On October 10, the Immigration Services Agency published new rules, effective October 16, 2025, for the Business Manager status of residence.
New requirements
Companies looking to newly hire foreign nationals under this status are now required to prove they have capital of JPY 30,000,000 (up from JPY 5,000,000).
Employers must now also provide evidence that they employ at least one full-time staff member. “Full-time employee” is here limited to Japanese nationals, special permanent residents, permanent residents, holders of a visa for the spouse or child of a Japanese national or of a permanent resident and holders of a long-term resident visa. Foreign nationals holding other work visas, such as the Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services visa, are excluded.
Applicants must now demonstrate at least three years of management experience or a master’s degree (or higher) in a related field. The applicant or at least one full-time employee must now demonstrate Japanese language proficiency of at least level CEFR B2 or JLPT N2, 20-plus years of residence in Japan, or graduation from Japanese elementary, junior high and high school or a Japanese university.
Moreover, the employer’s business plan must now be verified by a qualified expert, and businesses that rely heavily on outsourcing to contractors will find it very difficult to have applications for business manager status approved.
Last-minute applications
Applications submitted before October 16, 2025 will be reviewed under the old rules, and applicants already holding a Certificate of Eligibility (CoE) issued under the old rules can enter Japan within three months of the issuance date of the CoE. Last-minute applications may face especially strict scrutiny.
Grace period for renewals
Renewal applications submitted within three years of the effective date (i.e., by October 16, 2028), will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis, taking into account whether the applicant and the business meet the new criteria, or will meet them in the future.
However, from October 16, 2025, status change from Business Manager to Highly Skilled Professional (i)(c) and permission for permanent residence will not be granted unless the new criteria are met.
Erickson Insights & Analysis
Erickson Immigration Group will continue monitoring developments and sharing updates as more news is available. Please contact your employer or EIG attorney if you have questions about anything we’re reporting above or if you have case-specific questions.