Important Notice] Revision of Ministerial Ordinance Concerning "Management and Administration" Visas (Effective October 16, 2025)

  Explained in video (English version)

Major Revisions

1 Employment of Full-Time Staff
In a company, etc. operated by the applicant,Employs at least one full-time employeeIt will be necessary to
　(Note) The following is a summary of the results for the year ended March 31, 2012.Full-time employees" are Japanese nationals, special permanent residents, and foreign nationals with the status of residence in Appended Table 2 of the Law ("Permanent Residents", "Spouses of Japanese Nationals", "Spouses of Japanese Nationals").
　　 Spouse or Child of Permanent Resident", "Spouse or Child of Permanent Resident", "Permanent Resident")Foreign nationals residing with the status of residence in Appended Table 1 of the Act are not eligible.

2 Amount of Capital, etc.
Capital of 30 million yen or moreThe following is a list of the items that will be required.
　(Note) .
　　　　 The amount of paid-in capital (amount of stated capital) in a stock company or the total amount of capital contribution in a general partnership, limited partnership or limited liability company.
　　　 <If the business entity is an individual
　　　　 The total amount invested as necessary to operate the business, such as securing business premises, salaries of hired staff (for one year), and capital investment expenses.

3 Japanese Language Proficiency
Either the applicant or a full-time employee (Note 1) has a considerable degree of Japanese language ability (Note 2)The following is a brief summary of the results of the study.
　(Note 1) The term "full-time employees" here includes foreign nationals residing with the status of residence in Appended Table 1 of the Act.
　(Note 2) A considerable level of Japanese language proficiency means Japanese language proficiency equivalent to B2 or higher in the "Reference Framework for Japanese Language Education," and for applicants other than Japanese nationals or special permanent residents, we will confirm that the applicant meets one of the following conditions
　　　　The applicant must be certified as N2 or above on the Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) administered by the Japan Educational Exchanges and Services Foundation (JEESF) and the Japan Foundation.
　　　　The applicant must have obtained a score of 400 or higher on the BJT Business Japanese Proficiency Test administered by the Japan Kanji Aptitude Testing Foundation.
　　　　Resident in Japan for 20 years or more as a mid- to long-term resident.
　　　　Graduated from a university or other institution of higher education in Japan
　　　　Completion of compulsory education and graduation from high school in Japan

4 Background (education and employment history)
The applicant has a doctoral, master's or professional degree (Note 1) in a field related to the technology or knowledge necessary for business management or the business operations related to the application, or has at least three years of experience (Note 2) in business management or administrationIt is necessary to
　(Note 1) Includes equivalent degrees conferred in foreign countries.
　(Note 2) Includes the period of activities to secure a business office and other preparatory activities necessary to start a trade or other business operation (preparatory activities for starting a business) based on the status of residence "Designated Activities".

5 Handling of business plans
The business plan to be submitted at the time of determination of status of residence will be evaluated to determine whether the plan is concrete, reasonable, and feasible,Mandatory confirmation by a person with expertise in management (see note)Yes.
　(Note) As of the effective date, the following persons fall under this category.
　　　　Small and medium-sized enterprise diagnostician
　　　　Certified Public Accountant
　　　　Tax accountant
　　　 Please note that it may be a violation of the Gyoseishoshi Law for persons other than lawyers and administrative scriveners to prepare documents such as applications to be submitted to public offices for remuneration.

Handling of Applications

1 About our business
If the activities of a manager are not sufficiently recognized, such as outsourcing, the applicant will be treated as not engaging in activities corresponding to the status of residence "Management/Administration".

2 About the business office
In principle, it is not permitted to combine one's home with a place of business, as it is necessary to secure a place of business to conduct management activities in accordance with the revised scale, etc.

