Is Your Business Manager Visa at Risk?What You Must Do Now to Avoid a Refusal
In recent years, the screening process for Japan’s Business Manager Visa has become significantly stricter.
The main reason is simple: a nationwide crackdown on companies with little or no actual business activity (“paper companies”).
As a result, even completely normal business situations are now considered “high-risk”:
- Your business is still in the preparation stage
- You have invested money, but results have not appeared yet
- You are still in the investment phase and have no sales
These are all ordinary and reasonable conditions for a business, but today they may trigger stricter examination.
But here is the key:
You can still get your visa renewed even with zero sales — as long as you can prove your business is actually moving forward.
The Three Things Immigration Really Looks At
① Whether your office is real and actually being used (Most Important)
Immigration’s top concern is simple: “Are you really running a business?”
- Do you have proper office furniture (desk, chair, computer, etc.)?
- Are there postal items addressed to your company?
- Do you have electricity and internet contracts (preferably with usage records)?
- Do you have photos of yourself working inside the office?
- Is your company name displayed at the entrance?
An empty office almost always leads to a refusal.
② Whether your business is progressing, with real evidence
What matters more than sales is this: “Can you show proof that your business is moving forward?”
Valid evidence includes:
- Receipts for equipment or initial investment
- Proof of website development, advertising work, or outsourcing
- Communication records with suppliers or partners (email, chat, etc.)
- Negotiation records with potential clients
- Quotations, contracts, invoices
- Market research or planning documents
- Daily business activity logs
These “indicators of movement” are often more important than actual revenue.
③ Whether the business can continue (Funds & Realistic Planning)
Immigration asks: “Will this company still exist one year from now?”
- Current available funds
- Investment plan and budget usage
- Realistic business plan for the next 6–12 months
- Financial projections that are not exaggerated
As long as the plan is reasonable and funds are sufficient, lack of sales is not a problem.
You Can Still Renew Your Visa During the Investment Phase
Most businesses naturally go through the sequence:
Investment → Preparation → Revenue.
No shop has sales before opening.
No software business earns revenue before development is done.
The problem is not “having no sales.”
The real issue is “not being able to explain WHY there are no sales yet, with evidence.”
What You Should Do Right Now
- Collect evidence of office usage (photos, mail, utility contracts, internet contract, equipment, etc.)
- Organize all evidence of business activity (communication logs, quotes, contracts, invoices, outsourcing receipts, daily logs)
- Create a realistic business plan and financial plan
- Respond immediately if Immigration requests additional documents (same day or next day)
If Your Application Has Already Been Refused
To succeed in a resubmission, you must identify exactly why the previous application was refused and strengthen those weak points one by one.
- Lack of office substance
- Insufficient evidence of business activity
- No proof of investment
- Unclear business plan
Once these points are corrected and sufficient evidence is provided, the chances of approval on reapplication are very high.
Final Message
The screening for the Business Manager Visa is indeed stricter than before.
However, with the correct strategy and sufficient documentation, both renewal and reapplication are absolutely achievable.
If you are currently facing:
- Zero sales and anxiety
- A 4-month visa only
- Waiting for your renewal result
- A recent refusal
Please don’t give up. With the right approach, there is always a solution.
Feel free to contact us for support.
