Japan Business Manager visa: new standards — JPY 30 million capital + full-time employee + Japanese at B2
Japan · Residency planning · Applies to new applications after 2025-10-16
| Country / region | Japan |
|---|---|
| Category | Residency planning |
| Date | Applies to new applications after 2025-10-16 |
| What happened | New standards apply to applications after 2025-10-16: as a rule the corporation must have capital or total contributions of JPY 30 million or more; at least one full-time employee within the specified scope must be employed; the applicant needs 3 or more years of management experience or a relevant master's or doctoral degree; either the applicant or the full-time employee needs Japanese at CEFR B2 (e.g. JLPT N2); the business plan must be confirmed by a certified small and medium enterprise consultant, certified public accountant or tax accountant; and an independent business premises is required. Separately, naturalisation screening is strengthened from 2026-04-01, and the permanent residence guidelines were revised on 2026-02-24 with the "maximum period" recognition method changing from 2027-04-01. |
| Impact on applicants | "Start a company with JPY 5 million and get status" is history — capital, staffing and compliance costs have risen sharply. Existing visa holders should watch how the new standards apply at renewal. |
| Source: {src} | Immigration Services Agency of Japan ↗ |
Source: Immigration Services Agency of Japan ↗ · Last verified: 2026-09-20 · For reference only; not application or legal advice. Always check the official source for current rules.
FAQ
Japan Business Manager visa: new standards — JPY 30 million capital + full-time employee + Japanese at B2 — what happened?
New standards apply to applications after 2025-10-16: as a rule the corporation must have capital or total contributions of JPY 30 million or more; at least one full-time employee within the specified scope must be employed; the applicant needs 3 or more years of management experience or a relevant master's or doctoral degree; either the applicant or the full-time employee needs Japanese at CEFR B2 (e.g. JLPT N2); the business plan must be confirmed by a certified small and medium enterprise consultant, certified public accountant or tax accountant; and an independent business premises is required. Separately, naturalisation screening is strengthened from 2026-04-01, and the permanent residence guidelines were revised on 2026-02-24 with the "maximum period" recognition method changing from 2027-04-01.
What does this mean for applicants?
"Start a company with JPY 5 million and get status" is history — capital, staffing and compliance costs have risen sharply. Existing visa holders should watch how the new standards apply at renewal.
Where does this information come from?
Immigration Services Agency of Japan, verified by us on 2026-09-20.
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