Business Manager Visa Rejected / Not Granted｜How to Hear the Reasons, Reapply, and What to Prove [2025 Edition]

1. What to do when you receive a denial notice

Even if your Business Manager Visa is denied or not issued (non-issuance), there are many cases in Japan where approval is reached upon reapplication.

The keys are a reason hearing at immigration and evidence that closes the gaps between requirements and your documents. On this page, we explain common “Business Manager Visa Denied in Japan” reasons and evidentiary tips, together with the latest developments.

When you have “received a non-issuance/denial notice from the Immigration Bureau,” your next actions are critical. Wording in the notice is often abstract, and without conducting a “reason hearing interview” at the immigration office, you cannot establish a solid plan for reapplication.

Normally, when a visa application is denied, you will receive a notice stating that the application has been denied.

However, the description is often vague, such as “doubts were identified in the submitted materials, and the credibility of the application is not recognized,” and the specific reason is unclear.

To confirm this, you must visit the immigration office where you applied, request an interview with the examining officer, and receive a detailed explanation.

Without this step, you will not know the cause of the denial and thus cannot develop effective countermeasures for your next application. Therefore, the interview with the examining officer is extremely important and is undoubtedly the key point for obtaining approval upon reapplication of a Business Manager Visa denied in Japan.

In principle, the applicant must conduct the interview. However, many interviews end inconclusively because applicants become nervous or cannot fully understand unfamiliar technical terms, and therefore fail to obtain the key information.

To address such situations and secure an approval on reapplication, ACROSEED provides a support service in which an experienced immigration professional accompanies you at the time of confirming the denial reasons, working with you to identify the reasons for denial and assess the feasibility of reapplication.

If you subsequently request our reapplication service, the fee for the escort service will be offset.

If you applied on your own and received a denial or non-issuance notice, please consult us once before visiting the immigration office.

2. Common Cases Where a Business Manager Visa Is Denied in Japan

Since its establishment, ACROSEED has supported approvals for over 1,000 Business Manager Visas in Japan (including the former “Investor/Business Manager” category). We have handled many reapplications for cases that were initially filed by applicants themselves and denied, as well as cases denied when filed through other offices. Below we organize recent trends that often lead to a Business Manager Visa denied in Japan, and summarize viewpoints for turning things around on reapplication.

Key Viewpoints to Keep in Mind First

A denial rarely stems from a single cause; it typically results from multiple misalignments between requirements (office / business scale / plan / suitability) and the chronology of documentary evidence. If the cause is variable (contracts, funds, hiring, etc.), a reconstruction of your evidence can reverse the outcome. If fixed factors (conduct history, stay history, etc.) are significant, consider redesigning roles or even replacing the representative.

• Lack of specificity in the business plan
• Insufficient evidentiary documents (plan, funds, employment, office)
• Insufficient proof of the applicant’s managerial suitability (management experience, academic background, etc.)
• Unclear business purposes in the Articles of Incorporation

Classifying Causes Speeds Up Decision-Making

Variable factors (easier to recover): presentation of funds, consistency across lease/signage/utilities & telecom, actualization of employment & social insurance, conversion of prospects into signed contracts. Reinforce with chronological evidence.

Semi-fixed factors (strategy redesign): insufficient backing for management experience/degree, mismatch with business type, misalignment of business purposes. Responses focus on role allocation, expert validation, and corrections to business purposes.

Common Improvements on Reapplication

Example A: Actual existence of funds — “Balance certificate only” triggered doubt.
Action: Submit passbook copies showing payment → deposit → balance → disbursement, layered with invoices/receipts to demonstrate continuity; approval granted.

Example B: Office exclusivity — Weak exclusivity in a shared office.
Action: Reinforce continuity with floor plan, partition photos, signage, and telecom contract; then reapply.

Example C: Quantification of the plan — Sales channels described abstractly.
Action: Starting from a customer list, establish KPIs for prospect → quotation → contract → invoice → payment; application passed.

If variable factors such as company setup, contracts, or sales are the cause, you can reapply after correcting documents and strengthening evidence. If hard-to-correct factors—like the applicant’s past stay record—play a large role, rebuild the strategy including redesigning the representative. Given the sizable upfront costs for the Business Manager status, you should not give up easily. If you are unsure, contact us early for advice on a Business Manager Visa denied in Japan.

2-1. Issues Prone to Denial and Evidentiary Points for Reapplication

Substance of the Office

Insufficient exclusivity and continuity are classic reasons for refusal. Prepare lease agreement, floor/partition plan, signage, utility/telecom contracts, and current-state photos, and clarify separation from any private space.

