Published on October 10, 2025

Amendments to the "Business Management" Permission Criteria (Effective October 16, 2025)

Major Amendments

1. Employment of Full-Time Employees

〇 The applicant's company or other entity must employ one or more full-time employees (Item 2(a) of "Activities Listed in the Right-Hand Column of the Business Management Section of Table 1-2 of the Act," in the Ministerial Ordinance Prescribing the Criteria for Article 7, Paragraph 1, Item 2 of the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act).

(Note) "Full-time employees" are limited to Japanese nationals, special permanent residents, and foreign nationals residing in Japan with a status of residence under Table 2 of the Act ("Permanent Resident," "Spouse or Child of a Japanese National," "Spouse or Child of a Permanent Resident," and "Long-Term Resident"). Foreign nationals residing in Japan with a status of residence under Table 1 of the Act are not eligible.

2. Capital Amount, etc.

〇 A capital of 30 million yen or more is required (Item 2(b)).

(Note) This refers to the amount of paid-in capital (capital stock) for a joint-stock company or the total amount of investment for a general partnership, limited partnership, or limited liability company. This refers to the total amount invested in items necessary for running the business, such as securing a business location, salaries of employed staff (for one year), and capital investment expenses.

3. Japanese Language Proficiency

〇 Either the applicant or a full-time employee (Note 1) must have a sufficient level of Japanese language proficiency (Note 2) (Item 3).

(Note 1) The term "full-time employee" here includes foreign nationals residing in Japan with a status of residence under Schedule 1 of the Act.

(Note 2) A sufficient level of Japanese language proficiency is defined as Japanese language proficiency equivalent to or above B2 in the "Frame of Reference for Japanese Language Education." For applicants other than Japanese nationals or special permanent residents, we will confirm that they meet one of the following criteria. - Have attained level N2 or higher certification on the Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) administered by the Japan Educational Exchanges and Services and the Japan Foundation; - Have achieved a score of 400 or higher on the BJT Business Japanese Proficiency Test administered by the Japan Kanji Aptitude Testing Foundation; - Have resided in Japan for 20 years or more as a mid- to long-term resident; - Have graduated from a Japanese university or other institution of higher education; - Have completed compulsory education in Japan and graduated from high school.

4. About Academic and Work Experience

- Applicants must hold a doctoral, master's, or professional degree (Note 1) in a field related to business management or the skills or knowledge necessary for the business to which they are applying, or have at least three years of work experience in business management or administration (Note 2) (Item 4).

(Note 1) This includes equivalent degrees awarded abroad.

(Note 2) (Note 2) This includes the period of activities (preparatory activities for starting a business) such as securing a place of business necessary to commence trade or other business operations under the "Designated Activities" status of residence.

5. Handling of Business Plans

〇 Business plans submitted at the time of granting residence status will be subject to confirmation by a person with specialized knowledge of business management (Note) to ensure that the plan is concrete, reasonable, and feasible (Item 1(a)) of Appendix 3 of the Enforcement Regulations of the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act, "Activities listed in the column under "Business Management" in Appendix 1-2 of the Act").

(Note) As of the effective date, the following persons fall under this category: Small and medium-sized enterprise management consultants, certified public accountants, and certified tax accountants. Please note that persons other than lawyers and certified administrative scriveners who prepare documents such as applications to be submitted to government agencies as a form of professional compensation may be in violation of the Certified Administrative Procedures Specialist Act.

Application Handling

1. Regarding Business Content

〇 If the actual activities of a business owner are not fully recognized due to outsourcing, etc., the applicant will be deemed not to be engaged in activities that fall under the "Business Manager" status of residence.

2. Regarding Business Place

〇 Because it is necessary to secure a business place for business activities in accordance with the revised scale, as a general rule, using one's home as a business place is not permitted.

3. Regarding Permanent Residence Applications, etc.

〇 After the effective date, if the revised permission criteria are not met, permanent residence will not be granted from "Business Manager," "Highly Skilled Professional (i) (c)," or "Highly Skilled Professional (ii)" (which are premised on "Business Manager" activities), and permission to change the status of residence from "Highly Skilled Professional (i) (c)" to "Highly Skilled Professional (ii)" will not be granted.

4. Regarding Departures During Residence

〇 If an applicant leaves Japan for an extended period without a valid reason during their period of residence, they will be deemed to have no actual activities in Japan and their permission to extend their period of stay will not be granted.

5. Tax and Public Dues

〇 When renewing your period of stay, we will verify your status of payment of the following taxes and public dues: ① Labor insurance coverage, Employment insurance coverage, Employment insurance premium payment, Workers' Accident Compensation Insurance coverage, etc. ② Social insurance coverage, Health insurance and Employees' Pension Insurance coverage, and Social insurance premium payment. ③ Payment status of the following national and local taxes payable by the business: For corporations: National taxes: Withholding income tax and Special income tax for reconstruction, Corporate tax, Consumption tax and Local consumption tax. Local taxes: Corporate inhabitant tax, Corporate business tax. For sole proprietors: National taxes: Withholding income tax and Special income tax for reconstruction, Self-assessed income tax and Special income tax for reconstruction, Consumption tax and Local consumption tax, Inheritance tax, Gift tax. Local taxes: Individual inhabitant tax, Individual business tax.

6. Obtaining necessary permits and licenses for business operations

〇 We will require you to submit documents certifying the status of obtaining necessary permits and licenses for the business you will be operating. (Note) If a valid reason is recognized, such as being unable to obtain a permit or license until after receiving a residence permit, you will be required to submit the document when applying for your next extension of period of stay.

Important Points Regarding the Implementation

1. Regarding Applications Received Before the Enforcement Date

〇 Applications for Certificates of Eligibility and applications for extension of period of stay that were received by the day before the enforcement date of this revised ministerial ordinance and are still under review will be subject to the previous approval standards.

2. Regarding Applications for Extension of Period of Stay from Individuals Already Resident in Japan on "Business Manager" Status, etc.

〇 For individuals already residing in Japan on "Business Manager" status who apply for an extension of period of stay between the date three years after the enforcement date (October 16, 2018), even if the application does not meet the revised approval standards, a decision will be made based on the applicant's business situation and the likelihood of compliance with the revised approval standards. Please note that you may be required to submit documents evaluated by a business management expert during the review process.

〇 Applications for extension of period of stay submitted three years after the enforcement date must meet the revised approval standards. (Note) Even if an applicant does not meet the revised permission criteria, if the applicant's business is in good condition, corporate tax payment obligations are being properly fulfilled, and the applicant is expected to meet the revised permission criteria by the time of the next renewal application, the applicant's other residence status will be taken into consideration comprehensively in making a decision on whether to grant permission.

〇 "Highly Skilled Professional (i) (ha)" (which is based on "Business Manager" activities) will also be treated in the same manner as above, as it is based on the assumption that the applicant meets the permission criteria for "Business Manager."

3. Handling of Applications for Permission to Change Residence Status from "Designated Activities" to "Business Manager"

〇 Change of Status from Designated Activities (No. 51, Future Creative Talent)

・ If an application for a Certificate of Eligibility for "Designated Activities (No. 51)" or a current applicant with this status has been submitted as of the day before the effective date, the previous permission criteria will apply when applying for permission to change residence status to "Business Manager."

・ If you apply for a Certificate of Eligibility for "Designated Activities (Category 51)" after the enforcement date, the revised permission standards will apply when applying for permission to change your status of residence to "Business Manager."

Reference: Immigration Services Agency website, "Amendments to the Ministerial Ordinance on Landing Standards for the Status of Residence of 'Business Manager'" https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/applications/resources/10_00237.html