3 Application for Permanent Residence Permit, etc.
After the effective date, if the applicant does not conform to the revised permission criteria, permission for permanent residence from "Management/Administration", "Highly Specialist 1-H" or "Highly Specialist 2" (which presupposes "Management/Administration" activities) or permission for change of status of residence from "Highly Specialist 1-H" to "Highly Specialist 2" will not be granted.

4 Departure from Japan during your stay in Japan　
If a foreign national has left Japan for a long period of time during his/her period of stay without justifiable reason, he/she will be deemed to have no actual activities in Japan and will not be granted permission to extend his/her period of stay.

5 Performance of Public Taxes and Public Dues
At the time of renewal of the period of stay, we will check the status of payment of the following taxes and public dues.
　(1) Labor insurance coverage
　　Performance of the acquisition of employment insurance eligibility
　　Fulfillment of payment of unemployment insurance premiums
　　Status of application procedures for workers' compensation insurance
　(2) Social insurance coverage
　　The performance of the acquisition of the insured status of health insurance and employees' pension insurance.
　　Fulfillment of the above social insurance premium payment
　(3) Status of payment of the following national and local taxes payable by the business
　　Corporate
　　　　National tax : Withholding income tax and special income tax for recovery, corporate tax, consumption tax and local consumption tax
　　　　Local taxes : Corporate inhabitant tax, corporate enterprise tax
　　Sole proprietorships
　　　　National tax : Withholding tax and special income tax for recovery, declared income tax and special income tax for recovery, consumption tax and local consumption tax, inheritance tax, gift tax
　　　　Local taxes : Individual inhabitant tax, individual enterprise tax

6 Obtaining the necessary permits and approvals to operate the business
The applicant will be required to submit materials that attest to the status of obtaining the necessary permits and licenses for the business operated by the applicant.
　(Note: If a justifiable reason is recognized, such as the applicant is unable to obtain a permit or authorization until after receiving permission to stay, the applicant will be required to submit this information at the time of the next application for extension of the period of stay.

Points to keep in mind when enforcing the law

1 For applications received before the effective date
The criteria for approval before the revision shall apply to applications for certificate of eligibility and applications for permission for extension of period of stay that have been received by the day before the effective date of this revised ministerial ordinance and are still under review.

2 Application for permission for extension of period of stay from a person already residing in Japan under the category of "Management, Administration, etc.
In the case of those who are already in "Management/Administration" and apply for permission for extension of period of stay before the day on which three years will have elapsed since the enforcement date (October 16, 2028), even if they do not meet the revised criteria, a decision will be made based on their management situation and the likelihood that they will meet the revised criteria.
　In addition, during the review process, the applicant may be asked to submit documentation of an evaluation by a management expert.

The revised criteria must be met for applications for permission to extend the period of stay filed after three years have elapsed from the effective date.
　(Note) Even if the applicant does not conform to the revised criteria, if the applicant is in good business condition, has properly fulfilled its obligation to pay corporate tax, etc., and is expected to meet the new criteria by the time of the next application for renewal, a decision will be made based on comprehensive consideration of the applicant's other residency conditions.

The "Highly specialized profession 1 (c)" (which is premised on "management and administration" activities) is also handled in the same manner as above, since it is premised on meeting the criteria for "management and administration" permission.

3 Handling of applications for permission to change status of residence from "Designated Activities" to "Management/Administration
Change of status from Specified Activities (No. 51, Human Resources for Creation of Future (Preparatory Activities for Starting a Business))
If you have already applied for a certificate of eligibility for "Designated Activities (No. 51)" or are currently residing in Japan with the same status as "Designated Activities (No. 51)" as of the day before the effective date, the criteria for permission before the revision shall apply when you apply for permission to change your status of residence to "Management/Administration".
If an application for a Certificate of Eligibility for "Designated Activities (No. 51)" is filed on or after the effective date, the revised permission criteria will be applied when applying for permission to change status of residence to "Management/Administration".

