This article is a translation of the Japanese original. Where the two differ, the Japanese version prevails. Read the Japanese original（日本語版を読む）
What the 4 enquiries have in common is that 3 things are being asked of you: whether it is realistic, whether it is concrete, and whether it is grounded. For funds, you are asked to show where they came from and how they tie in with the business plan; for business premises and remote business, how concrete your activity in Japan is; for the business plan, the grounds for your figures; and for extensions, a record of your day-to-day business activity.
These are the 4 enquiries about the 経営・管理 visa that we actually receive most often from people thinking of starting a business in Japan or bringing a business here.
More than anything, it is important to make clear where the funds came from and to be able to explain properly how they tie in with the business plan.
The enquiry runs: "As to the 30 million yen (3,000万円) of investment that is a requirement for the 経営・管理 visa, can I include not only my own personal savings but also a gift from my parents, or cryptocurrency?"
For the investment requirement, you need to show that the funds are there to run the business on a stable footing. It is therefore important, beyond merely having personal savings, that the connection with the business plan and the source of the funds are clear.
What decides it is whether you can show how concrete and continuous your business activity within Japan is.
The enquiry runs: "Our head office is abroad, and in Japan we would set up nothing but a virtual office and run the business mainly online. Can we obtain it?"
The 経営・管理 visa takes as its premise that there is a base for the business within Japan and that business activity is carried out from there. If there is only a virtual office and the substance of the business activity depends on a head office abroad, it may be judged that the business in Japan is not realistic enough.
That said, if you have a concrete plan of business activity within Japan — market research, developing customers, preparing to incorporate a Japanese company and so on — and it is clearly shown that the virtual office is the base for that activity, obtaining it is possible. What matters is showing how concrete and continuous your business activity in Japan is.
The plan does not have to be an ideal one, but realistic grounds are required for the sales forecast and the costs.
The enquiry runs: "I do not know how much detail to go into on the sales forecast and the costs. Is it all right if the plan is not an ideal one?"
The business plan is required to be a plan with a high likelihood of being carried out, and not merely a dream. For the sales forecast and the costs, you need to show realistic figures together with their grounds, based on market research data, examples of similar businesses and the like.
The plan does not have to be an ideal one, but optimistic forecasts with no grounds, and costs estimated too lightly, may count against you in screening. It is important to build in the risk factors and the measures against them, and to show from several angles that the plan can be carried out.
Because a track record of business activity to match the scale of the investment, your contribution to creating jobs, and how you have met your tax obligations are all thoroughly checked.
The enquiry runs: "I obtained it last year, but people around me say that this year's application for extension is unexpectedly difficult. Has something changed?"
In screening for an extension, the stability and continuity of the business matter most. Even if sales have risen, whether there is a track record of business activity to match the scale of the investment, the extent of your contribution to creating jobs, and how you have met your tax obligations are all thoroughly checked.
The criteria applied in screening can also change with social conditions, amendments to the law and so on. Even if you cleared the criteria that applied in the past, further explanation and further documents may be required under the criteria that apply now. It is important to keep a proper record of your day-to-day business activity, so that you are ready to explain it smoothly at the time of the extension.
Where a person already residing under 経営・管理 makes an 在留期間更新許可申請 (Application for Extension of Period of Stay) before the day on which 3 years have passed from the date the amendment came into force (16 October 2028, 令和10年10月16日), the decision whether to grant or refuse will be made in the light of the state of their business and the prospect of their coming into line with the amended criteria for permission, even if they do not meet those criteria. An 在留期間更新許可申請 made after 3 years have passed from the date it came into force must meet the amended criteria for permission.
In every one of these situations, what is asked is whether you can show that it is realistic, that it is concrete, and that it is grounded.
Enquiries about the 経営・管理 visa range widely, from the investment requirement through drawing up the business plan to the extension. What can be said of every one of these cases is the importance of being realistic, being concrete, and being grounded.
If there is anything about obtaining or extending it that worries you or that you are unsure about, please consult a specialist such as a certified administrative procedures legal specialist (gyoseishoshi) at an early stage.
By submitting a deed of gift and documents showing the donor's financial position, it may be accepted as part of the investment. What matters is making clear where the funds came from and explaining properly how they tie in with the business plan.
At present, careful judgement is needed as to whether it can be accepted. There are many points to clear, such as how readily it can be converted into cash and how stable its valuation is.
If the substance of the business activity depends on a head office abroad, it may be judged that the business in Japan is not realistic enough. That said, if you have a concrete plan of activity within Japan, such as market research or developing customers, and it is clearly shown that the office is the base for it, obtaining it is possible.
Whether there is a track record of business activity to match the scale of the investment, the extent of your contribution to creating jobs, and how you have met your tax obligations are all thoroughly checked. It is important to record your day-to-day business activity and to be able to explain it.
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This page is a translation of the Japanese original. Where the two differ, the Japanese version prevails.