Foreign National directors who are required Business Manager VISAs
Our company will appoint a foreign director at Japan entity. But, he/she works as it is abroad. Does he/she need a Business Manager Visa?
If he/she contracts with the Japanese corporation and gets compensation, his/her business manager visa is required.
Increase in foreign directors of Japanese companies
Recently, the number of foreign directors is increasing in Japanese listed companies (due to the CGC). 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 foreign Nationals who work as directors of the Japanese headquarters / subsidiary while staying overseas need the Visas in Japan?
Case he/she need Business Manager VISA
In the case of “contracting with a Japanese corporation as a director and obtaining compensation from the Japanese employer”, it is necessary to get business manager visas.
It is also necessary to get it even if the director only visits Japan in a short period of time through a senior 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 / subsidiary and paid your reward from the Japan entity, even if you are working overseas and only attend the board meeting in Japan once a month, you need your Business Manager visa.
In that case, you must notify your address in Japan to the Immigration Office. 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 Office does not admit your hotel address registration.
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 visit Japan several days at a time.
Learn more: How to get a Business Manager VISA
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 Planner)
MBA in Entrepreneurship
