The Japan investment visa is available to foreign nationals interested in opening and managing a business in Japan. It is also issued to those who will come to the country to fulfill the rile of business managers (such as appointed foreign company executives).
This type of visa is subject to a set of requirements, both in terms of the applicant’s personal qualifications, as well as in terms of fulfilling the conditions set forth by relevant Japanese authorities.
Foreign nationals who are interested in this visa for the purpose of obtaining Japanese citizenship by investment can reach out to our team to find out complete information about the conditions before they start the application procedure.
Our team can provide specific information about immigration to Japan based on this visa.
Foreign nationals who wish to apply for the Business Manager visa can receive complete information about the application process from our team. We are able to answer questions about Japanese residency applications, as well as assist those who wish to gather the documents. Our team will also give you details about the conditions and the criteria that need to be satisfied by companies.
You can immigrate to Japan based on a Business Manger visa, however, this will be a multi-step process and permanent residency will only be granted after a number of years. During this time, the business manager will need to remain in the country lawfully (that is, with a valid residence permit) and spend sufficient time in Japan (not leave the country for lengthy periods).
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The Certificate of Eligibility for the Japan investment visa
The visa issued to investors or business managers is primarily based on the individual’s ability to obtain the “Certificate of Eligibility”, a document issued by the Immigration Services Agency of Japan that is required under the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act.
The Certificate is intended for those who will remain in the country for longer periods, not for those who remain in Japan for a short period of time.
Obtaining this certificate is a mandatory step for those interested in obtaining Japan citizenship by investment and it is advisable to start the procedures in advance, as soon as one decides that he will invest in Japan or will open a company here.
Our immigration lawyers in Japan can give you more details.
Conditions for obtaining the Japan golden visa
The investor visa is sometimes called the golden visa. Our team specializing in company formation in Japan is able to assist those interested in obtaining this type of permit that allows the holder to remain in the country for long-term purposes in order to manage a business.
The list of required documents below briefly outlines the conditions for an American investor applying for this type of visa for Japan:
- Valid passport;
- Visa application form, filled in, required to enter Japan;
- One photograph;
- The original “Certificate of Eligibility” issued by the Ministry of Justice.
The Japanese investment visa without the certificate of eligibility is subject to more complex requirements upon application. Among these we can mention the following:
- Business activity description: the business plan for the coming year in case of newly established businesses or the copies of the corporate registration and a profit and loss statement for existing companies;
- Employee requirements: the number of required full-time employees, resident cards for foreign employees, as well as proof of employment insurance;
- Executive duties: for those applying for the Japanese investment visa as business executives, proof of appointment for the relevant position is required;
- Others: the authorities may require additional documents, as needed regarding the company which will be run by the foreign national coming to Japan; when the documents are issued by Japanese authorities, they need to have been issued with up to three months prior to the date on which the application is submitted.
All documents submitted in a foreign language need to be translated into Japanese.
When the application for the Japan investment visa is submitted without the Certificate of Eligibility, the expected processing time for this document is between one and three months.
Our immigration lawyers in Japan can give you more details.
Company formation in Japan
Starting a business in Japan as a foreign national is subject to prior approvals, as briefly mentioned above. The timing of the visa application and the commencement of the company formation steps should be calculated such as to allow the foreign national to finish the procedures in due time and remain in the country lawfully in order to handle the incorporation steps.
Our team can help foreign investors open a company in Japan, understand the tax particularities and rules, as well as remain in the country for long-term purpose, in order to manage the company.
The Japan investment visa application based on commencing a business based in the country will mean that the interested individual has already resolved to open a company. In most cases, this is the private limited liability company. We outline its main features below:
- – The minimum capital is of 1 yen, however, in practice this is more;
- – The limited liability company of Godo-Kaisha has at least 1 member;
- – The corporate income tax in Japan is between 30 and 34% including the local taxes.
Investors who obtain this visa for the purpose of company creation can also be interested in working with an accountant in Japan. This way they can make sure that the new company meets all the tax requirements.
Foreign nationals interested in applying for a Japan golden visa can reach out to our company formation experts to find out more about the conditions that apply to the commencement of a business operation in the country.
You can contact us if you have other questions concerning immigration to Japan.