How to obtain 5years Business Manager Visa

As the eligibility standards for the Business Manager Visa continue to tighten,
the hurdles for obtaining even a one-year or three-year period of stay have risen significantly.
Against this backdrop, foreign entrepreneurs who meet certain academic and professional criteria should
actively consider a change of status to Highly Skilled Professional (i)(c).

In practice, individuals with strong credentials—such as advanced academic degrees, a history of study in Japan,
graduation from well-regarded universities, high projected annual income, and/or substantial executive experience—may
be significantly better positioned under the Highly Skilled Professional framework than under the
Business Manager Visa.

Key Advantages of Highly Skilled Professional (i)(c)

Automatic Grant of a Five-Year Visa and Permanent Residency Eligibility

One of the most powerful advantages of Highly Skilled Professional (i)(c) status is that:

• A five-year period of stay is granted as a matter of course.
  This five-year visa duration directly satisfies the minimum length-of-stay requirement
  for a Permanent Residence application.

As scrutiny of permanent residence applications continues to intensify—and as the Immigration Services Bureau
increasingly emphasizes possession of a five-year visa—this benefit is becoming more strategically
important than ever.

Risk Mitigation Under the New Business Manager Standards

Under the revised Business Manager framework, visa holders are generally required to
meet increasingly stringent benchmarks within three years. These include:

• Employment structure requirements,
• Office and business substance requirements, and
• Financial performance and tax compliance standards.

Failure to satisfy these new benchmarks can jeopardize not only future visa renewals,
but also Permanent Residence eligibility, which is now closely tied to ongoing compliance
with the Business Manager criteria.

Why Highly Skilled Professional (i)(c) Is a Compelling Alternative

Even where an individual may technically continue under the Business Manager Visa,
the long-term outlook for residence stability and permanent settlement is often
considerably stronger under the Highly Skilled Professional system.

This is because:

• A guaranteed five-year visa provides long-term residence security,
• Permanent residence eligibility is structurally accelerated, and
• The immigration evaluation is based on a points-based, objective framework
  rather than solely on business performance metrics.

Strategic Outlook for Foreign Executives and Founders

• Business Manager Visa holders face increasing renewal and compliance pressure.
• Failure to meet the new Business Manager standards within three years can affect both renewal and PR eligibility.
• Highly Skilled Professional (i)(c) offers superior long-term residence predictability.
• For candidates who qualify, a strategic status change can materially reduce immigration risk.

From a forward-looking immigration strategy perspective—particularly for those who seek
long-term residence and Permanent Residence in Japan—a change from the Business Manager Visa to
Highly Skilled Professional (i)(c) represents not merely a procedural alternative,
but a powerful risk-management and life-planning decision.