Business Scale Requirements

Your approach differs depending on whether you reapply under the old criteria (JPY 5 million / two full-time employees) or satisfy the post-reform criteria (JPY 30 million / one full-time employee). Align employment contracts, social insurance enrollment, and wage payments with the chronology of funds.

Quantification of the Business Plan

Present market size, unit price, gross margin, monthly KPIs, and 12-month cash flow in numbers, corroborated by evidence of prospect → contract → invoice → payment.

Applicant Suitability

In addition to documenting management experience and relevant degrees, clarify governance and role assignments among officers and the Japanese-language operational framework (either the applicant or a full-time employee).

Common Misconceptions

“A large balance certificate alone is enough” is incorrect. If the continuity of source of funds → payment → deposit → balance → disbursement is not evident, the actual existence of funds and consistency with business substance will be questioned, leading to a Business Manager Visa denied in Japan.

Warning Signs Leading to Denial and Turnaround Actions

Contracts/quotations stalled at the “intention” level

Advance prospects to contract → invoice → payment and submit unified evidence.

Ambiguous exclusivity due to shared/home office

Visualize continuity with exclusive-area floor plans, signage, utility/telecom contracts, and current-state photos.

Employment/social insurance not in place

Prove the actual existence of full-time staff with employment contracts, social insurance enrollment, payroll reports, and withholding slips.

Gaps in the source of funds

Unify the chronology (source → payment → deposit → balance → disbursement) with passbook copies.

2-2. Pre-Reapplication Checklist (Minimum Documents to Prepare)

In reapplication, “what to prepare first” determines success or failure. Use the minimum set below as a starting point and collect missing items in order of priority. Where possible, attach expert validation (Small & Medium Enterprise Management Consultant, CPA, Licensed Tax Accountant) to the business plan to enhance credibility for a Business Manager Visa denied in Japan.

• [Office] Lease agreement; current-state photos (exterior, interior, signage, desks/furnishings); mail-receiving system
• [Business scale] Proof for two full-time employees or financial proof of capital etc. JPY 5 million (remittance/deposit/passbook/balance certificates)
• [Business plan] Market, sales channels, pricing, KPIs, hiring, cash flow; acquisition plan for any required permits/licenses
• [Suitability] Certificates for management experience/education, officer structure, role allocation, details of relationships with other companies

Standard Timeline from Denial to Approval (Guide)

1. W1: Reason hearing / gap analysis (requirements × evidence × countermeasures)
2. W2–W3: Evidence collection (office substance: exterior/interior/signage/utilities & telecom contracts; existence of funds: payment/deposit/passbook/balance; employment contracts/social insurance)
3. W4: Quantitative update of the business plan (market/channels/monthly KPIs/12-month CF; evidence of moving prospects to contracts and invoices)
4. W5: Reapplication (state the essentials of gap resolution in the cover letter)
5. W9–W12: Respond to additional document requests (avoid quick refiling; consolidate after strengthening)

Note: Quick refiling with the same documents harms your record. Responses to additional requests are more likely to succeed when comprehensive and high-quality.

3. Denial Risks and Countermeasures After the Reform (from 2025/10/16)

From the enforcement on 2025/10/16, examinations will apply new perspectives: JPY 30 million capital / one full-time employee / Japanese-language operational framework / academics & experience / expert validation / office requirements. For renewals, transitional measures through 2028/10/16 apply, so the key is how you present current management performance and prospects for achieving the new standards for a Business Manager Visa denied in Japan.

• Capital shortfall (under JPY 30 million): Reinforce with a capital increase plan, execution of payment (passbook/balance/remittance records), and chronological evidence.
• Deficiency in full-time staff (employment/social insurance): Ensure consistency among employment contracts, social insurance certificates, payroll reports, and withholding slips.
• Insufficient Japanese-language operational framework: Provide JLPT N2, etc., for either the applicant or a full-time employee, and spell out the customer-facing process in concrete terms.
• Insufficient backing for career/academics: Provide proof of 3+ years of management experience and/or evidence of a related master’s/professional degree.
• No expert validation: Obtain a confirmation letter from an SME management consultant/CPA/tax accountant on the rationality of the business plan.
• Office requirement not met: Show exclusive area and continuity (lease agreement / floor plan / signage / utilities & telecom contracts / current-state photos).

Renewal (period-of-stay extension) key points: Existing holders are covered by transitional measures until 2028/10/16. Even if the new criteria are not fully met, a flexible judgment may be made considering management status (profitability, tax, social insurance), prospects for meeting the new criteria, and expert evaluation letters (case-by-case review).

