The refusal notice received from the immigration bureau barely explains the reason for the refusal, so you cannot know the real reason. Therefore, you need to check with the immigration bureau for the reason and understand the situation in order to reapply.
In addition, the immigration bureau inspector is not obligated to explain the reason for denial to the applicant. Even if you receive an explanation, it is better to assume that it will not be explained in detail. This page introduces common cases of denial of business management visas.
Insufficient evidence
The Immigration Bureau’s website lists the documents required to apply for a Business Manager Visa, but if you only submit the documents listed there, your application may be rejected.
You will need to explain the source of your company’s capital with various documents, prepare a business plan, and explain the stability and continuity of your business.
In addition, your application may be rejected if there is any suspicion of falsehood in the documents you submit.
Does not meet the requirements for a business manager visa
- The source of capital is unknown
- There are no more than two full-time employees or no investment of more than 5 million yen
- The feasibility of the business plan is extremely low
- Not actually managing the business
The important thing about applying is that you have an office, and that you meet the criteria of capital or full-time employment. A stopgap plan such as renting a friend’s house in Japan to use as an office or temporarily borrowing funds will not be approved.
If you are not allowed to secure a place of business
- Short-term rental office space
- The lease states that the property is for residential use, not business use.
- There is no clear division between living space and space used for business purposes.
- There is no signage such as the company name
- No office equipment installed
- The arrangements regarding the payment of shared expenses such as utility bills are not clear.
If you use your home as an office, the screening process will be stricter. The reason is that there are many cases where people secure office space at home just to obtain a business manager visa, and the place that was specified as an office at the time of visa application was actually used as a residence. We recommend that you keep your office and home separate as much as possible.
If your current status of residence is deemed to be of poor conduct
- If you have received criminal punishment or facilitated illegal employment
- I have permission to engage in activities other than those permitted under my visa status, but I am working more than 28 hours a week
- Previous applications were false
In such cases, your residence status may be deemed to be poor (bad conduct) and your application may be denied.
In addition, since there are no requirements regarding academic background for a business manager visa, it is possible for international students to start a business and obtain a business manager visa without waiting for graduation. In this case, please note that the Immigration Bureau may examine your grades and attendance rate while you are enrolled.
Review your documents and resubmit
All documents submitted to the Immigration Bureau are kept on record, so they can be checked against previous applications.
Any differences in content between your current application and your previous application are not permitted, and in some cases your application may be considered false and you may be treated unfavorably.
Visa screening is not limited to business manager visas, and is judged comprehensively based on individual circumstances. Be careful to meet the visa standards according to your individual circumstances. Also, if you reapply for a case that has been rejected once, the Immigration Bureau will carefully review it, so if you are unsure about applying by yourself, we recommend that you consult with an administrative scrivener’s office that specializes in visa support, such as ours.
