How can international students obtain a business manager visa?

Explanation video: From Student Visa to Business Manager Visa

For those who are thinking about the following regarding business manager visas for international students

If you are reading this article, you may be thinking the same thing. This article is for you. We will focus on the most common problems that many people have.

model case

The mechanism for obtaining a visa is not simple. You may encounter confusing systems and difficult-to-understand technical terms. Therefore, in order to make it easier to understand and visualize, this article will provide information based on the following model case.

[Model case]

Mr. A is 20 years old. He is an international student studying at a Japanese school (hereafter referred to as “Touch University”). Of course, he has a “study abroad” visa. To ease his parents’ financial burden as much as possible, Mr. A works part-time as a translator. He is doing this part-time after properly receiving “permission to engage in activities other than those permitted by his visa status.”

After graduating from university, Mr. A wants to start a business in Japan, and is already making preparations for this while he is still a student.

What you’ll learn in this article

In this article, you will learn the following things. It is written in an easy-to-understand manner from the perspective of a business manager visa and international students.

Can I obtain a business manager visa even if I have dropped out, been expelled, or voluntarily withdrawn from school?

(1) Cases where international students obtain business manager visas after graduation

Let’s consider the case where an international student obtains a business manager visa after graduation. This is a pattern similar to that of Mr. A in the model case above.

However, in that case, there are some things that you may be worried about. The first is when you drop out of school. The second is when you enroll in school but are unable to graduate. Below, we will explain whether you can get a business manager visa in these two cases and what it means for obtaining the visa.

(2) Can I obtain a business manager visa even if I dropped out?

It’s ok to drop out

Even if Mr. A in the above model case had dropped out of Touch University, would he be able to obtain a business manager visa? The answer is YES. This is because graduating from a university is not required as a requirement for obtaining a business manager visa.

You do not need an academic background to get a business manager visa.

Risks of dropping out and how to deal with them

However, you need to be careful because it will raise questions like: Mr. A came to Japan to study abroad, so what on earth would it mean for him to quit school and start a business? Each person’s circumstances are different. Therefore, you will need to be prepared to give a reasonable explanation for the reasons and circumstances in your own way.

If it becomes clear that you want to get a business manager visa because you don’t want to go to school, it may become difficult to obtain a business manager visa.

This can be overcome by creating a proper business plan.

(3) Can I obtain a business manager visa even if I have been expelled?

Poor school attendance or grades

This may be a bit sudden, but do you, the reader of this article, like going to school, studying, and taking tests? Some of you may like it, but others may not like it. If you are the latter, you may find attending classes a hassle and end up skipping school. As a result, you may not be able to get good scores on tests. On the other hand, even if you are motivated to study,

It is entirely possible that you may not be able to achieve the results you want due to poor health or personal chores.

In these cases, depending on the school, you may be expelled (expelled), especially at Japanese language schools and vocational schools, where class attendance is important.

The meaning of the fact of expulsion

So, what does the fact that Mr. A in the model case was expelled from school mean in terms of obtaining a business manager visa? This fact will lead to his/her residence status being evaluated as not being good, and as a result, the risk of his/her application being denied will increase.

Plan B if expelled

From the flow so far, we can see that if you are expelled, it may be difficult to change from a student visa to a business manager visa. That being said, you cannot change the past. However, it seems possible to take other measures. It is believed that you can increase the chances of obtaining a business manager visa by returning to your home country and seeking “certification” for a business manager visa.

Original problems faced by international students in obtaining business management visas and proposed solutions

(1) Issues unique to international students

Like the model case of Mr. A, if an international student aims to start a business after graduation, they will encounter problems unique to international students. What are these problems? Below, we will discuss two issues: 1) business stability and continuity, and 2) substantial participation in management.

(2) Relationship with stability and continuity of the “business”

Stability and continuity of business is required

The motivation for obtaining a business manager visa is that one wants to do business in Japan. What is required for obtaining a business manager visa for that business is its stability and continuity. What this means is that it is not good if the business goes wrong midway. Since a business manager visa corresponds to a certain activity, it is not good if the activity, which can be said to be the basis of its existence, is unstable and you don’t know what will happen in the future.

From the above perspective, the Examination Guidelines state that in order to obtain a Business Manager Visa, it is necessary for the business to be objectively recognized as being stably and continuously operated. And the judgment of whether or not this “stability and continuity” is recognized is made comprehensively from various circumstances.

Concerns about international students’ businesses

Running a business is not an easy thing that anyone can do. That’s because being able to consistently generate decent sales is based on not only daily effort, but also talent and years of experience.

