confused after learning so much. Therefore, we have summarized the key points below.

  • When establishing a company in Japan as a foreigner, it is not always necessary for the applicant to make an investment. However, the amount of investment is an important factor in the review of business management visa applications.
  • If you do not have a personal account at a Japanese bank, it is virtually impossible to obtain a visa. Having a collaborator is key.
  • After paying the capital, you will need to prepare copies of your bankbook and a payment certificate to establish the company.
  • They will be required to provide a reasonable explanation for how they obtained the capital investment.
この記事の監修者

行政書士法人タッチ 代表行政書士

湯田 一輝

2018年8月 ビザ申請・帰化申請専門の「ゆだ行政書士事務所」設立
2022年4月 個人事務所を行政書士法人化「行政書士法人タッチ」
専門分野:外国人在留資格、帰化申請
外国人ビザ関係を専門とし、年間1000件以上の相談に対応

【セミナー実績】

国際行政書士養成講座、公益財団法人戸田市国際交流会、埼玉県日本語ネットワーク、行政書士TOP10%クラブ、行政書士向け就労ビザ講習会など多数

【運営サイト】
行政書士法人タッチ https://touch.or.jp/
国際結婚&配偶者ビザサポートセンター https://touch.or.jp/marriage/
帰化申請サポートセンター https://visa-saitama.net/kika/
就労ビザサポートセンター https://touch.or.jp/work/
永住ビザサポートセンター https://touch.or.jp/eizyu/
ビザサポートセンター https://www.yuda-office.jp/

日本語・English
中文