Overview

• The Immigration Services Agency proposes raising the minimum capital for the business management residency status from ¥5 million to ¥30 million.
• Applicants would need at least three years of managerial experience or a master's-equivalent degree in a relevant field, plus employment of one or more full-time staff.
• A draft ministerial ordinance won approval from the Liberal Democratic Party's special committee on foreign human resources on Aug. 25.
• Officials say screenings found cases with no actual business operations, which they cite as the reason for tightening the criteria.
• Under current rules, eligibility is met with a business office and ¥5 million capital or by employing two full-time workers, and holders of the status reached a record 41,615 at the end of 2024 led by Chinese nationals.