Difficulties in obtaining Business Manager Visa
When you establish and run your own company, you need to have one of the statuses of residence which allow you to pursue the activities. If you have a status of residence such as PR (permanent residence), spouse of Japanese national or PR, long term residence, you don’t need to be worried about this. But if not, most typical option, you can choose is to get Business Manager Visa.
As we explained in the article about Business Manager Visa, in order to get the Business Manager Visa, you are required to open a business office and hire two or more permanent employees or have capital/investments exceeding five million yen. Those requirements are quite tough to satisfy especially for people who just started walking toward their dream business.
Advantage of Startup Visa
The “Startup Visa” system permits foreign entrepreneurs to stay in Japan up to 6 months or one year for preparation of starting business without fulfilling the prerequisites of Business Manager Visa. During the one year, you can prepare for starting business and application for Business Manager Visa.
What you need to do is to submit your business plan to one of the selected municipalities, or so-called National Strategic Special Zones and pass their examination.
How to Apply for Startup Visa
In Kyoto case, in order to obtain a status of residence under this system, you first need to obtain a certificate issued by the Kyoto Prefectural Government on the confirmation of the business plan, etc., to be carried out in Kyoto Prefecture.
Then, you can apply for the status of residence with this certificate to the regional immigration bureau.
Necessary documents and process may be different in the other cities. So it is advisable that you first contact the support desk established in each city.
List of cities which issues Startup Visa
The cities and prefectures listed below are currently providing support for obtaining Startup Visa. For more details, please contact one of them.
and 渋谷区 Shibuya City.
Special Program for International Students.
If you are an international student of a Japanese university or other kind of school and thinking about establishing your own company rather than being hired, there is a good option to consider.
Based on the basic policy approved by the Cabinet in 2020, international students who have graduated from one of the certain universities become able to stay in Japan up to 2 years from the graduation for starting their own business by obtaining visa for 特定活動（Designated Activities).
While normal Startup Visa allows you to stay in Japan for 6month or 1 year for preparation of starting your business. But under certain conditions, international students can stay in Japan up to 2 years. During the two year period, you can make your company and apply to get Business Manager Visa.
In addition, if you are currently using Normal Startup Visa since graduation from university or other kinds of school but couldn’t start your business during the period (6 month or 1 year), you may extend the period of stay up to two years by changing normal one to special one for International students.
Requirements for this Visa?
Application just after graduation
If you want to use this visa just after graduation from your university, you have to satisfy the following requirements.
(1) The applicant is a graduate of one of the schools which introduce 「留学生就職促進プログラム（International Student Employment Promotion Program）」 or 「スーパーグローバル大学創生支援事業(Super Global University Project)」;
You can check the list of such universities from the following links.
留学生就職促進プログラム（International Student Employment Promotion Program）
スーパーグローバル大学創生支援事業(Super Global University Project)
(2) The applicant has started preparation for your business while he or she was a student of the universities above;
(3) There is a recommendation from the university above on his or her business activities;
(4) The university above offers assistance to his or her business activities;
(5) The applicant reports his or her activities to the university above; and
(6) The university above will instruct and help the applicant to go back to their country, if he or she faces difficulties in continuing the business activities.
Application after using normal startup visa
If you want to change normal start up visa to special one for international students, you have to meet the following requirements.
(1) The applicant has graduated from Japanese university, college, junior college, technical college, or vocational school or has completed graduate school.
(2) The applicant has stayed in Japan by using normal Startup Visa (Foreign Entrepreneurship Promotion Project or the Program to Promote Startups by Foreign Nationals in National Strategic Special Zone) just after graduation from the school above.
(3) Applicant couldn’t start their job during the period of normal start up visa above but still wants to stay in Japan to start their business.
(4) The local municipality which supported normal start up visa can reasonably explain the reason why the applicant couldn’t start their business during the period of the normal startup visa and their analysis that the applicant can certainly start his or her business.
(5) There is a recommendation from the school above or the local municipality above on his or her business activities;
(6) The local municipality above or the school above offer assistance to his or her business activities;
(7) the applicant reports his or her business activities to the local municipality above or the school above; and
(8) The local municipality above or the school above will instruct and help the applicant to go back to their country, if the applicant faces difficulties in continuing the business activities.
How to apply?
To apply this visa, you need to submit the following documents.
Application just after graduation
1. Application
※The form of application can be obtained at local immigration office.
2. Photo of the applicant
3. Presentation of Passport and residence card
4. Certificate of Graduation from University or Master Degree’s Certificate.
5. Documents which shows the university above is the school introducing 「留学生就職促進プログラム（International Student Employment Promotion Program）」 or 「スーパーグローバル大学創生支援事業(Super Global University Project)」
6. Letter of Pledge written by the universities above.
Application after using normal startup visa
1. Application
※The form of application can be obtained at local immigration office.
2. Photo of the applicant
3. Presentation of Passport and residence card;
4.Certificate of Graduation from or University, college, short college, technical school or vocational school or completion of graduate school where the applicant was a student just before using normal Startup Visa (Foreign Entrepreneurship Promotion Project or the Program to Promote Startups by Foreign Nationals in National Strategic Special Zone) ;
5. Evaluation written by the local municipality which support the normal startup visa of the applicant.
*Evaluation format can be obtained at local immigration office; and
6. Letter of Pledge written by the school above or local municipality above.
For more details, please refer to the following page.
https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/publications/materials/nyuukokukanri07_00001.html
DISCLAIMER: This article was written on January 2022. Immigration law changes quickly. So it is vitally important to be aware of the current situation.
