Business Manager's Visa (経営・管理ビザ)
One of the most attracting statuses of residence for those who wish to settle in Japan is a ”Business Manager's Visa" when there is no family connection nor an academic/professional background to be eligible for an employment-based working visa.
The reasons for the attractivenss are;-
1. Business Manger's Visa does not require one to have an academic background of a higher education. Whilst the most common "work visa", which is "Engineer / Specialist in Humanities / International Services", requires applicants to hold at least an undergraduate degree or equivalent. For those without such educational qualifications, an alternative is a minimum of ten years (three years for the International Services) of work experience in the SAME occupation as the job you are to engage in Japan. The difficulty, however, when it comes to the visa applications, it is hard to prove your ten-year work experiences because one has lost touch with previous employers so it is impossible to obtain a certificate of employment resulting in a rejection for the visa application. Another hurdle is that you need to show that you already have secured an employment contract in Japan BEFORE applying for the visa and many employers ask you to ALREADY have a visa before offering you a position. It is a chicken-and-egg problem and business owners tend to avoid the risk of employing foreign nationals in case thier candidates fail to acquire the necessary visa.
2. Business Manager's Visa holders are allowed to be accompanied by thier spouse and children so the family can stay together (provided the BM visa holder earns enough to financially support the whole family). They can even "employ" their spouse as a part time worker in their company (provided a part-time work permission is granted by the Immigration Services Agency to the dependent visa holder).
3. The biggest bonus for Business Manager's visa holders is that they are entitled to apply for a Permanent Residency status after 10 years of living in Japan (of which a minimum of 5 years have to be work visa or long-term visa). Of course, for holders of other types of work visa (except for "Skilled Worker (特定技能)" and "Technical Intern (技能実習)"), the conditions are the same for Permanent Residency application but one has little control over the amount of their income. A certain amount of annual earning is one of the criteria for PR permission so unless you are a high earner, staying as a "salary man" may not lead to the ultimate goal. When you are your own boss, however, you are capable of increasing your earning by putting an effort into your business earn more.
The reasons for the attractivenss are;-
1. Business Manger's Visa does not require one to have an academic background of a higher education. Whilst the most common "work visa", which is "Engineer / Specialist in Humanities / International Services", requires applicants to hold at least an undergraduate degree or equivalent. For those without such educational qualifications, an alternative is a minimum of ten years (three years for the International Services) of work experience in the SAME occupation as the job you are to engage in Japan. The difficulty, however, when it comes to the visa applications, it is hard to prove your ten-year work experiences because one has lost touch with previous employers so it is impossible to obtain a certificate of employment resulting in a rejection for the visa application. Another hurdle is that you need to show that you already have secured an employment contract in Japan BEFORE applying for the visa and many employers ask you to ALREADY have a visa before offering you a position. It is a chicken-and-egg problem and business owners tend to avoid the risk of employing foreign nationals in case thier candidates fail to acquire the necessary visa.
2. Business Manager's Visa holders are allowed to be accompanied by thier spouse and children so the family can stay together (provided the BM visa holder earns enough to financially support the whole family). They can even "employ" their spouse as a part time worker in their company (provided a part-time work permission is granted by the Immigration Services Agency to the dependent visa holder).
3. The biggest bonus for Business Manager's visa holders is that they are entitled to apply for a Permanent Residency status after 10 years of living in Japan (of which a minimum of 5 years have to be work visa or long-term visa). Of course, for holders of other types of work visa (except for "Skilled Worker (特定技能)" and "Technical Intern (技能実習)"), the conditions are the same for Permanent Residency application but one has little control over the amount of their income. A certain amount of annual earning is one of the criteria for PR permission so unless you are a high earner, staying as a "salary man" may not lead to the ultimate goal. When you are your own boss, however, you are capable of increasing your earning by putting an effort into your business earn more.
Requirements for a successful application
There are three basic requirements for the Business Manager's Visa application.
1. A capital investment of a minimum 5,000,000 yen. For this, the fund does not have to be originated from your own earning and/or savings. It can be a loan from a bank or even from your family or friends as long as the source is legitimate and can be traced (with a proof). You will be indeed required to present an official documents to show that the money you have invested is legally funded.
2. A well prepared business plan is the key. You need to show a sound and logical reasoning to convince the ISA explaining how and why your business can succeed in Japan and make profit.
3. An office is the last but not least import factor. It has to be an independent space for your buiness. That means it cannot be a "shared office" or a "virtual office". Securing such an office can be costly for start-ups so many entrepreneurs make do with a spare room in their own residence. With this arrangement, however, the visa application often gets rejected by the authoriey as they see it as not independent enough for work purpose because there are "common" facilities shared with your private living such as a kitchen and living room get in the way to the room designated as an office.
Here at Japan Visa Support, we can advise what proof you should prepare to show the legitimacy of your fund. We can also tell wether your residence can accommodate an office for Business Manager's Visa application.
We believe new businesses founded by vibrant enterepreneurs come from across the borders stimulate and revitalize the stagnant Japanese economy and we are proud to be a part of such a positive move through our immigration legal assistance service.
1. A capital investment of a minimum 5,000,000 yen. For this, the fund does not have to be originated from your own earning and/or savings. It can be a loan from a bank or even from your family or friends as long as the source is legitimate and can be traced (with a proof). You will be indeed required to present an official documents to show that the money you have invested is legally funded.
2. A well prepared business plan is the key. You need to show a sound and logical reasoning to convince the ISA explaining how and why your business can succeed in Japan and make profit.
3. An office is the last but not least import factor. It has to be an independent space for your buiness. That means it cannot be a "shared office" or a "virtual office". Securing such an office can be costly for start-ups so many entrepreneurs make do with a spare room in their own residence. With this arrangement, however, the visa application often gets rejected by the authoriey as they see it as not independent enough for work purpose because there are "common" facilities shared with your private living such as a kitchen and living room get in the way to the room designated as an office.
Here at Japan Visa Support, we can advise what proof you should prepare to show the legitimacy of your fund. We can also tell wether your residence can accommodate an office for Business Manager's Visa application.
We believe new businesses founded by vibrant enterepreneurs come from across the borders stimulate and revitalize the stagnant Japanese economy and we are proud to be a part of such a positive move through our immigration legal assistance service.
Our Immigration Legal Specialist gyosei-shoshi has assisted a number of Business Manager's Visa applications (including filing an article of association and incorporating a company). We know exactly what supporting documents to prepare and the requirement for an office to be approved.
Once you have secured a 5 million yen capital and would like to apply for the Business Manager's Visa, we can also help with a company formation and drawing up your business plan as well as visa application procedures.
Please contact us for more details on how to apply for the Business Manager's Visa.
Once you have secured a 5 million yen capital and would like to apply for the Business Manager's Visa, we can also help with a company formation and drawing up your business plan as well as visa application procedures.
Please contact us for more details on how to apply for the Business Manager's Visa.