Summary

A denial can often be reversed by identifying reasons and reconstructing evidence in chronological order.
1) Reason hearing → 2) Gap table → 3) Evidence collection → 4) Quantification → 5) Reapplication — design the shortest route accordingly for cases of a Business Manager Visa denied in Japan.

3.Google Customer Reviews

5. Escort & Reapplication Services When a Business Manager Visa Is Denied in Japan

1. Service Overview

This service is designed for applicants who received a denial notice after applying for a Business Manager Visa. We aim to secure approval on your next reapplication even after a Business Manager Visa is denied in Japan.

We correct the reasons for your denial, maximize your approval rate, and support you so that you can obtain the Business Manager Visa upon reapplication.

We handle the following cases:

2. What’s Included

1. Services at the Time of the Reason-Hearing Interview

1. Advice at the time of confirming denial reasons + accompaniment to the immigration office
2. Identification of the denial reasons and determination of the feasibility of reapplication

2. Reapplication Services

Available when reapplication is feasible after confirming the reasons for denial.

1. Proposal and preparation of the submission set that corrects denial reasons and achieves the highest approval probability
2. Filing with the Immigration Services Agency and proxy handling of the sealing process upon approval
3. Simultaneous multiple re-entry permit (upon request)
4. Status checks during examination and responses to additional document requests
5. Free reapplication if denied
6. Advice on obtaining a 3-year visa

3. Why Choose ACROSEED

• Founded in 1986, with industry-leading 40,000+ visa applications handled
• 99.9% approval rate; trusted by many clients
• No travel expenses charged — flat pricing nationwide
• Many approvals in difficult cases and reapplications after denial
• No extra fees — transparent pricing
• If denied, we support you with free reapplication until approval
• Support available in Japanese, English, and Chinese

Founded in 1986, with 40,000+ Visa Applications Handled

ACROSEED Administrative Scrivener Corporation was founded in 1986. Since 1990, when immigration procedures were opened to administrative scriveners by law, we have specialized in immigration applications as registered representatives. The cumulative number of applications exceeds 40,000 (as of March 2025).

We currently handle 3,000–4,000 visa applications per year, submitting to immigration twice a week to monitor examination trends and responses to the latest legal reforms.

When you choose ACROSEED, you benefit from the most extensive practical experience in the industry and up-to-date familiarity with examination practices—a powerful advantage when reapplying after a Business Manager Visa is denied in Japan.

99.9% Approval Rate — Trusted Service

Since our founding in 1986, we have prioritized earning client trust. At the free consultation stage, we decline cases where approval appears impossible, after explaining the reasons to the client.

As a result, we have consistently maintained an approval rate of over 99% (including reapplications).

However, when approval is still possible even in difficult circumstances—and the client strongly wishes to proceed—we will take on the challenge together.

Our careful, client-tailored service is highly valued by many clients.

Flat Pricing Nationwide — No Travel Expenses

Our office is in Nagatacho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, but we handle immigration matters nationwide at a flat rate—no travel fees charged.

For distant clients, we offer online consultations via Skype or Zoom, allowing one-on-one consultations and engagement just like in-person meetings.

Many Approvals in Difficult Reapplications After Denial

ACROSEED has secured many approvals on reapplications for cases denied multiple times when self-filed, as well as cases denied by other immigration offices.

Our track record is widely known as unparalleled in the industry, and we frequently receive referrals and inquiries nationwide for cases denied elsewhere and even for complex cases that challenge other professionals—functioning as a “general hospital” for the industry.

Please consult us without giving up, even if your case seems difficult, especially where a Business Manager Visa was denied in Japan and needs a strategic reapplication.

No Extra Fees — Clear, Transparent Pricing

ACROSEED’s service fees are only those published on our website.

We do not add charges based on your circumstances (e.g., many days abroad, denial history, traffic violations).

We provide a transparent pricing system so clients can use our services with confidence.

If Denied, We Support You with Free Reapplication Until Approval

If a case filed by ACROSEED is unfortunately denied, we will reapply free of charge as a client guarantee, as long as approval remains possible.

While many competitors now offer “full refunds if denied,” we believe a refund alone does not solve clients’ problems.

If we take on a case lightly and a denial is recorded in a client’s application history, approval on reapplication can become even more difficult.

For clients who chose ACROSEED among many immigration offices, our stance is to “obtain approval as quickly as possible to bring joy to the client; and if denied, support them thoroughly until approval is achieved.”

4. Fees (Excluding Tax) for Escort & Reapplication Services After a Business Manager Visa Is Denied

・If you use the escort service for confirming denial reasons and then also apply for the reapplication service, the escort service fee will be offset.

・ACROSEED services are available nationwide. Clients in distant regions can request services at the same fees listed below.

・Payment by Visa and MasterCard is accepted.