The Immigration Bureau revised requirements for the Business Manager Visa in October 2025.
| New Requirements for “Business Manager” Visa (From October 2025) | |
| Business Scale | A) The business employs at least one full-time employees residing in Japan other than the applicant. (They must be Japanese nationals, permanent residents, spouses of Japanese nationals, long-term residents.) and B) The capital or total amount of investment is at least 30 million yen. |
| Applicant | A) The applicant holds a doctoral, master’s, or professional degree in a field related to business management or in the technical or knowledge-based field necessary for the business. or B) The applicant has at least three years of experience in business management or administration. This includes periods of stay in Japan with a “Designated Activities” visa (limited to those who were designated to perform preparatory activities, such as securing an office, to start a trade or other business in Japan, as defined by the activities listed in the lower section of Table 1-5 of the Act). |
| Business Plan | A business plan that has been evaluated by a person with specialized knowledge in management (Certified Public Accountant or Small and Medium Enterprise Management Consultant) must be submitted. |
| Japanese Language Proficiency | The applicant or one full-time employee to have a “considerable level of Japanese language proficiency.” The “considerable level of Japanese language proficiency” refers to B2 or higher level on “Reference Framework for Japanese Language Education”. The requirement can be met by hiring a Japanese full-time employee or a Special Permanent Resident. If the applicant hires an individual other than Japanese nationals or Special Permanent Residents to meet this requirement, the employee must fulfill any of the following conditions: A) Holding a certification of N2 or higher on the Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) administered by the Japan Educational Exchanges and Services (JEES) and the Japan Foundation. B) Achieving a score of 400 points or higher on the BJT Business Japanese Proficiency Test administered by The Japan Kanji Aptitude Testing Foundation. C) Having resided in Japan for 20 years or more as a mid-to-long-term resident. D) Having graduated from a higher education institution such as a university in Japan. E) Having completed compulsory education and graduated from a high school in Japan. |