Highly Skilled Professional & Business Manager – Frequently Asked Questions

Japan offers special immigration options for highly skilled foreign professionals, executives, entrepreneurs, and business managers.

This FAQ explains the Highly Skilled Professional (HSP) points system, the J-Skip system for Special Highly Skilled Professionals, and the current requirements for Japan's Business Manager status of residence.

The requirements for Business Manager status changed significantly on October 16, 2025. Applicants should therefore be careful when referring to older information about capital, employees, business experience, or other requirements.

Highly Skilled Professional (HSP)

Q1. What is the Highly Skilled Professional visa in Japan?

The Highly Skilled Professional (HSP) status of residence is designed for foreign nationals with advanced professional skills, academic backgrounds, work experience, or other qualifications that are considered beneficial to Japan.

The system generally evaluates applicants using a points calculation based on factors such as:

Academic background
Professional experience
Annual income
Age
Research achievements
Professional qualifications
Japanese-language ability
Certain additional bonus factors

Applicants who reach the required points and satisfy the requirements for the underlying professional activity may receive preferential immigration treatment.

Related information:
Highly Skilled Professional Visa

Q2. How many points do I need for a Highly Skilled Professional visa?

In general, you need at least 70 points under the applicable Highly Skilled Professional points calculation table.

However, reaching 70 points by itself does not automatically guarantee that you qualify. You must also satisfy the immigration requirements for the professional activity you intend to perform in Japan.

For example, an applicant under the advanced specialized or technical category must also be engaging in qualifying professional activities under a contract with an appropriate organization in Japan.

There are different points tables depending on the type of highly skilled activity, so it is important to use the correct calculation table.

Q3. How are Highly Skilled Professional points calculated?

The points depend on the category of activity and the applicant's individual background. Common factors include:

University degrees and other academic qualifications
Length of relevant professional experience
Expected annual income
Age
Research achievements
Professional licenses or qualifications
Japanese-language proficiency
Graduation from certain educational institutions
Other applicable bonus factors

Every point claimed must be supported by appropriate documentary evidence. Simply calculating 70 or 80 points yourself does not mean Immigration will accept all of the points claimed.

Employment periods, degrees, expected income, publications, qualifications, and other point-scoring items should be documented carefully.

Q4. What is the difference between Highly Skilled Professional (i)(a), (i)(b), and (i)(c)?

Highly Skilled Professional (i) is divided into three main activity categories.

Highly Skilled Professional (i)(a): Advanced Academic Research Activities
Generally for researchers, university professors, and other professionals engaged in advanced academic research or education.
Highly Skilled Professional (i)(b): Advanced Specialized/Technical Activities
Generally for professionals such as engineers, IT specialists, consultants,
and other specialists working in fields requiring advanced knowledge or skills.
Highly Skilled Professional (i)(c): Advanced Business Management Activities
Generally for senior executives, entrepreneurs, and other persons engaged in the management
or administration of a business in Japan.

The points calculation criteria and underlying immigration requirements differ depending on the category.

Q5. What are the benefits of a Highly Skilled Professional visa?

Highly Skilled Professionals may receive several immigration-related benefits, depending on their category and circumstances.

These may include:

A five-year period of stay for Highly Skilled Professional (i)
Permission to engage in certain multiple activities
Shortened residence requirements for Permanent Residence
Preferential treatment for a spouse who wishes to work
The possibility of bringing parents to Japan under specified conditions
The possibility of employing a domestic worker under specified conditions
Priority processing for certain immigration procedures

These benefits are subject to individual requirements and should not be understood as automatic permission for every family member or activity.

Q6. Can my spouse work if I have a Highly Skilled Professional visa?

Yes, under certain conditions.

A spouse of a Highly Skilled Professional may be eligible to work under a special Designated Activities status without having to satisfy some of the ordinary academic or professional-experience requirements that apply to certain work statuses.

The spouse must satisfy the applicable conditions, including living together with the Highly Skilled Professional and receiving appropriate remuneration for the work performed.

Alternatively, the spouse may independently obtain another work-authorized status of residence if they meet its requirements.

Q7. Can I bring my parents to Japan if I have a Highly Skilled Professional visa?

In limited circumstances, yes.

Unlike ordinary work-status holders, Highly Skilled Professionals may be able to bring their own parents or their spouse's parents to Japan when specific requirements are satisfied.

This preferential treatment is generally available when the parents will:

Care for a child under 7 years of age of the Highly Skilled Professional or spouse; or
Provide assistance during the pregnancy of the Highly Skilled Professional or spouse.

The household's expected annual income must generally be at least JPY 8 million, and other requirements, including cohabitation,
must also be satisfied. This is not a general parent visa. Parents cannot ordinarily be brought to Japan simply because the Highly Skilled Professional wishes to live together with them.

Q8. Can a Highly Skilled Professional apply for Permanent Residence after one or three years?

