Relationship between Intra-Company and Business Manager in Japan

February 7, 2020

Question:

I will assume the position of representative for a Japanese subsidiary (branch) of a foreign company. In this case which visa should I apply for?

Answer:

If the activities to be conducted are those of a manager, apply for a “Business Manager” visa. If the activities are equivalent to liaison duties with the home country, apply for either the “Intra-company transferee” or “Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services” visa.

Explanation:

If you will represent a Japanese subsidiary (branch) of a foreign company, you should apply for a Business Manager visa if the activities you intend to conduct are management-related.

However, in the case of a representative for a branch office in Japan, the capital amount listed on the corporate registry certificate proving the scale of the business will be the capital amount of the foreign head office. In some cases, it would be difficult to prove that the total invested amount is 5 million yen or more, as required by the Business Manager visa.

Additionally, if the representative of the branch office in Japan is involved in activities not related to management, but instead carries out activities that fall under liaison duties with the home office, they have to apply for the resident status of “Intra-company transferee” or “Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services”.