LawFlash
September 12, 2025
The Immigration Services Agency of Japan (ISA) announced on August 26, 2025 that it will revise the requirements for the business manager work permit. The new rules, which take effect in mid-October 2025, will make the eligibility criteria significantly stricter.
Currently, to obtain a business manager work permit (“keiei kanri” in Japanese), the host company must either (1) employ two or more full-time workers resident in Japan,[1] (2) have 5 million yen (approximately $34,000) or more of stated capital or capital contribution, or (3) be equivalent to (1) or (2).
Under the ISA’s new requirements, the host company will be required to (1) employ at least one full-time worker resident in Japan[2] and (2) have 30 million yen (approximately $204,000) or more of stated capital or capital contribution.
In addition, the visa applicant will be required to either (1) hold a doctoral degree, master’s degree, or professional degree in a field related to business management or related to the technical skills or knowledge necessary for the business operations or (2) have at least three years of business management experience.
Furthermore, it will be required to submit a business plan for evaluation by a business management expert.
This draft amendment is now subject to public comment until September 25, 2025. This ministerial ordinance will be promulgated in early October and will become effective mid-October.
Paralegals Mai Ishii and Ayako Hiraiwa contributed to this LawFlash.
AloJapan.com