Does anyone have experience with this visa **not coupled with setting up your own company**?
I’ve worked for a very small (4 ppl) consulting company for the past 8 years and due to the current management moving on, I’m being given the opportunity to become 代表取締役. However, everywhere I look, it seems that I cannot become 代表取締役 on my current standard Engineering/Humanities etc. visa and must get the Business Manager visa. Coupled with that, it seems, is a required 5 MM JPY investment into the company. That seems absurd to me – having to pay for my own employment (though I get the “having skin in the game” aspect of it).
Given the nature of my company, it is very unlikely I can get my money out of it in any shape or form. The current management have already spoken with one immigration lawyer and the feedback was 仕方がない, but I’m currently seeking a 2nd opinion because I just can’t wrap my head around it. It makes sense to me if you are establishing your own company to ensure there is sufficient upfront investment, but not for an existing company.
Does anybody have any experience with this? I’d like to gather some anecdotal evidence as well if available to help me piece things together.
7 comments
AFAIK, you have to actually invest in the business you want to take over if you want the business manager visa. I moved from being an English teacher to a partner in an international trading company that I invested money in but I kept working there under my humanities visa because I was also the company’s English language specialist. I have PR now, so it doesn’t matter. That would be a better option for you, also, if you’re at a point where you can apply for it because you don’t have any restrictions once you get PR.
Seems like you may be nearly eligible for PR instead. For the “why you want PR” section, explain how you’ve been offered this position and want to accept, in order to help lead this (Japanese) company.
If it’s 4 people right now, would there be 2 Japanese people working full time in the company afterwards? When I did my researches, it was “5 Millions or employ 2 Japanese full time”.
r/JapanFinance
The 5 mil requirement (or two employees residing in Japan, or a mixture of both) is to prove the scale of the business. It’s 5 mil investment *or* capital (=資本金の額又は出資の総額が五百万円以上であること。)
I’d get a second opinion from another immigration lawyer.
Give immigration a call and explain the situation. You won’t get a perfect answer, but they’ll usually say “No chance in hell” or “Make an application and see”.
They’re worried that people will make fake companies and dodgy accounting to try to get a visa. You’re already working for a real company, you can prove all the things related to the company (legal entity, accounts, offices). It might not be that bad.
Some judicial scriveners are very helpful, but some spend their days doing large numbers of carbon copy applications for company employees. This is a corner case, but you might find speaking to immigration to be more informative than you think.
The 5M can be capital that the company already has in its bank account. Get your company to hire a proper 行政書士 or 司法書士