Revision of the ministerial ordinance regarding the landing criteria for the residence status of Business Manager.

Revision of the Ministerial Ordinance on Landing Standards Concerning the Status of Residence of Business Manager

(These will be the conditions for approval of the Business Manager visa from October 16, 2025.)
(Please note: In addition to the information published by the Immigration Services Agency of Japan, my own views as a Certified Administrative Procedures Legal Specialist (Gyoseishoshi lawyer), Shinichi Narita, are reflected here for your reference.)

Key Points of the Revised Approval Standards for the “Business Manager” Visa

(1) Employment of Full-Time Staff (Employees)

 
🧑‍💼 The company, etc. managed by the applicant must employ at least one full-time employee.

 
① The “full-time employee” must be a Japanese national or a foreign national holding one of the following statuses of residence:

 
a. Special Permanent Resident

b. Permanent Resident

c. Spouse or Child of Japanese National, Spouse or Child of Permanent Resident, or Long-Term Resident
 
Note: Foreign nationals holding statuses such as work visas, Dependent, or Cultural Activities cannot be counted as full-time employees.
 
(However, if the foreign national to be hired can simultaneously change status to “Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services,” hiring is at the applicant’s discretion. If the individual also has the Japanese language proficiency described later, hiring becomes even more effective.)

Note: Before October 16, 2025, the standards were met by employing two or more full-time employees or by investing 5 million yen or more. In practice, many cases involved investing 5 million yen or more and having only the representative director (the applicant) as the sole officer.
 
② Under the revised standards, at the time of application the applicant must have invested 30 million yen or more personally and must employ at least one foreign national who has a status of residence enabling work equivalent to that of a Japanese national—namely a Special Permanent Resident, Permanent Resident, Spouse or Child of Japanese National, Spouse or Child of Permanent Resident, or Long-Term Resident—or a Japanese national.

 (2) Capital, etc.

💰 Capital (etc.) of 30 million yen or more is required.

 
① When the applicant’s business entity is a corporation such as a stock company (KK) or a limited liability company (LLC):
　→ The paid-in capital (capital amount) of a stock company, or the total amount of contributions for a general partnership company (Gomei), limited partnership company (Goshi), or limited liability company (Godo/LLC), must be 30 million yen or more.
In practice:

 
a. If the applicant is overseas: transfer funds to the bank account of a collaborator in Japan, or visit Japan on a temporary visitor status and deposit funds with the collaborator.

 
b. If the applicant is already in Japan: if you have 30 million yen or more in your own bank account and the other necessary costs are available, incorporation is generally possible.
 
② When the applicant is a sole proprietor (individual business owner):
　→ If purchasing a business premises, the acquisition cost, plus one year of wages for employed staff, equipment investment expenses, and other business necessities—both already expended amounts and deposits/savings—must total 30 million yen or more. (If renting an office, it is desirable to have deposits equivalent to one year’s rent.) (Example: Even if you purchase an office for 25,000,000 yen and hold equipment and cash totaling an additional 5 million yen to claim you have invested 30 million yen, if the overall investment does not align with the business plan, the application is likely to be refused.)
(Assets and equipment already purchased must also be investments aligned with the business plan.)

(3) Japanese-Language Proficiency

 
① As a minimum requirement, either the applicant or one full-time employee must have Japanese proficiency equivalent to JLPT N2.
If the applicant seeking the Business Manager visa has this level of Japanese, the application can meet the requirement even if the hired full-time employee at the time of filing does not have Japanese proficiency.
Example: If the applicant holds JLPT N1, the hired employee need not have Japanese proficiency (even if only fluent in a foreign language); the standards are still met.
 
Background to the tightening of the language standard (presumed):
After obtaining the Business Manager status and establishing a company, many procedures in Japan—resident registration at the municipal office, enrollment and payment procedures for health insurance and pension, opening bank accounts, permits for antique dealing, financial instruments, and adult entertainment businesses, etc.—must be conducted in Japanese with government officials or bank staff. In daily life, Japanese is also essential for communication with neighbors near the office or at the local community association. It is believed that the 2025 amendment codified this “essential” Japanese proficiency.
With approximately 40,000 Business Manager visa holders, communication problems reportedly occurred frequently, and various prefectural authorities likely requested the Immigration Services Agency to add conditions ensuring communication with Japanese nationals. I am likewise quite surprised at the strictness of these requirements.
 
