Two questions regarding the start-up visa

3 comments

1. This is a copy of your post for archive/search purposes.

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   **Two questions regarding the start-up visa**

   I apologize if this has been asked before but I couldn’t find it when I searched for it so here goes:

   I have been looking into starting my own business in Japan (currently doing the research and working out the kinks of it all), and from what I gather, I have 3 options when it comes to visa: investor visa, business manager visa or start-up visa. Judging by the requirements, the start-up seems to be what best fits my situation. But as I’m reading more about it, there are two questions that I have yet been unable to find an answer to.

   1. While I do understand that the point of the visa is that you focus on the business you are trying to start and grow, are you allowed to do other work on the side as well, either part-time or otherwise? Of course the focus will be on the business, but at least when first starting out, it would be helpful to have another source of income while getting the business off the ground, so to speak.

   2. If I understand it correctly, the start-up visa can be extended up to a year before i’m expected to change/upgrade it to a business manager visa after meeting the requirements for that visa.
   Let’s say that things don’t go according to plan and I fail to meet the requirements within a year for whatever reason. What happens then? Will I need to throw my hands in the air, admit defeat, pack my bags and go home or do I have other options?

   Thank you in advance!

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2. >are you allowed to do other work on the side as well, either part-time or otherwise?

   While I don’t have a definitive answer to this it would be safest to assume the answer is “absolutely not”.

   Part of getting the business manager visa is proving that you have enough money to support the business *and yourself*. If you don’t have enough money to focus entirely on the business you probably don’t have enough to get approved.

   >What happens then? Will I need to throw my hands in the air, admit defeat, pack my bags and go home or do I have other options?

   Pretty much the first part. If your business fails your purpose for being in Japan is no longer valid and this you’ll no longer qualify for the startup/business manager visa.

   Your only other option at that point would be to find a job that’s willing to sponsor your change of status.

3. my (rudimentary) understanding is that if you do the startup visa you can then ‘graduate’ to the business manager visa WITHOUT needing to fulfil all of the requirements of having staff/capital. but you need to meet the requirements of the prefecture you’re going to be in (eg. some only allow tourism or IT related businesses, some allow your ‘office’ to be in a co-working space but it must be one that has been designated by the prefecture, etc).