At a Glance — What Changed
TL;DR: Japan's Immigration Services Agency (出入国在留管理庁) overhauled the Business Manager visa on 16 October 2025. The reform targets shell-company visa fraud by demanding real investment, real employees, real language capacity, and expert-verified business plans.
| Requirement | 🔵 Before Oct 2025 | 🔴 After Oct 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Capital | ¥5M or 2 employees | ¥30M and employees |
| Full-time staff | Optional (if ¥5M+ capital) | Mandatory — min. 1 person |
| Japanese ability | Not required | B2 level (applicant or employee) |
| Applicant qualifications | Not specified | Master's/PhD or 3+ yrs mgmt |
| Business plan review | Self-prepared | Expert verification mandatory |
| Home office | Tolerated | Not permitted (in principle) |
📌 Official Source: ISA — Amendment to Landing Permission Criteria
1. Capital — ¥5M → ¥30M
The minimum paid-in capital (払込済資本金) jumped sixfold.
┌──────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ OLD RULE │
│ ¥5,000,000 capital ─── OR ─── 2+ employees │
│ (either / or) │
├──────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ NEW RULE │
│ ¥30,000,000 capital ─── AND ── 1+ employee │
│ (both required) │
└──────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
What Counts Toward ¥30M?
| ✅ Included | ❌ Not Included |
|---|---|
| Office lease deposits & rent (1 yr) | Cash sitting idle in the account |
| Employee salaries (1 yr budget) | Personal savings unrelated to business |
| Equipment & inventory purchases | Loans not yet deployed |
| IT systems, vehicles, fixtures | Capital from unverifiable sources |
| Marketing & operational spend |
⚠️ Key Point: Immigration cross-references bank statements with your business plan. Capital must be deployed, not just deposited.
2. Mandatory Full-Time Employee
Every Business Manager visa holder must employ at least one qualifying full-time employee (常勤職員).
Definition of "Full-Time"
| Criterion | Threshold |
|---|---|
| Working days | 5+ days/week · 217+ days/year |
| Weekly hours | 30+ hours |
| Employment insurance | Enrolled · 30+ scheduled hrs/week |
| Paid leave | 10+ days after 6 months (80% attendance) |
Who Counts?
| 🟢 Eligible | 🔴 NOT Eligible |
|---|---|
| Japanese nationals | Engineer/Specialist visa holders (技人国) |
| Special permanent residents | Skilled Worker visa holders |
| Permanent residents | Intra-company Transferee visa holders |
| Spouse of Japanese national | Student visa holders |
| Spouse of permanent resident | Any Table 1 work visa holder |
| Long-term residents |
💡 This is the most commonly misunderstood rule — hiring a foreign engineer on a work visa does not satisfy this requirement.
3. Japanese Language — B2 Required
Either the applicant or at least one full-time employee must demonstrate B2-level Japanese.
| Proof Method | Details |
|---|---|
| 🏆 JLPT N2 or higher | Japan Language Proficiency Test |
| 📊 BJT 400+ points | Business Japanese Proficiency Test |
| 🏠 20+ years in Japan | As mid-to-long-term resident |
| 🎓 Japanese university grad | Degree from a Japanese institution |
| 🏫 JP compulsory ed. + high school | Completed both in Japan |
💡 Since a qualifying JP/PR employee is already required, the language bar is often met through that hire. If neither you nor any employee has B2 proof, an additional qualifying person is needed.
4. Applicant Qualifications — New Requirement
Must meet AT LEAST ONE path:
┌─────────────────────────────┐ ┌─────────────────────────────┐
│ 🎓 ACADEMIC ROUTE │ │ 💼 EXPERIENCE ROUTE │
│ │ │ │
│ Master's, Doctoral, or │ OR │ 3+ years of business │
│ Professional degree in: │ │ management experience │
│ • Business management │ │ (startup-prep period under │
│ • Related field │ │ Designated Activities │
│ (Foreign degrees OK) │ │ counts toward this) │
└─────────────────────────────┘ └─────────────────────────────┘
5. Expert-Verified Business Plan
| Designated Expert | Japanese Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| Certified SME Consultant | 中小企業診断士 | Evaluate feasibility |
| Certified Public Accountant | 公認会計士 | Verify financials |
| Certified Tax Accountant | 税理士 | Assess tax & financial viability |
What a Strong Business Plan Covers
📋 Expert-Reviewed Business Plan
├── 1. Executive Summary
├── 2. Market Analysis & Target Customer
├── 3. Competitive Positioning
├── 4. Revenue Model & Pricing Strategy
├── 5. Staffing Plan (meeting new employee req.)
├── 6. 3-Year Financial Projections
│ ├── Revenue forecast
│ ├── Cost structure breakdown
│ └── Break-even analysis
├── 7. Capital Deployment Schedule
└── 8. Risk Assessment & Mitigation
📌 Reference: ISA Reform Details (PDF)
6. Transitional Measures
| Timeline | Treatment |
|---|---|
| Filed before 16 Oct 2025 | Assessed under old criteria |
| 16 Oct 2025 → Oct 2028 | Renewals assessed holistically — non-compliance tolerated if trajectory is positive |
| After Oct 2028 | Full compliance with all new criteria strictly required |
⚠️ The transition period is a runway, not a free pass. Immigration may still request expert-verified documents during this window.
7. Renewal Compliance — What Gets Checked
| Area | Verification Items |
|---|---|
| 🏢 Office | Dedicated business premises (no home office) |
| ✈️ Presence | No unexplained prolonged absence from Japan |
| 👷 Labor Insurance | Employment insurance + workers' comp enrollment & payment |
| 🏥 Social Insurance | Health insurance + pension enrollment & payment |
| 🏛️ National Tax | Corporate tax · withholding tax · consumption tax — all paid |
| 🏛️ Local Tax | Corporate inhabitant tax + enterprise tax — all paid |
8. Impact on Permanent Residency
Business Manager visa holder NOT meeting new criteria
│
├── ❌ Permanent Residency application → DENIED
├── ❌ HSP 1(c) → HSP 2 change → DENIED
└── ❌ HSP 1(c) → Permanent Residency → DENIED
✅ Pre-Application Checklist
- Secure ¥30M+ in verifiable, deployable capital
- Recruit at least 1 qualifying full-time employee (JP/PR)
- Confirm B2 Japanese proficiency with test certificate
- Prepare degree transcripts or 3+ year employment certificates
- Engage 税理士/公認会計士/中小企業診断士 for business plan review
- Secure dedicated office space (not residential)
- Set up social insurance + labor insurance from day one
- Begin all tax payments immediately — arrears block renewal
Official References
| Source | Link |
|---|---|
| ISA — Business Manager Visa | moj.go.jp/.../businessmanager.html |
| ISA — Reform Overview (PDF) | moj.go.jp/.../001448070.pdf |
| ISA — Q&A on Reform | moj.go.jp/.../10_00237.html |
| Companies Act (EN) | japaneselawtranslation.go.jp |
| Immigration Control Act (EN) | japaneselawtranslation.go.jp |
*This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice.