New 経営・管理 (Business Manager) Visa Standards: 30 Million Yen Capital, Employment and Japanese Language Requirements

Revisions to the 「出入国管理及び難民認定法第七条第一項第二号の基準を定める省令」 (the ministerial ordinance on landing standards) and the 「出入国管理及び難民認定法施行規則」 (Enforcement Regulations of the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act) took effect on October 16, 2025 (令和7年), and the permission standards for the status of residence 「経営・管理」 (Business Manager) were raised significantly as a result. Based on the explanatory materials and Q&A published by 出入国在留管理庁 (Immigration Services Agency of Japan), this article summarizes the new standards and the transitional measures for people who already hold this status. It is intended for readers who are considering starting a business in Japan, or who already reside in Japan under the Business Manager status and will soon apply for an extension.

Key points

• The effective date is October 16, 2025; applications for certification, change and extension accepted after that date are, in principle, subject to the new standards.
• Capital or equivalent of 30 million yen or more is required, and at least 1 full-time employee must be hired (limited to Japanese nationals, special permanent residents, and holders of statuses listed in 「法別表第二」 (Appended Table II of the Immigration Control Act) such as 永住者 (Permanent Resident)).
• Either the applicant or a full-time employee must have Japanese ability equivalent to B2 or higher on the 「日本語教育の参照枠」 (Reference Framework for Japanese Language Education) (for example JLPT N2 or higher, or a BJT score of 400 or higher).
• The applicant must hold a doctoral, master's or professional degree in a relevant field, or have at least 3 years of experience in business management; the business plan submitted when the status of residence is determined must be checked by a 中小企業診断士 (certified SME management consultant), 公認会計士 (certified public accountant) or 税理士 (licensed tax accountant).
• For current residents who apply for an extension before October 16, 2028 (令和10年), even if they do not meet the new standards, the decision will take into account their business situation and the likelihood of meeting the new standards, and they will not be uniformly refused for that reason alone.

The five new requirements

1. Hiring a full-time employee

The company or business run by the applicant must employ at least 1 full-time employee. 「常勤職員」 (full-time employee) here is limited to Japanese nationals, special permanent residents, and foreign nationals holding 「永住者」, 「日本人の配偶者等」 (Spouse or Child of Japanese National), 「永住者の配偶者等」 (Spouse or Child of Permanent Resident) or 「定住者」 (Long-Term Resident) (statuses of residence in 法別表第二). Foreign nationals holding statuses in 法別表第一 (Appended Table I), such as 「技術・人文知識・国際業務」 (Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services), do not count for this requirement.

According to the Q&A, whether a person is full-time depends on whether, under a set work schedule, they regularly engage in the work during the prescribed hours every day except days off. People working under 「在籍出向」 (secondment while remaining employed by another company), 「派遣」 (worker dispatch) or 「請負」 (subcontracting) arrangements cannot be regarded as full-time employees of the business.

2. Amount of capital

Capital or equivalent of 30 million yen or more is required:

Business entity	Criterion
Corporation	The paid-in capital of a 株式会社 (stock company), or the total contributions of a 合名・合資・合同会社 (general partnership, limited partnership or limited liability company)
Sole proprietor	The total amount invested to run the business, including securing business premises, salaries of employees (1 year's worth), and capital investment expenses

According to the Q&A: capital reserves, capital surplus and retained earnings are not counted; a corporation cannot add employee salaries, office maintenance costs and the like to its capital; a person running multiple companies needs any 1 of them to have capital of 30 million yen or more.

3. Japanese ability

Either the applicant or a full-time employee must have a considerable level of Japanese ability, namely B2 or higher on the 「日本語教育の参照枠」. Note that 「常勤職員」 here includes foreign nationals holding statuses in 法別表第一 (unlike requirement 1). People other than Japanese nationals and special permanent residents must meet one of the following:

1. 日本語能力試験 (JLPT) N2 or higher
2. A score of 400 or higher on the BJTビジネス日本語能力テスト (BJT Business Japanese Proficiency Test)
3. Residence in Japan for 20 years or more as a mid- to long-term resident
4. Graduation from a university or other higher education institution in Japan
5. Completion of compulsory education in Japan and graduation from high school

4. Background (education and work history)

The applicant must meet one of the following:

• A doctoral, master's or professional degree (including equivalent degrees awarded abroad) in business management or in a field related to the technology or knowledge required for the business being applied for;
• At least 3 years of work history in business management or administration. Periods of preparatory activities for starting a business under 「特定活動」 (Designated Activities) can be counted.

5. Expert check of the business plan

The business plan submitted when the status of residence is determined must be checked by an "expert with specialized knowledge of management" to confirm that it is concrete, reasonable and feasible. As of the effective date, such experts are 中小企業診断士, 公認会計士 and 税理士. Directors or employees of the company run by the applicant cannot serve as evaluators; a 公認会計士 or 税理士 serving as an outside advisor can.

Other points in the examination

• Business premises: premises suited to the new scale of business must be secured; in principle, using one's home as business premises is not accepted.
• Actual management activity: where, for example because of outsourcing arrangements, there is no visible substance of activity as a manager, the activity is not regarded as 「経営・管理」 activity.
• Licenses and permits: materials on the status of obtaining the permits required for the business will be requested; where there is a legitimate reason (for example, the permit can only be obtained after residence permission is granted), they may instead be submitted at the next extension.
• Public taxes and dues: at extension, enrollment in and payment of labor insurance (employment insurance, workers' accident compensation insurance) and social insurance (health insurance, 厚生年金 (Employees' Pension Insurance)) will be checked, as well as payment of corporate tax, consumption tax, withholding income tax, 住民税 (resident tax), business tax and so on.
• Long absences from Japan: a person who stays outside Japan for long periods during the period of stay without a legitimate reason will be regarded as having no actual activity in Japan, and the extension will not be granted. The Q&A mentions that cases where departures with re-entry add up to more than half of the period of stay will draw attention.

Transitional measures

Applications accepted before the effective date

Applications for certification, extension and so on that were accepted by the day before the effective date (October 15, 2025) and are still under examination are subject to the permission standards before the revision.

Extension for current holders of 「経営・管理」

• Extension applications filed before October 16, 2028: even if the new standards are not met, the decision will be based on the business situation, the likelihood of meeting the new standards in the future, and so on. The official Q&A states clearly that during this period an extension will not be refused solely because the new standards are not met. During the examination, applicants may be asked to submit an evaluation document from a management expert.
• Extension applications filed after October 16, 2028: in principle, the new standards must be met. However, even if they are not met, if the business is performing well, obligations such as corporate tax are being properly fulfilled, and the new standards are expected to be met by the next extension, the decision will be made comprehensively, taking other aspects of residence into account. The Q&A also explains that applications will not be uniformly refused solely because capital is below 30 million yen.
• The same treatment applies to 「高度専門職1号ハ」 (Highly Skilled Professional (i)(c)), which is premised on 「経営・管理」 activities.

Effect on permanent residency and Highly Skilled Professional

After the effective date, if the new standards are not met, applications for permanent residency from 「経営・管理」, 「高度専門職1号ハ」 or 「高度専門職2号」 premised on business management will not be accepted, nor will changes from 「高度専門職1号ハ」 to 「高度専門職2号」.

Changes from 「特定活動」

• 特定活動 No. 44 (外国人起業家, foreign entrepreneurs): if the confirmation certificate was issued before the revision of the relevant public notice took effect, the old standards apply; if it was issued after, the new standards apply.
• 特定活動 No. 51 (未来創造人材, future-creating human resources): those who had applied or were residing with this status as of the day before the effective date are subject to the old standards; those who apply after the effective date are subject to the new standards.

Timeline

1. October 10, 2025: the Immigration Services Agency announced the main points of the revision.
2. October 16, 2025: the revised ordinances took effect; new applications are subject to the new standards.
3. Applications on or after April 15, 2026: applicants in categories 3 and 4 must submit additional documents; those engaged in business administration need a declaration from the representative of their affiliated organization (see the 「在留資格「経営・管理」」 page).
4. October 16, 2028: 3 years after the effective date, the transitional period ends; extensions after this date must, in principle, meet the new standards.

Common misconceptions

• "Hiring one foreign employee with a 技人国 visa satisfies the full-time employee requirement": the full-time employee requirement only recognizes Japanese nationals, special permanent residents and holders of 法別表第二 statuses; holders of 法別表第一 statuses can only be used to satisfy the Japanese language requirement.
• "Capital reserves or advanced salaries can be counted toward the 30 million yen": for a corporation, only capital or total contributions count; capital reserves and the like are not included, and cannot be combined with salaries or rent.
• "After the transitional period, having less than 30 million yen means certain refusal": officially, applications will not be uniformly refused for that reason alone, but conditions such as good business performance, timely tax payments, and an expectation of meeting the standards by the next extension are required, and the decision is comprehensive.
• "The business plan can be checked by one's own employee or any expert": as of the effective date, it is limited to 中小企業診断士, 公認会計士 and 税理士, and directors and employees of one's own company are not allowed.