A foreign director who is required Business Manager VISA
We will appoint a foreign director at Japan headquarters. But, she works as it is abroad. Does she need a Business visa?
If she contracts with a Japanese corporation and gets executive compensation, a business manager visa is required.
Increase in foreign directors of Japanese companies
Recently, the number of foreign directors is increasing in Japanese listed companies. In addition to the management of overseas subsidiaries, there are many cases where they are appointed as directors of the head office in Japan.
Do foreigners who work as directors of the Japanese headquarters while staying overseas need a visa in Japan?
Case you need Business Manager VISA
In the case of “contracting with a Japanese corporation as a director and obtaining compensation from the Japanese corporation”, it is necessary to get a business manager visa.
It is also necessary to get it even if the director only visits Japan in a short period of time through a management meeting, a board of directors meeting, or other liaison work.
In other words, if you are appointed as a director of the Japan headquarters and paid a reward from the Japan headquarters, usually you are working overseas and only need to attend the board meeting in Japan once a month. You will also need a Business visa.。
In that case, you will need a residence in Japan. You must also notify it to the Immigration Bureau. However, it is a foreign director who only visits Japan once a few months and only for a few days, so it is a stay at a hotel, but in principle, the Immigration Bureau does not admit a hotel residence.
Therefore, the only way to deal with them is to consult with an immigration lawyer for resolution. Immigration lawyers provide the means to solve case-by-case.
Case accepted by short term visa (business)
On the other hand, if you have not been appointed as a director of a Japanese corporation (as a director of an overseas subsidiary) or if you have not received compensation from a Japanese corporation, you can come to Japan with a short-term visa. And you can participate in management meetings and liaison work.
In other words, it is a director of Japan headquarters, but the compensation is paid from a US subsidiary.
In the case of visa-free countries, please note that the length of short stay varies from country to country. In addition, I think that there will be no problem if the board of directors visits Japan several days at a time.
【2019 edition】How to get a Business Manager VISA
Our Professional
Masakazu Murai
Immigration consultant, Financial advisor
He has 18 years experience in Investment Banking at Mitsubishi UFJ Morgan Stanley. He had provided financial advisory more than 500 entrepreneurs and senior management.
He currently supports many foreign entrepreneurs in Japan, taking advantage of the experience of an investment banker. He is the best expert of Business VISA in Japan.
Gyoseishoshi Immigration Lawyer
CMA(Japanese financial analyst license)
CFP (Certified Financial Pllanner)
MBA in Entrepreneurship(Hosei Business School)