② “B2-equivalent” means Japanese proficiency equivalent to JLPT N2 or higher, indicating the ability to use Japanese independently not only in daily life but also in professional or academic settings. The abilities are as follows:
💬 Listening
・Grasps key points even in somewhat complex meetings and lectures
・Understands the main parts of news and TV programs
🗣 Speaking
・Explains and discusses one’s area of expertise with reasons
・Interacts naturally, exchanging opinions and negotiating
📖 Reading
・Understands abstract and logical texts such as newspaper articles and business documents
・Infers meaning from context even on specialized topics
✍️ Writing
・Organizes and presents ideas persuasively
・Writes business emails and reports in appropriate style
 
③ Regarding the language requirement, the Immigration Services Agency indicates that the one full-time employee who has Japanese proficiency need not be Japanese, nor a Permanent Resident/Long-Term Resident/Spouse visa holder; if at least one foreign national with a work-eligible status is employed at the time of application, the standard is met.
→ In essence, at the time of applying for the Certificate of Eligibility for “Business Manager,” if you employ a foreign national with B2-equivalent Japanese who holds a status such as Diplomat, Official, Professor, Artist, Highly Skilled Professional, Intra-Company Transferee, or Skilled Labor, etc., the requirement for the full-time employee’s Japanese proficiency can be satisfied.
→ In practice for your company or sole proprietorship:

a. First, for the full-time employment requirement, you must hire at least one foreign national who holds one of the following: Special Permanent Resident, Permanent Resident, Spouse or Child of Japanese National, Spouse or Child of Permanent Resident, or Long-Term Resident; or a Japanese national.

 
b. If among those hired in a. (Permanent Resident, Spouse/Child of Japanese, Spouse/Child of Permanent Resident, or Long-Term Resident) no one has B2-equivalent Japanese proficiency, then hiring a foreign national with a work visa who does have B2-equivalent Japanese can satisfy the requirement.
Note: Implicitly, if you hire foreign nationals who hold one of the following statuses in the corporation you established or your sole proprietorship, it is assumed that a simultaneous application for change of status will be approved: Official, Professor, Artist, Religious Activities, Journalist, Highly Skilled Professional (1 and 2), Business Manager, Legal/Accounting Services, Medical Services, Researcher, Instructor, Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services, Intra-Company Transferee, Nursing Care, Entertainer, Skilled Labor, or certain types of Designated Activities. (However, at a minimum, academic/work background meeting the standard for Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services is required.)
(Issue for confirmation: When hiring foreign nationals under certain Designated Activities that allow employment—such as those awaiting recognition as refugees or recipients of permission for paid activities—who possess B2-level Japanese, can the requirement be satisfied? We will confirm with the Immigration Services Agency and update this website. This is current as of October 13, 2025.)

 
c. In short, if neither the applicant nor the foreign nationals holding the statuses listed above have B2-level proficiency, hiring a foreign national with B2-level Japanese and a work-eligible status will satisfy the language standard.

 
d. Alternatively, even if the applicant does not have B2-level Japanese, if a hired foreign national (Permanent Resident, Spouse/Child of Japanese, Spouse/Child of Permanent Resident, or Long-Term Resident) does have B2-level Japanese, and in addition you hire another foreign national with B2-level Japanese, the requirement is naturally met.
(Note: There are Japanese nationals who possess only foreign-language skills; likewise, there are Permanent Residents, Spouse/Child of Japanese, and Long-Term Residents who possess only foreign-language skills. The October 10, 2025 amendment to the ministerial ordinance revising (tightening) the Business Manager standards does not detail this point. Interpreting the revised standard, it presumes Japanese nationals and Special Permanent Residents have Japanese proficiency. In practice, however, since the purpose is to facilitate good communication with Japanese society, if neither the applicant nor the hired Japanese/Special Permanent Resident has adequate Japanese ability, it is safer to assume the standard is not met. We will confirm with the Immigration Services Agency and update this website. Current as of October 13, 2025.)
 
