Key Points in a Business Manager Visa Business Plan [October 2025 Amendment — Licensed Immigration Specialist]
Expert confirmation of Business Manager Visa business plans by a certified SME consultant, CPA, or tax accountant was made mandatory by the October 2025 amendment. A licensed immigration specialist explains what examiners look for, what to include, and common rejection patterns.
The October 2025 amendment made it mandatory for Business Manager Visa business plans to be confirmed by a qualified business specialist — a certified SME management consultant, CPA, or tax accountant. The era of "just submit something as a document" is over. The specificity, rationality, and feasibility of the plan are now rigorously scrutinized. This article organizes what is required in a plan that can pass the review and provides key points for preparing one.
The Role of the Business Plan
In a Business Manager Visa application, the business plan serves as documentation to prove three things:
- The applicant has the intent and ability to actually operate a business
- The business can be operated continuously and stably (continuity and stability)
- The investment of 30 million yen in capital is based on a rational foundation
Previously, there was an aspect of "it is sufficient to describe the business overview and projected revenue." After the October 2025 amendment, the quality of the plan itself has become the core of the review.
October 2025 Amendment: Expert Confirmation Now Mandatory
What Changed
Before the amendment, the applicant could prepare and submit a business plan themselves. After the amendment, for plans submitted when a visa status decision is made (application for Certificate of Eligibility or application to change status of residence), expert confirmation — assessing that "the plan demonstrates specificity and rationality, and is achievable" — is now mandatory.
Who Can Provide Expert Confirmation
As of October 16, 2025, the following are recognized as eligible to provide confirmation:
- Certified SME Management Consultant (Chusho Kigyo Shindan-shi)
- Certified Public Accountant (Kokunin Kaikei-shi / CPA)
- Tax Accountant (Zeirishi)
Evaluator Independence
Officers or employees of the company the applicant operates cannot serve as evaluators. To ensure objectivity, confirmation by an independent external specialist is required (external advisory CPAs and tax accountants are accepted).
What Examiners Check in the Business Plan
① Substance and Continuity of the Business
- Is it clear what is being sold, where, and to whom (products / services / customers / sales channels)?
- Is there a logical and rational reason for operating this business in Japan?
- Is the business expected to continue operating, rather than ending within a year or two?
② Basis for Revenue and Financial Projections
This is the item examiners scrutinize most carefully. Simply stating "projected annual revenue of X million yen" is not sufficient — the basis for that figure will be questioned.
- Specific methods for acquiring customers (sales channels, customer acquisition strategy)
- Basis for calculating assumed number of customers, unit price, and sales volume
- Points of differentiation from competitors
③ Financial Plan and Cash Flow
You must demonstrate when and how the 30 million yen in capital will be used and when it will be recovered through revenue.
- Breakdown of initial investment (office costs, equipment, personnel costs, advertising costs, etc.)
- Monthly revenue and expenditure trend (at least 1 to 2 years)
- Working capital plan showing that funds will not run out
It is especially important to visualize the "cash flow trough" — the period from when the business starts until it reaches profitability — and to show that the capital is sufficient to cover this period.
④ Staffing Plan
- Plan for hiring at least one full-time employee (who, their role, salary, social insurance enrollment)
- The business operator's own role and job duties
Simply hiring a full-time employee "because it is required" will not pass the review. You must explain what role that person will play in the business.
⑤ Fitness of the Business Operator
- How the applicant's background and experience connect to the business content
- How language skills, industry networks, and specialized knowledge will be applied
Key Sections to Include in the Business Plan
The following is a standard structure for the content to include:
| Section | Content |
|---|---|
| Representative Profile | Career history, educational background, management experience, motivation for starting this business |
| Business Overview | Industry, products / services, business model |
| Market Analysis | Market size, competition, target customers, differentiation points |
| Sales Strategy / Customer Acquisition | Specific methods and channels for acquiring customers |
| Staffing Plan | Full-time employee's role, hiring timeline, salary |
| Profit and Loss Statement (3–5 years) | Annual progression of revenue, cost of goods, expenses, and profit |
| Cash Flow Statement (Monthly) | Monthly cash flow for 12–24 months |
| Use of Capital | Breakdown of the 30 million yen investment and timing |
| Required Permits and Licenses | Plan for obtaining regulatory permits required for the business type |
Common Rejection Patterns for Business Plans
Here is a summary of common causes of rejection seen in practice:
- Revenue justification consists entirely of abstract statements such as "there is demand in Japan" or "the market is large"
- No cash flow plan; it is unclear when the capital will run out
- The full-time employee's role is described only at the level of "roughly planning to hire someone," with no explanation of their contribution to the business
- No explanation of how the operator's background and experience connect to the business
- Missing plan for obtaining permits or licenses required for the business (restaurants, secondhand goods dealers, etc.)
- Expert confirmation is purely formal (the evaluation letter only states something like "we have received the plan")
Considerations for Regulated Industries
For businesses that require permits or licenses — such as restaurants, secondhand goods dealers, travel agencies, and real estate brokers — documents showing the status of obtaining those permits must be submitted at the time of the application.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. Does the business plan need to be written in Japanese?
A. Japanese is the required language in principle. If the plan is prepared in a foreign language, a Japanese translation must be attached. The confirmation document from the specialist (certified SME consultant, etc.) should also fundamentally be prepared in Japanese.
Q. Can approval be obtained for a brand-new business with no revenue history?
A. Since Business Manager Visa applications include new business startups by definition, applying without an established track record is possible. However, without a track record, a more thorough explanation of the plan's rationale, rationality, and feasibility is required. Presenting supporting evidence such as market research, the status of negotiations with potential customers, industry experience, and success stories from similar businesses is effective.
Q. How long should the business plan be?
A. There is no fixed length, but covering all of the sections listed above typically results in a document of approximately 20 to 40 pages. What matters is not length, but the consistency of the content and the soundness of the numerical foundations. A lengthy plan with weak logic has no value; a concise plan with clear justifications can withstand scrutiny.
Q. Is it sufficient to just have a tax accountant confirm the plan?
A. Expert confirmation is a necessary condition, but it does not by itself guarantee approval. The content of the plan itself — its specificity, rationality, and feasibility — is the core of the review. Both obtaining expert confirmation and improving the quality of the plan are necessary.
Summary
After the October 2025 amendment, a Business Manager Visa business plan must be "an achievable business plan with expert confirmation." The core of obtaining approval is having each element — revenue justification, cash flow, staffing plan, operator fitness, and licensing plan — logically consistent with the others.
If you have concerns about preparing the business plan, or if you need to arrange for expert confirmation, we recommend coordinating with a licensed immigration specialist together with a certified SME management consultant or tax accountant.
This article is based on the Immigration Services Agency's "Amendment to the Ministerial Ordinance on Landing Standards Relating to the Status of Residence 'Business Manager' (effective October 16, 2025 / Reiwa 7)." Requirements are subject to revision. Always verify the latest information on the Immigration Services Agency's official website.
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