Business Manager requirements check

Compare your plans with the Business Manager standard that has applied since the October 2025 revision. Each row shows its rule, its source and the date it was checked. The immigration office decides; this is not a prediction.

As of 2026-10-23

Your case New application or change of status, filed from 2025-10-16 Filed on or before 2025-10-15 and still under review I already hold Business Manager status (renewal) Moving from the Startup Visa (No. 44), certificate issued on or before 2025-10-15 Moving from Designated Activities No. 51 (J-Find), applied or held before 2025-10-16

Your role I run the business myself (owner-operator) I am hired to manage the business

Office

What is your business office? Not sure A separate office, leased for business use in the company’s name My home doubles as the office Space rented by the month for a short period, or a stall A virtual office or shared address only No office secured yet

Capital

Business form Joint-stock company (kabushiki kaisha) Gomei, goshi or godo kaisha Sole proprietor

Paid-in capital, total contributions, or the total actually invested (JPY million)

The line is JPY 30,000,000. If you run several companies, one company alone must reach it.

People

Full-time employees besides you Not sure Yes: a Japanese national, special permanent resident or holder of a residence-based status Only foreigners with work or other statuses Only seconded, dispatched or contracted-out workers None

Residence-based statuses: Permanent Resident, Spouse or Child of Japanese National, Spouse or Child of Permanent Resident, Long-Term Resident. Holders of other statuses do not count.

Japanese ability (you or a full-time employee) Not sure Japanese national or special permanent resident JLPT N2 or higher BJT 400 or more 20 years or more as a mid- to long-term resident Graduated from a Japanese university or other higher education institution Compulsory education in Japan and a Japanese high school graduate None of these

Level B2 or higher is needed. Either you or one full-time employee can supply it.

CareerDo you hold a doctorate, master’s or professional degree in management or in the field of the business?Years of experience running or managing a business

Time in the Designated Activities start-up preparation status counts.

Business plan Not sure Confirmed by a qualified outside expert Confirmed only by an officer or employee of my company Confirmed by a foreign accountant (for example a US CPA) Not confirmed yet

Qualified experts: SME management consultant, certified public accountant, certified tax accountant (Japanese qualifications only).

Immigrate Desk Japan

Compare your situation with the published requirements for Japanese residence statuses. Every statement links to a source and shows the date we checked it.

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Information only. Not legal advice and not an official service. Check the official source and consult the Immigration Services Agency or a licensed administrative scrivener (行政書士) before you decide.

Covers only the statuses and rules listed on this site. We make no promise about the outcome of any application.