Stay Period for Business Manager Visa Renewal in Japan

May 27, 2020

Question:

How long is the period of stay for a Business Manager visa holder?

Answer:

The stay period for the Business Manager is usually 1 year. A stay period of 3 years can be issued if the company has been profitable from the second accounting period onwards.

Explanation

Business Manager visas are often issued with a 1 year stay period, but a stay period of 3 years is may be issued if the company has been profitable from the 2nd accounting period onwards. The issuance of a 3-year business manager visa will depend on a comprehensive review of the applicant’s career, the status of residence in Japan, the size of the company, and information on their management content.

During the examination for the Business Manager visa, one can see the applicant’s management stability and consistency, so profitability management is especially important. However, do take note that one should not reduce the representative (applicant)’s remuneration for the sake of reducing expenses and making a profit. It is necessary to formulate and execute a business plan so that at least about 200,000 yen can be secured on a monthly basis.

In other words, for a foreign owner, the company is linked to the individual. The Immigration Bureau sees both the company and the individual applicant as a set, so it is important to take both entities into consideration. While this is in-line with the financial review perspective of Japanese financial institutions, “the company’s profits + directors remuneration” is what is considered the company’s true strength. As such, when applying for a renewal of the business manager visa, take into consideration the combined values of the company’s profits and directors’ remuneration.

While it may be difficult to live in Tokyo with a monthly salary of 200,000 yen, when compared to the salaries of fresh graduates, it is not considered impossible to maintain a living in Tokyo with that salary. This is why the standard minimum remuneration is 200,000 yen. The higher the number, the higher the rating during the renewal process of the business manager visa.