Japan's Business Manager visa: new standards take effect on 16 October — capital up to ¥30 million, one full-time employee, JLPT B2
Japan · Residency planning · In force from 2026-10-16
| Country / region | Japan |
|---|---|
| Category | Residency planning |
| Date | In force from 2026-10-16 (ministerial order published 2026-10-10; public comment ran in August 2026) |
| What happened | Japan's Immigration Services Agency revised the permission standards for the Business Manager status of residence, effective 10-16. Core changes: (1) capital or total investment rises from ¥5 million to ¥30 million — paid-in capital or total contributions for a corporation, or the total amount invested in the business for a sole proprietor; (2) the company must employ at least one full-time (jōkin) employee, limited to Japanese nationals, special permanent residents, permanent residents, spouses of Japanese nationals or of permanent residents, and long-term residents — holders of other statuses under Table 1 do not count; (3) the applicant or the full-time employee must have Japanese ability equivalent to CEFR B2 (e.g. JLPT N2 or above, BJT 400 or above, or graduation from a Japanese school); (4) the applicant must hold a master's, doctoral or professional degree in management or the relevant field, or have three or more years of business management experience; (5) the business plan must be certified by a third party with management expertise, such as a small and medium enterprise management consultant, a certified public accountant or a tax accountant. Transition: current holders who apply to extend before 2028-10-16 will not be refused solely for not meeting the new standards; from 2028-10-16 extensions must in principle fully comply. Applicants or companies not meeting the revised standards can no longer obtain permanent residence from the Business Manager status or Highly Skilled Professional 1(i)/1(ii), and switching to Highly Skilled Professional 2 on that basis is no longer recognised. |
| Impact on applicants | The "¥5 million to set up a company and get a visa" era is over: new applicants must prepare for three gates at once — ¥30 million, one compliant full-time employee, and Japanese ability — with the employee's status and language both restricted, so employment costs rise materially. Current holders have three years of grace, but renewals will also check tax payments, social and employment insurance enrolment and contributions, labour-law compliance and business substance; nominal operations and home-office-only setups will struggle. Per Tokyo Shoko Research (TSR), of the 143,367 companies incorporated in Japan in 2024, only 1,491 (about 1%) had capital of ¥30 million or more — the new standards effectively exclude most micro-startups. Note also the stacking effect: the Permanent Residence Guidelines were revised on 2026-10-01 (income and Japanese-language requirements raised, in principle applying to applications filed from 2027-04-01), so the long-run cost of a Japanese status has moved up across the board. |
| Source | Immigration Services Agency of Japan — revised Business Manager permission standards (published 2026-10-10, effective 10-16) ↗ Note on scope: in effect; transition and individual decisions rest with the agency; TSR statistics as reported by Nikkei |
Source: Immigration Services Agency of Japan ↗ · Last verified: 2026-10-17 · For reference only; not application or legal advice. Always check the official source for current rules.
FAQ
What changes under Japan's new Business Manager visa standards?
Japan's Immigration Services Agency revised the permission standards for the Business Manager status of residence, effective 2026-10-16. Five core changes: (1) capital or total investment rises from ¥5 million to ¥30 million — paid-in capital or total contributions for a corporation, or the total amount invested in the business for a sole proprietor; (2) the company must employ at least one full-time (jōkin) employee, limited to Japanese nationals, special permanent residents, permanent residents, spouses of Japanese nationals or of permanent residents, and long-term residents — holders of other statuses under Table 1 do not count; (3) the applicant or the full-time employee must have Japanese ability equivalent to CEFR B2 (e.g. JLPT N2 or above, BJT 400 or above, or graduation from a Japanese school); (4) the applicant must hold a master's, doctoral or professional degree in management or the relevant field, or have three or more years of business management experience; (5) the business plan must be certified by a third party with management expertise, such as a small and medium enterprise management consultant, a certified public accountant or a tax accountant.
What about people who already hold a Business Manager visa?
There is a transition period. Per the Immigration Services Agency's Q&A, holders of the Business Manager status who apply to extend their period of stay before the date three years after the effective date (2028-10-16) will not be refused solely for not yet meeting the new standards; extensions filed from 2028-10-16 must in principle fully comply. But extension reviews also check payment of corporate tax, enrolment and payment of social insurance and employment insurance, compliance with labour laws, and the substance of the business — nominal operation or insufficient business activity will struggle to pass. Staying outside Japan for a prolonged period without justifiable reason during the period of stay is treated as having no activity in Japan and grounds for refusing an extension.
Where does this information come from?
Immigration Services Agency of Japan — revision of the permission standards for the Business Manager status of residence (ministerial order published 2026-10-10, effective 2026-10-16) and the agency's Q&A; corporate statistics from Tokyo Shoko Research (TSR) as reported by Nikkei. Note on scope: in effect; individual decisions rest with the agency, verified by us on 2026-10-17.
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