Japan materially tightened the Business Manager residence-status criteria on 16 October 2025. Treat the requirements below as screening gates, not a promise of approval: the complete business plan and circumstances remain subject to immigration review.
The principal screening gates
A new applicant should plan around all of the following rather than treating capital or employment as alternative routes.
- At least ¥30 million in qualifying business capital or investment
- At least one qualifying full-time employee
- B2-equivalent Japanese ability available through the manager or a full-time employee
- A relevant graduate degree or at least three years of business-management experience
- A real, independent place of business
- A concrete business plan reviewed by an appropriately qualified professional
Capital is usable business money
Paid-in capital belongs to the company after incorporation and can generally fund legitimate operating expenses. It should not be counted once as a visa threshold and then added again as if it had disappeared. The calculator therefore uses the greater of the capital threshold and the modeled operating requirement.
Who should verify the plan
Only official guidance and a licensed Japanese immigration professional can resolve case-specific questions. Do not pay an unlicensed website to prepare government application documents on your behalf.
Primary sources
Rules change. Confirm the current official text before acting.
Immigration Services Agency — Business Manager ↗Immigration Services Agency — revised application notice ↗Apply it to your plan