In October, the Japanese government plans to tighten requirements for the Business Management Visa. The capital requirement will be raised from 5 million yen to 30 million yen, as well as employment of at least one full-time employee becoming a mandatory requirement.

Checks on the applicant’s career history and academic background will also become more stringent. Requirements will now include at least three years of management or administrative experience, or a master's degree or higher in management or administration.

Currently, the Management Visa is issued to foreigners who—in addition to establishing a business license in Japan—must either have capital of 5 million yen or more or employ two or more full-time staff members. It permits a maximum stay of five years.

The number of foreign residents on the Management Visas reached approximately 41,000 in 2024, a 50% increase from five years ago. It has been considered that the system is being abused, with paper companies lacking actual business operations being established to allow wealthy immigrants to essentially buy a visa to live in Japan.

According to the Immigration Bureau, these new requirements are still considered relatively lenient, with South Korea requiring approximately 300 million won (about 32 million yen) in capital for a similar visa, while the United States requires between 100,000 and 200,000 dollars (about 15 million to 30 million yen).

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