Japan’s Immigration Services Agency has drafted a ministerial ordinance that sharply tightens the criteria for the country’s business manager visa, a status that allows foreign nationals to start, run or oversee companies in Japan. The proposal, unveiled on 25 August, would raise the minimum capital requirement six-fold to ¥30 million (about $200,000) and obligate applicants to employ at least one full-time worker. Applicants would also need at least three years of management experience or an academic qualification equivalent to a master’s degree in a related field, and their business plans would have to be vetted by certified small- and medium-enterprise consultants. The agency opened a public-comment period through 24 September and aims to bring the revised rules into force in mid-October. Officials say the overhaul is intended to curb abuses of the current regime, which requires capital of just ¥5 million or two staff members and has been criticised for enabling “paper companies” set up solely to obtain residency. As of end-2024, a record 41,615 people held the visa, yet only about 4 percent would satisfy the proposed capital threshold. Existing visa holders will be given a grace period, with details to be determined.