Q&A

Q1: Regarding the "full-time staff" that will be newly required to be hired, who should be hired?
A. The criteria for "full-time employees" are limited to Japanese nationals, special permanent residents, and foreigners residing with the status of residence in Annexed Table 2 of the Law ("permanent resident," "spouse or child of Japanese national," "spouse or child of permanent resident," and "permanent resident"). Foreigners residing with the status of residence in Annexed Table 1 of the Act are not eligible.

Q2 How do you verify the size of the business, such as capital, etc.?
Answer We will confirm whether the size of the business being operated is 30 million yen or more by means of a certificate of registered matters or other documents.
　　Specifically, if the business entity is a corporation, the amount of paid-in capital (amount of capital stock) in a joint stock company, or the total amount of investment in a general partnership, limited partnership, or limited liability company, or if the business entity is an individual, the total amount invested as necessary to operate the business, such as securing a business office, salaries of employed staff (for one year), and capital investment expenses If the business entity is an individual, confirm the total amount invested as

Q3 What level of Japanese language proficiency is required? And how do you prove it?
A. Japanese language proficiency equivalent to B2 or higher in the "Reference Framework for Japanese Language Education" is required.
　　Specifically, for persons other than Japanese nationals or special permanent residents, one of the following must be met
　　The applicant must be certified as N2 or above on the Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) administered by the Japan Educational Exchanges and Services (JEES) and the Japan Foundation.
　　The applicant must have obtained a score of 400 or higher on the BJT Business Japanese Proficiency Test administered by the Japan Kanji Aptitude Testing Foundation.
　　Resident in Japan for 20 years or more as a mid- to long-term resident.
　　Graduated from a university or other institution of higher education in Japan
　　Completion of compulsory education and graduation from high school in Japan
　　If the applicant wishes to prove his/her Japanese language proficiency by examination, he/she must submit a certificate of examination pass or transcript. If the applicant wishes to prove his/her Japanese language proficiency by other means, he/she must submit materials (certificate of residence, certificate of graduation, etc.) that prove his/her status and career history.
　　In the "Details" column, please provide specific details such as "Japanese nationals are employed" or "the manager (applicant) is certified as having Japanese language proficiency N2 or higher".

Q4: Who exactly is the expert who will review your business plan?
A. We are assuming that a person who has a public qualification that is recognized as having the ability to conduct business valuation, and as of the effective date, a small and medium enterprise diagnostician, certified public accountant, and certified tax accountant will fall under this category.
　　In the event that the eligibility changes after the effective date of the program, we will announce the changes on our website.

Q5 What documents are required to renew the period of stay?
A certificate of registered matters of the organization to which the applicant belongs (if the organization is a corporation) or other documents that clarify the status of payment of taxes and public dues at the organization to which the applicant belongs are required.
　　For more information, please check here (Resident status "Management and Administration" information page).

Q6 What should I do if I cannot obtain the necessary permits and approvals for my business activities until after I obtain a "Management/Administration" residence permit?
Answer If it is recognized in advance that there is a justifiable reason for not being able to obtain the visa, please submit a document (any form) explaining the specific reason for not being able to obtain the visa, as the status of obtaining the visa will be checked at the time of the next application for permission to extend the period of stay.

Q7 I applied for "Management and Administration" before the Landing Standards Ordinance was revised, will the new standards be applied?
The criteria for granting a certificate of eligibility and permission for extension of the period of stay, etc., which have been received by the day before the effective date of this revised ministerial ordinance and are still under examination, shall be applied to the criteria for granting the permission before the revision.
　　However, please note that even in cases where a permit was issued based on the application of the pre-amendment permit criteria, the revised permit criteria must be met after three years have elapsed from the effective date.

Q8 What should I do if I am in "Management/Administration" and will soon need to renew my period of stay but cannot meet the criteria by the time I apply for renewal?
A. Until three years have passed from the effective date (October 16, 2028), even if a company is not in compliance with the revised standards, a decision will be made based on the management situation and the likelihood of compliance with the revised standards.