④ Under the revised language standard, “sufficient Japanese proficiency” refers to B2 or higher in the “Reference Framework for Japanese Language Education.” If the hired foreign national is a Permanent Resident, Spouse/Child of Japanese, Spouse/Child of Permanent Resident, or Long-Term Resident, proof must be provided by one of the following:
a. JLPT N2 or higher pass certificate (notification of pass) issued by the Japan Educational Exchanges and Services and the Japan Foundation
b. BJT Business Japanese Proficiency Test score of 400 points or higher (Japan Kanji Aptitude Testing Foundation)
c. Proof of residence in Japan for 20 years or more as a mid- to long-term resident (via certificate of residence or status records)
d. Graduation/completion certificate from a Japanese university, graduate school, or doctoral program
e. Graduation certificate from a Japanese elementary, junior high, or high school (including the High School Equivalency Examination, as applicable)

(4) Career (Education/Work History)

 
① The applicant must either hold a doctorate, master’s, or professional degree (note 1) in a field related to management or to the technology/knowledge necessary for the business in question, or have three years or more of experience in business management or administration (note 2) .

 
(Note 1) Includes equivalent academic degrees conferred overseas.

(Note 2) Includes periods of activities under “Designated Activities” for startup preparation, such as securing business premises necessary to commence management of trade or other businesses.

→ In practice: For foreign entrepreneurs recognized under METI’s Foreign Entrepreneurship Promotion Project (Designated Activities—Public Notice No. 44), for graduates of top overseas universities under the J-Find visa, and for international students graduating from Japanese universities under Designated Activities (Public Notice No. 51), the two-year period spent on securing premises etc. to commence management counts toward the “three years’ experience.” Therefore, going forward, to conduct startup activities under Public Notices 44/51 and METI’s project, you should in principle have one year or more of management experience, proven by employment certificates or certified corporate registry documents; or have completed a master’s or higher degree related to management or to the sales activities in your business plan.

 (5) Handling of Business Plans
 
📝 When submitting a business plan at the time of status determination, the plan must be specific, reasonable, and feasible, and must be evaluated by a professional with expertise in management, holding one of the following qualifications, who will prepare a management plan evaluation or business plan evaluation:

 
① Small and Medium Enterprise Management Consultant (SMEC)

② Certified Public Accountant (CPA)

③ Licensed Tax Accountant (Zeirishi)

 
→ In practice:
 I , an Certified Administrative Procedures Legal Specialist (Gyoseishoshi) first prepares the business plan based on meetings with the applicant; such plans may include a degree of “expectation” regarding planning, stability, and continuity. Therefore, the requirement has been added to have an SMEC effectively “appraise” the plan. The SMEC analyzes the feasibility of the plan prepared by the Gyoseishoshi, reviews income statements and balance sheets for periods such as the first, second, and third fiscal years after operations begin, and, using the Organization for Small & Medium Enterprises and Regional Innovation’s self-diagnostic tools, calculates objective indicators such as safety. Metrics include gross profit margin, total asset turnover, equity ratio, current ratio, and, in the long term, assuming bank borrowings, interest-bearing debt–to–equity ratio, to assess profitability, efficiency, productivity, safety, and growth. Global trends, geopolitical risks, political situations, exchange rates, economic conditions, market trends, and competitiveness with peers are also analyzed to form an overall evaluation.

🧭 2. “How will the operation of the revised landing standards change for applications reviewed on or after October 16, 2025?”

 
(In practice: If your articles of incorporation were notarized on October 9 or 10, 2025 with a stated capital of 5,000,000 yen, urgent registration of incorporation might allow submission by October 15,2025.

 
However, from October 16, 2025, the following points become key revised standards for applications for a Certificate of Eligibility, change of status, or permission to acquire status relating to the Business Manager visa, and applications must be aligned with them. If you are a Highly Skilled Professional under category (i)(h) and currently under review for permanent residence, you should urgently take steps to align with these changes. (For newly filed permanent residence applications, the review period is said to be over 18 months; absent any announced relief measures, it is possible that just before a decision, the Immigration Services Agency may issue a notice such as:)

 
〇 “Please explain, with documentary proof, your company’s current capital, number of employees (and whether Japanese etc. are employed), the names and status details of persons with Japanese proficiency, and whether the office and residence are separate properties.”

 
〇 “Please submit within two weeks a three-year business plan for your company, attaching evaluations/confirmations by an SMEC, etc.”
You may therefore need to respond to such a document request.)
 