What about international students? By the way, Mr. A is still a 20-year-old university student. He has never done any management in his life and has little life experience. Aren’t many international students in a similar situation?

If this is the case, the following problems arise for international students, unlike for non-international students. In other words, the “stability and continuity of business” of international students is questionable. Since they do not yet have enough experience, there is concern about whether they will be able to run a proper business in the future. This assessment ultimately leads to the denial of visa approval.

proposed solution

What do you think after reading this far? Some of you may feel that it is hard to accept that just because you are an international student, your business will lack stability and continuity. You want to somehow assert, “I’m fine. I can definitely achieve stability and continuity,” and show that you have the qualities to be a manager.

The important thing is to provide data that supports your assertions and to explain them concretely. Examples of documents that can be used effectively include contracts with business partners and specific, detailed business plans.

(3) Substantial participation in management

money problem

One of the requirements for obtaining permission for a business manager visa is that the amount of capital or total investment is 5 million yen or more. Regarding this point, there are some concerns for international students when obtaining a business manager visa. What is it? We will explain it below based on the business manager visa system.

Must be substantially involved in management

Don’t you think there are many things required to get a business manager visa? In addition to the above A, there is another requirement. The applicant (Mr. A) must be substantially involved in or engaged in the management of the business he or she is going to run. This means that “Mr. A is actually running the business himself or herself.”

One of the important factors is the amount of investment made by the applicant. Moreover, the process, including the source of the funds, is also checked. For example, if Mr. A himself has hardly invested anything, it will be evaluated as doubtful as to whether he is actually participating in management.

Concerns unique to international students

In light of the above (a) and (b), some doubts arise about international student A.

Q1. As Mr. A is an international student, he is not allowed to work part-time as a rule. If so, where did he get the money to invest?

Q2. There are exceptions to the rule that international students can take on part-time work. That is, when they have permission to engage in activities other than those permitted under the visa status. However, even in such cases, working hours are generally limited to 28 hours per week.
Is Mr. A following this rule? Could he be illegally overworking himself?

Risks and countermeasures

Given the two concerns mentioned above, we will supplement Q1 and Q2 above and provide example countermeasures below.

First, regarding Q1, the source of the investment will be strictly examined.
Therefore, you should be prepared to give a reasonable explanation for this. For example, you may have received support from your parents. In that case, it is ideal to receive the remittance by bank transfer so that it is easier to prove.

Next, regarding Q2. What would happen if Mr. A had engaged in illegal overwork? He worked hard, saved up money, and invested it. In this case, unfortunately, there is a high possibility that the business manager visa will not be granted. This is because money earned through illegal activities will be deemed inappropriate during immigration screening. In the worst case scenario, it is said that rather than being granted a business manager visa, he may even be asked to leave the country.
The key to preventing this is to take preventative measures in advance. In short, it means being conscious of not engaging in illegal overwork and being thorough in managing your time at your part-time job every day.

Summary and future plans as an international student

（1）Summary of key points regarding visa management for international students

What do you think after reading this far? There may have been some difficult points, but let’s take this opportunity to summarize the main points.

（2）Advice for international students

Have a long-term vision

I’m really glad that you all read this article today. Because there are some things that are hard to recover from later and are best taken care of in advance. For example, as I mentioned earlier, it’s important to be careful on a daily basis not to overwork yourself. So, it’s good to know the following two things.

move in a planned manner

International students usually graduate from school in March. After that, their student visa will likely end in April or May. Given this time limit, you should avoid putting off decisions or leaving it until the last minute to make any preparations.

Don’t let your guard down while studying abroad

As you can see from this article, what happens during your study abroad can be fatal to whether or not you can obtain a business manager visa. If that’s the case, you’ll have to behave in a way that won’t cause you to fail to obtain a business manager visa from the day you set out to obtain one. For example, it’s best not to be expelled, so it’s best to attend school as much as possible and be conscious of your test scores.

Ask an expert

That being said, there is a limit to what you can do on your own. You are already busy every day with your studies and part-time work in an unfamiliar foreign country. On top of that, it may be quite difficult to do everything perfectly to obtain a business manager visa.

Among the international students who have obtained business management visas and are doing business in Japan, there are many who have achieved success by asking a certified administrative scrivener for help. This is because, in general, it is not easy to obtain a business management visa, and the current situation is that many people ask a certified administrative scrivener or other professional for help.

Our company (Touch Administrative Scriveners Corporation) is particularly focused on business manager visas and has a proven track record. Studying abroad is generally not an easy thing to do. Furthermore, the mindset of trying to start a business in a foreign country while working part-time is truly something to be admired. We will do our best to support such people.