Yes, but only if you already held Management Visa (経営・管理) status before October 16, 2025. The Immigration Control Act (入管法) reform tightened the standard that day, and existing holders may renew under the pre-reform threshold until October 16, 2028. That window is not an automatic pass: examiners still weigh whether your business shows a credible path toward the new JPY 30 million capital requirement before the grandfather period ends.
What Changed in the Management Visa Reform of October 2025?
Effective October 16, 2025, Japan raised the paid-in capital floor for Management Visa (経営・管理) applicants from JPY 5 million to JPY 30 million, added a mandatory qualifying full-time employee, and introduced Japanese-language, management-experience, and certified business-plan requirements. The reform runs under the Immigration Control Act (入管法), and it replaced the old "capital or two employees" flexibility with a combined test: capital and employee both apply now, not either. Our reform guide covers the full post-reform checklist, including the language and business-plan certification pieces this post does not repeat.
The change was aimed at filtering out shell-company applications that met the old JPY 5 million bar without operating a real business. It did not touch the underlying visa category or its legal basis; it raised the bar for what counts as a genuine operating company. Anyone filing a new application after October 16, 2025 is judged against the new standard from day one, with no phase-in.
Who Qualifies for the Grandfather Period Until October 2028?
Only foreign nationals who already held Management Visa status as of October 16, 2025 qualify for the transitional grandfather. If you held the status on that date, you may renew under the pre-reform capital and employee threshold until October 16, 2028, rather than being forced onto the JPY 30 million standard immediately. This protection attaches to the person's existing status, not to the company, so a change of representative director after October 16, 2025 does not extend grandfather eligibility to a new applicant.
The grandfather does not extend to anyone filing their first application after the cutoff date, and it does not extend to Startup Visa (特定活動告示44号) holders converting into 経営・管理 for the first time; our Startup Visa conversion guide covers why that conversion is judged under the new rule regardless of when the founder entered Japan. The grandfather is a narrow carve-out for people who were already inside the old system, not a general grace period for the category.
Does the Grandfather Guarantee Renewal on Old Terms?
No. This is the point existing holders most often get wrong. The grandfather keeps the pre-reform capital and employee threshold available as the applicable standard, but the examiner still evaluates the applicant's actual business condition at each renewal and looks for a credible 見込み (prospects, business trajectory) toward meeting the post-reform standard by the time the window closes in 2028.
A company with declining revenue, no realistic path to JPY 30 million in paid-in capital, and no plan to hire a qualifying employee is a weaker renewal file under the grandfather than a company on a documented growth trajectory, even though both are nominally judged against the same old threshold. Treat 2028 as a deadline for demonstrable progress, not as a date that makes the current renewal automatic. Filing the same static business plan at each renewal cycle without evidence of movement toward the new thresholds is the single most common reason grandfathered renewals draw additional scrutiny.
Key points:
(a) The grandfather protects only status held before October 16, 2025; new filings after that date are judged under the new JPY 30 million / qualifying-employee / language standard immediately.
(b) Renewal inside the 2025 to 2028 window still requires evidence of actual business operation and a credible trajectory toward the post-reform capital and employee thresholds, not a paper renewal of the old numbers.
(c) After October 16, 2028, every renewal, regardless of when the holder's status originated, is judged against the post-reform standard with no further transitional relief.
What Happens to Grandfathered Holders After October 2028?
Every Management Visa renewal after October 16, 2028 is judged against the post-reform standard, with no further transitional relief for holders who entered the category before the reform. A company that used the grandfather window to gradually raise capital, hire its qualifying employee, and document N2/B2-level Japanese proficiency in the business enters the 2028 deadline in a straightforward renewal position. A company that treated the window as a fixed three-year exemption and made no structural changes faces the full post-reform test on the first renewal cycle after the deadline, with no interim relief carried over.
Planning the transition inside the window, rather than at the end of it, is the difference between a routine renewal and a rejection risk in 2028. Capital increases, payroll registration for a qualifying employee, and business-plan certification each take lead time that a last-minute filing does not allow. For structuring a phased approach to the post-reform thresholds inside the grandfather window, see the Management Visa service page.
Frequently Asked Questions
I already hold a Management Visa. Do I need JPY 30 million in capital to renew before 2028?
Not necessarily; if you held Management Visa status before October 16, 2025, you may renew under the pre-reform capital threshold until October 16, 2028. The examiner will still expect your file to show active business operation and a credible plan for reaching the post-reform standard, so the old threshold is available but not unconditional.
If I incorporate a new company now, can I still use the old JPY 5 million capital rule?
No. The grandfather only applies to people who already held Management Visa status before October 16, 2025. Any new Management Visa application filed after that date, regardless of when the underlying company was incorporated, is assessed against the post-reform JPY 30 million capital and qualifying-employee standard immediately.
What happens if I cannot reach JPY 30 million in capital by October 2028?
Your renewal at or after that date would be assessed against the full post-reform standard, and a shortfall in capital, the qualifying employee requirement, or the language threshold becomes a rejection risk rather than a grandfathered exception. The practical response is to plan the capital increase, hire, and documentation inside the transitional window rather than waiting until the deadline forces the issue.
Conclusion
The October 2025 reform to the Management Visa (経営・管理) category under the Immigration Control Act (入管法) raised the bar permanently, and the transitional grandfather to October 16, 2028 is a runway for existing holders to reach the new standard, not a suspension of scrutiny. Holders who use the window to build toward JPY 30 million in capital, a qualifying employee, and documented language proficiency face a routine renewal in 2028. Holders who treat the old threshold as fixed for three years face the full post-reform test with no further transition.
This article is informational only and does not constitute legal, tax, or regulatory advice. Consult a qualified advisor before acting on the content. Last updated: August 2026.