☆ Summary of the most important points of the revised standards:

 
a. Capital/Investment → Increase to 30 million yen or more.
(For sole proprietors, expand the scale of operations per the business plan, e.g., equipment investment, increasing the number of outlets.)

 
b. Career/Education (for the manager) → Either three or more years of management experience, or a master’s or higher degree related to the business plan. Time spent under Designated Activities (Public Notices 44 and 51, and J-Skip) may count toward management experience.
From October 16, 2025, if not satisfied, the application will be refused as not meeting the landing standards.
At present, those likely not meeting the standards are foreign nationals who, as of October 16, 2025, have not graduated from a university/graduate school and have held Business Manager for less than three years.
Countermeasures: There is a three-year grace period; if you properly renew your current Business Manager status during this period, you will then have three or more years of management experience and meet the revised standards for further renewals thereafter.
If concerned: Under current standards, if you are a university graduate, you may enroll now in a master’s program related to your business plan. Completing the program in two years will meet the revised standards. Note that you must complete the program while managing your company, which will likely mean a tight schedule.
If you are not a university graduate, have no prior management experience, and have held Business Manager for only 1–2 months, you must safely renew three times; otherwise, in the fourth year, renewal will likely be refused (over 90% probability) for failure to meet the standards.

 
c. Employment obligation → Employ at least one full-time employee. At least one of the full-time employees must be a Japanese national or a foreign national in Japan holding Special Permanent Resident, Permanent Resident, Spouse or Child of Japanese, Spouse or Child of Permanent Resident, or Long-Term Resident.

 
d. Language requirement → Either the applicant or a full-time employee must have B2-level Japanese or higher as explained above.

 
e. Expert confirmation at status determination → If not a company listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange, for example, submit the business plan prepared by a Gyoseishoshi to an SMEC for evaluation/appraisal and attach a confirmation/evaluation based on comprehensive economic indicators.

🏢 (1) Business Activities

 
If outsourcing etc. means the actual activities as a manager cannot be sufficiently recognized, the activities will not be treated as those permitted under the “Business Manager” status.
 

🏬 (2) Business Office

 
As it is necessary to secure a business office appropriate to the scale of post-revision management activities, using a home as a combined office is, in principle, not permitted.
→ For applications up to October 15, 2025, where the office and residence were in the same property but utilities were clearly separated and entrances/rooms were distinct, the standards could be met in certain cases. From October 16, 2025, the business office and residence must be completely separate properties.
 

🧾 (3) Applications for Permanent Residence, etc.

 
After the effective date, if the revised standards are not met, applications for permanent residence from “Business Manager,” “Highly Skilled Professional (i)(h),” or “Highly Skilled Professional (ii)” (based on Business Manager activities), and applications to change from “HSP (i)(h)” to “HSP (ii),” will not be approved.
 

✈️ (4) Departure from Japan During Stay

 
If, during the period of stay, the applicant departs for a long period without just cause, renewal will be refused for lack of actual activities in Japan.
→ For example, if the applicant remains abroad for long periods and only returns at renewal time, or if the business has no compelling reason to be conducted overseas yet is run remotely from abroad, renewal will be 100% refused.
 

🧮 (5) Fulfillment of Public Dues and Taxes

At renewal, the following compliance items will be checked:

 
① Labor insurance

a. Acquisition of insured status for employment insurance

b. Payment of employment insurance premiums

c. Status of procedures for workers’ accident compensation insurance

② Social insurance

a. Acquisition of insured status for health insurance and employees’
pension insurance

b. Payment of the above social insurance premiums

③ National and local taxes payable by the business

 
a. Corporations

 
National: Withholding income tax and special income tax for reconstruction, corporate tax, consumption tax and local consumption tax
Local: Corporate inhabitant tax, corporate enterprise tax

 
b. Sole proprietors

 
National: Withholding income tax and special income tax for reconstruction, income tax and special income tax for reconstruction, consumption tax and local consumption tax, inheritance tax, gift tax
Local: Individual inhabitant tax, individual enterprise tax
 

🪪 (6) Business Licenses/Permits Required for Operations

 
Applicants must submit documents proving the status of obtaining necessary licenses/permits for the business.
　(Note: If there is a justifiable reason why the license cannot be obtained until after receiving status permission, submission may be required at the next renewal.)
 
→ Typical examples of permits obtainable only after receiving the Business Manager status include:
 
a. Antique Dealer license (apply at the nearest police station)
b. Adult Entertainment Business license (nearest police station)
c. Construction Business license (prefectural government)
d. Industrial Waste Collection/Transportation license (prefectural government)
e. Real Estate Brokerage license (prefectural government)
f. Restaurant Business permit (public health center)