I’m Takashi Akeyama, a representative of the Niseko VISA & Immigration Support Centre. As the only administrative office in Hokkaido specializing in VISA & Immigration and tourism, we help foreigners living in Hokkaido, mainly in Niseko, Otaru and Sapporo areas, to apply new or extend VISA, to change the status, such as working visas and spouse visas etc..
When a foreigner starts a business, he/she obtains a status of residence ‘management’. In this article, I will explain who can obtain this status of residence.
What is the job description of the status of residence ‘management’?
The main activities (job description) of foreign nationals with this status of residence are ‘management’ and ‘administration’. Examples of this are managers and administrators of enterprises. This status of residence is granted to foreign nationals who plan to carry out such activities. From now, I will explain the specific requirements.
Educational background.
No educational background is required. The documents required for application for this status of residence do not include a ‘diploma of the last school attended’, as is the case with other work-related status of residence. Therefore, as in the case of ‘Engineer, Specialist inhumanities / international services’, your educational background does not determine whether you are permitted or not. It is possible to apply even if you have completed Japanese language school or high school abroad, and your application will not be rejected on that basis.
Working experience
Working experience is also not necessarily required. There is no requirement for the number of years of work experience in the same occupation, as is the case with the status of residence ‘Skills’. Also, the documents required for the application do not request a certificate of previous employment. Therefore, if the applicant establishes his/her own company and intends to obtain a ‘management/administration’ status of residence, no work experience is required. However, as an exception, if the applicant is employed by a company as a manager or director, he/she is required to submit a document proving that he/she has at least three years’ experience in the management or administration of a business. However, although work experience is not a requirement for obtaining this status of residence, from the perspective of ‘credibility of the application’, it is considered better to have some kind of work experience. In other words, “Are you really going to set up a company and run this business?” Do you have the skills to make this business a success?” In this context, if we consider 18-year-old A, who has just graduated from high school, and 28-year-old B, who has work experience, we can naturally say that B has more credibility and validity.
Age
There is no age limit. However, as explained in the previous section on work history, from the perspective of ‘credibility’, if you are a teenager who has just graduated from high school or an elderly person in his/her late 60s, you may be asked, “Are you really going to set up a company and run this business?” Do you have the skills to make this business a success?” If the applicant’s credibility is judged to be low in terms of these questions, the application may be rejected. For example, if a foreign student who has dropped out of school applies for “business administration” status, there is a suspicion that he/she is trying to stay in Japan by setting up a company because he/she cannot renew his/her student visa. In addition, if a 70-year-old elderly person is brought over from his/her home country with the status of residence of “Management “, the immigration officer may suspect that “he/she wants to invite his/her parents to live with him/her in Japan, so he/she may establish a fake company to bring them Japan.” Not only by age, but also by education and working experience, there is no doubt that the credibility of starting a business and running a company, as well as the ability to support it, is assessed by immigration officer.
Company
As the purpose of activity of this status of residence is “management” and “administration”, the applicant cannot carry out these activities without a company, and it is therefore essential that the establishment of a company is completed before applying for this status of residence, and that the company is ready to start business. The company can be LLC or company Limited. Even if the company does not take the form of a legal entity, a self-employee can obtain this status of residence. It is important to note that you cannot apply for this status of residence until you have established a company. Furthermore, the company must meet the requirements for this status of residence in order to obtain it. It is not enough to set up any company. Please check the requirements for this status of residence in advance and set up your company accordingly. Otherwise, you will have completed your business preparations but will not be able to obtain this status of residence and will not be able to start a business. The requirements for the company will be explained in detail one by one in the other article, so be sure to check that too.
Summary
Compared to other work-related statuses, the status of residence management has very few requirements for applicants, so some may think that it is easy to obtain. However, when it comes to setting up a company, the requirements are more stringent than those for ordinary Japanese entrepreneurs, and if the company does not meet the requirements, it will not be able to obtain this status of residence. The first step in establishing a company, from the selection of the office (shop), contains important elements that determine whether application will be granted, so from the very beginning, careful preparation should be carried out, considering whether the requirements for the status of residence are met. In addition, there are exceptions to the requirements and subtle interpretations, so we recommend that those who are unsure about the procedure consult an administrative screever from an early stage.
The Niseko VISA & Immigration Support Centre help and support foreign nationals who are trying to overcome language, cultural and custom barriers and live as a member of Japanese society. If you have any questions or enquiries about this article, or about the establishment of the company and status of residence ‘Management’, please feel free to contact us by phone or via the ‘Free Consultation Form’ on our website.
