To obtain a visa to manage a company in Japan

To obtain a visa to manage a company in Japan, the general process is as follows:

1. Establish a company with its headquarters located in Japan or acquire an existing company.
2. The person seeking the visa (the applicant for the Business Manager Visa) gathers and prepares the required application materials.
3. Submit an application for the Certificate of Eligibility for Status of Residence for business management to the Immigration Bureau with jurisdiction over the company’s headquarters.

The requirements for obtaining the visa are extensive and complex. Here, we will focus on the conditions related to step 3.

At the time of application for step 3, the applicant must meet one of the following conditions:

- The applicant is staying in Japan on the application date.  
  → This can be done with a short-term stay visa (issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan).

Or,

- A person related to the company is staying in Japan and has been listed and signed as a proxy on the visa application form.

It should be noted that if the applicant (the person applying for the visa and intending to reside in Japan as the president or executive of a company under a Business Manager Visa) is staying in Japan during the application, this will be confirmed through the entry and exit records attached to the passport submitted to Immigration. Generally, this does not pose any issues.

However, this raises the question:

What should you do if there are no employees other than yourself in the company and no related persons are in Japan?  

This scenario is not uncommon, especially when an existing company in Japan has been acquired, leaving no other directors or employees.

In such cases, if a proxy (a representative) residing in Japan is listed, along with their name, address, and relationship, and signs the application form, there will be no issue.

Incidentally, I hold the qualification to act as such a proxy.  

If you have acquired (or intend to acquire) a company in Japan but do not have any related persons in Japan and are unsure how to proceed with the visa application, please feel free to contact me.  
Mail: usuitks1967@gmail.com