Yes, if the applicable requirements are satisfied.

A person with at least 80 HSP points may potentially qualify for Permanent Residence after maintaining the required points and residence conditions for at least 1 year.

A person with at least 70 HSP points may potentially qualify after maintaining the required points and residence conditions for at least 3 years.

It is not always necessary to actually hold HSP status during the entire period. In certain cases, a person holding another qualifying residence status can use the HSP points route if they can prove that they had the required points at the relevant time in the past.

Other Permanent Residence requirements must still be satisfied.

For more information, please also see our
Permanent Residence in Japan – Frequently Asked Questions

J-Skip – Special Highly Skilled Professionals

Q9. What is J-Skip?

J-Skip is Japan's system for Special Highly Skilled Professionals. It was introduced in April 2023 as an alternative route to Highly Skilled Professional status.

Unlike the ordinary HSP system, J-Skip does not rely on a points calculation. Instead, eligibility is determined primarily by:

Academic background or professional experience; and
A high level of expected annual income.

A person who satisfies the J-Skip requirements receives Highly Skilled Professional status and additional preferential treatment as a Special Highly Skilled Professional.

Related article:
Highly Skilled Professionals and J-Skip

Q10. What are the requirements for J-Skip?

The requirements depend on the type of activity.

For advanced academic research activities and advanced specialized/technical activities, an applicant generally needs either:

A master's degree or higher and expected annual income of at least JPY 20 million; or
At least 10 years of relevant professional experience and expected annual income of at least JPY 20 million.

For advanced business management activities, the applicant generally needs:

At least 5 years of experience in business management or administration; and
Expected annual income of at least JPY 40 million.

The expected annual income must relate to the qualifying professional activities the applicant will perform in Japan.

Q11. Do I need 70 or 80 points to qualify for J-Skip?

No.

J-Skip is separate from the ordinary Highly Skilled Professional points system. Applicants are not required to obtain 70 or 80 points under the HSP points table if they independently satisfy the J-Skip requirements.

This is an important distinction because some applicants may qualify for J-Skip based on their education, experience, and income even when their points calculation would not be the most advantageous route.

However, applicants must still satisfy the requirements for the professional activity they will perform in Japan.

Q12. What additional benefits does J-Skip provide?

Special Highly Skilled Professionals receive enhanced preferential immigration treatment.

Benefits may include:

A five-year period of stay under Highly Skilled Professional (i)
Priority processing of immigration procedures
Preferential employment arrangements for a spouse
Permission to bring parents under specified conditions
Expanded options for employing domestic workers under specified conditions
Relaxed residence requirements for Permanent Residence
Use of priority lanes at certain major airports

A Special Highly Skilled Professional may also become eligible to change from Highly Skilled Professional (i) to Highly Skilled Professional (ii) after engaging in qualifying activities for at least one year, subject to the applicable requirements.

Highly Skilled Professional (ii) provides an indefinite period of stay and broader permitted professional activities.

By comparison, an ordinary points-based Highly Skilled Professional generally needs three years of qualifying activity before changing from HSP (i) to HSP (ii).

Business Manager Visa in Japan

Q13. What is a Business Manager visa?

The Business Manager status of residence is intended for foreign nationals who will genuinely operate or manage a business in Japan.

Typical examples include:

Starting and managing a company in Japan
Managing an existing Japanese company
Operating a Japanese subsidiary of an overseas company
Serving in a genuine senior management role in a qualifying business

Simply establishing a company in Japan does not automatically qualify a person for Business Manager status.

Immigration examines whether the applicant will genuinely participate in important management or administrative decisions and whether the business is real, stable, continuous, and properly established in Japan.

Foreign nationals living overseas can also pursue Business Manager status, but company establishment, business premises, staffing, capitalization, and Certificate of Eligibility procedures generally need to be prepared in Japan before entry under the status.

Q14. How much capital is required for a Business Manager visa?

For applications subject to the rules effective from October 16, 2025, a business must generally have at least JPY 30 million in qualifying business assets or capital.

For a corporation, this generally means paid-in capital or total contributions of at least JPY 30 million.

For a sole proprietorship, the assessment is different. The relevant amount generally concerns funds actually invested in the business, such as costs associated with securing premises, employee salaries, equipment, and other qualifying business expenditures.

The old JPY 5 million standard should not be used for a new application under the current rules.

Q15. Do I need to hire an employee for a Business Manager visa?

Yes, under the current requirements.

The business must generally employ at least one full-time employee in addition to satisfying the applicable business-scale requirements.

For this requirement, the qualifying full-time employee must generally be one of the following:

A Japanese national
A Special Permanent Resident
A Permanent Resident
A spouse or child of a Japanese national
A spouse or child of a Permanent Resident
A Long-Term Resident

A foreign employee holding an ordinary work status under Appended Table I, such as Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services, does not count as the required full-time employee for this particular requirement.

Q16. Is Japanese-language ability required for a Business Manager visa?

Yes, under the current rules.

Either the business manager or a qualifying full-time employee must have Japanese-language ability at approximately B2 level under the Framework of Reference for Japanese Language Education.

The purpose of this requirement is to ensure that the business has sufficient Japanese-language capability to operate appropriately in Japan and comply with relevant laws, administrative procedures, employment obligations, contracts, and business practices.

The exact evidence required should be reviewed according to the applicant's circumstances.

Q17. Do I need business management experience or a graduate degree?

Yes. The current Business Manager requirements include an academic or professional-experience requirement for the applicant.

The applicant must generally satisfy at least one of the following:

Have at least 3 years of experience in business management or administration; or
Hold a master's degree or equivalent higher-level degree in management
or in a field related to the business to be operated.

Relevant periods of authorized entrepreneurial preparation under certain Designated Activities programs may be counted toward the professional-experience requirement where applicable.

Simply investing capital in a company is therefore not sufficient. The applicant's own qualifications and genuine role in the business are also examined.

Q18. Does the business plan need to be reviewed by a professional?

In many new Business Manager applications, yes.

Under the rules effective from October 16, 2025, a business plan submitted for an applicable Business Manager application must be sufficiently concrete, reasonable, and feasible. For applications subject to the professional-evaluation requirement, the plan must be reviewed by a person with recognized professional expertise in business management.

Professionals recognized for this purpose include:

Small and Medium Enterprise Management Consultants
Certified Public Accountants
Licensed Tax Accountants

Whether a professional evaluation is required can depend on the type of application and the category of the organization.

Documents prepared in a foreign language generally require a Japanese translation when submitted to Immigration.

Q19. Can I use a virtual office for a Business Manager visa?

As a general rule, a virtual office alone is not sufficient.

The business must have an actual business location in Japan where the business can genuinely and continuously be operated.

A virtual office that merely provides an address, mail forwarding, or telephone services without an actual independent business space generally does not satisfy the Business Manager office requirement.

A rental office with genuine, usable business space may be acceptable depending on its structure and contractual arrangements.

If part of a residential property is used as the business office, Immigration may examine matters such as:

Whether the landlord permits business use
Whether the business area is clearly separated from the residential area
Whether the business has the equipment and facilities necessary to operate
Whether the lease and other arrangements demonstrate genuine business use

Applicants should therefore secure an appropriate office before filing the application.

Q20. I already have a Business Manager visa. Do the new requirements apply to my renewal?

Yes, but transitional measures apply to certain existing Business Manager visa holders.

The revised Business Manager requirements took effect on October 16, 2025. For people who already held Business Manager status before the new rules took effect, a transitional period applies to renewal applications.

Until October 16, 2028, failure to fully satisfy the new requirements does not, by itself, automatically mean that a renewal application will be denied.

Immigration may consider the applicant's circumstances comprehensively, including:

The actual performance and stability of the business
Tax and social insurance compliance
Compliance with employment and other laws
Whether the applicant is making progress toward satisfying the revised standards
Whether the new requirements are likely to be satisfied by a future renewal

However, applicants should not assume that the transitional period means the old requirements will continue indefinitely. Preparing to meet the new standards as early as possible is advisable.

In addition, certain procedures — including some Permanent Residence applications or changes to Highly Skilled Professional (ii) involving business-management activities — may require compliance with the revised standards even during the transitional period.

Highly Skilled Professional or Business Manager – Which Status Is Right for Me?

The appropriate status depends on what you will actually do in Japan.

A professional employed by a Japanese company may be eligible for Highly Skilled Professional (i)(b), while an entrepreneur or senior executive who genuinely manages a business may fall under Business Manager or Highly Skilled Professional (i)(c).

Applicants with particularly high income and advanced academic or professional backgrounds may also qualify for J-Skip.

Importantly, applicants seeking Highly Skilled Professional (i)(c) or J-Skip for business-management activities must also pay close attention to the current Business Manager requirements where those underlying activities are involved.

Choosing a status based only on the name of the visa or on a points calculation can lead to problems. The applicant's actual activities, company structure, qualifications, income, business scale, and supporting documents must all be reviewed.

Need Help With HSP, J-Skip or a Business Manager Visa?

Highly Skilled Professional, J-Skip, and Business Manager applications can involve complex assessments of points, income, education, professional experience, company structure, capital, employees, business premises, and business plans.

The Business Manager requirements were significantly revised in October 2025, and older online information may no longer reflect the current standards.

IMS Legal Professional Corporation assists foreign professionals, executives, entrepreneurs, and companies with Highly Skilled Professional, J-Skip, Business Manager, and related immigration procedures in Japan.

Contact IMS for a consultation

The information on this page is provided for general informational purposes. Japanese immigration requirements and examination practices may change, and each application is assessed according to its individual circumstances. Please confirm the latest official requirements before applying.