HSP 1(c) Automatic Points Calculation, Requirements, and Benefits

HSP 1(c) Automatic Points Calculation

1. About the Automatic Points Calculator

This is the points calculation system for those engaged in “advanced management/administration activities” under Highly Skilled Professional 1(c) (often handled similarly to the Business Manager category).

If you are considering a PR application, after calculating your points, please use the PR Eligibility Self-Check (banner below the calculator). It helps you quickly see whether you meet the requirements and where potential issues may lie.

For HSP 1(a) and HSP 1(b), please see the following pages:

HSP 1(a) Requirements & Automatic Points Calculator

HSP 1(b) Requirements & Automatic Points Calculator

Check all items that apply to you. Your HSP points will appear at the bottom of the table.

Details & cautions for HSP points calculation items

2. HSP 1(c) Automatic Points Calculation

3. Permanent Residency Eligibility Self-Check

The Business Manager visa amendments effective October 16, 2025 mandate one full-time employee, capital of JPY 30 million or more, Japanese ability at B2 (JLPT N2) level, a relevant degree or 3+ years of management experience, and third-party confirmation of your business plan.

These changes affect not only “Business Manager,” but also those engaged in management activities under HSP 1(c). If you do not meet these standards after the amendment, PR approval and an upgrade to HSP 2 may not be granted.

For details, see Impact of the Business Manager Amendments Effective October 16, 2025.

If you are considering PR, first confirm that you satisfy the general PR requirements.

This self-check allows you to quickly assess—based on years of stay, good conduct, income, tax records, social insurance, and family composition—whether you currently meet PR eligibility.

All questions are yes/no. On the results page, you will also see specific items that may need improvement. The tool is also useful for those targeting the HSP points fast-track (70 pts → 3 years / 80 pts → 1 year).

Please click the button below to try the PR Eligibility Self-Check.

2. What Is HSP 1(c)?

1. Scope of Activities under HSP 1(c)

Under HSP 1(c), the phrase “together with such activities, to operate on one’s own a business related to those activities” contemplates cases where, as your principal activity, you serve as an officer of a designated company and, in addition, you also act as an outside director of another company in the same line of business, or you establish and run a subsidiary other than the specified company.

In such cases, a relationship to the principal management activity is required. For example, an officer of an IT company running a restaurant business would fall outside the scope.

Furthermore, because the law says “together with the principal activity,” it is not permitted to conduct only those ancillary activities without performing the principal activity.

2. Differences & Advantages: HSP 1(c) vs. Business Manager

Bringing Your Parents to Japan

With limited exceptions, Japan does not have a visa specifically for bringing a foreign national’s parents to live in Japan.

However, for highly skilled professionals, if the HSP principal or their spouse is raising a child under 7 (including adopted children), or if the HSP’s spouse is pregnant, or the HSP themself is pregnant, then—for the purpose of providing care, household support, and other necessary assistance—the parents of the HSP or of the spouse (including adoptive parents) may be permitted to enter and stay in Japan.

If the following conditions are met, you may live in Japan long-term together with your parent(s):

Employing a Household Helper

3. Impact of the Business Manager Amendments Effective October 16, 2025 (for HSP 1(c))

This amendment substantially raises the permission criteria for the status of residence “Business Manager.” It also has practical implications for those conducting management/administration under HSP 1(c) (HSP 1(c)).

In particular, for PR (including the 1-year/3-year fast-track) and for status change to HSP 2, applications may be refused if the new post-amendment standards are not satisfied.

A. New Mandatory Requirements for “Business Manager” (Key Points)

• Hire at least one full-time employee
  ・Eligible employees include Japanese nationals, Special Permanent Residents, and those under Table II (Permanent Resident / Spouse or Child of Japanese National / Spouse or Child of Permanent Resident / Long-Term Resident).
  ・The “full-time employee” relevant to the Japanese-language condition may also include foreign nationals with Table I statuses.
• Capital etc.: JPY 30,000,000 or more
  ・Corporations: for a stock company, paid-in capital; for an LLC/GP/LP, total contributions.
  ・Sole proprietors: total funds invested necessary to run the business (office acquisition costs, one year of personnel expenses, equipment, etc.).
• Japanese ability (either the applicant or a full-time employee): B2 equivalent (e.g., JLPT N2)
  ・Verification by any of the following: JLPT N2+ / BJT 400+ / long-term residence (20+ years) / graduation from a Japanese university etc. / completion of compulsory education plus high school in Japan.
• Background (education/work experience):
  ・A Doctorate/Master’s/Professional degree in business management or a field necessary to the business, or 3+ years of management/administration experience (including time spent on business start-up preparations).
• Business plan confirmation by a professional: mandatory
  ・A Small and Medium Enterprise Management Consultant, CPA, or Tax Accountant must confirm the specificity, rationality, and feasibility of the plan (note: drafting documents for pay by persons other than attorneys or Immigration Lawyers may violate the Immigration Lawyer Act).

B. Additional Filing/Operational Considerations

• Substantive role as a manager is required: if your work is mainly outsourcing with insufficient substance as “management,” it will not qualify.
• Business premises: home offices are generally not permitted. You must secure premises appropriate to the business scale.
• Extended absence from Japan during stay: long absences without just cause risk a finding of no substantive activity and result in renewal refusals.
• Public dues & social compliance: strengthened checks on labor insurance/employment insurance, social insurance (health/pension), withholding/corporate tax, consumption tax, local taxes—both enrollment and payment status.
• Licenses/permits: you may be required to submit evidence of obtaining the necessary licenses for your business (with valid reasons, submission by the next renewal may be accepted).

C. Direct Impacts on “HSP 1(c)”

• PR (including the fast-track of 70 pts = 3 years / 80 pts = 1 year)
  After the effective date, if you do not meet the new standards, PR will not be granted from “Business Manager” / “HSP 1(c)” / “HSP 2 (when premised on management/administration activities).”
  ⇒ Even with a high score, without 1 full-time employee, JPY 30 million capital, and Japanese B2/N2, etc., you cannot realize the benefits of the PR fast-track.
• Change of status to HSP 2
  A change from HSP 1(c) to HSP 2 will not be approved unless you meet the new standards.
• Position of the Points Calculator (this page)
  Even if this tool shows you meet 70/80 points, lacking the gate conditions (1 full-time employee, JPY 30 million capital, Japanese B2/N2, etc.) will put you at a disadvantage for PR and HSP 2 status changes.
  ⇒ You must satisfy both “points” and the “new substantive standards.”

D. Transitional Measures

For those already staying under “HSP 1(c),” if you file an extension of period of stay during the three-year window ending on October 16, 2028 (Reiwa 10), your case may still be adjudicated by taking into account your business condition and prospects of meeting the post-amendment standards, even if you do not yet meet them. During examination, you may be asked to submit documents that include an evaluation by a management professional.

Extensions filed after three years have elapsed from the effective date must meet the post-amendment standards.

E. New-Standards Check Tool (for HSP 1(c) with a Business Manager–type profile)

[Post-2025 Amendments] Business Manager Requirements Self-Check

Updated for the amendments effective October 16, 2025. A yes/no self-diagnosis of the new Business Manager requirements.

※ This section is provided so that users of the “HSP 1(c) Automatic Points Calculation” can continue to aim for PR / HSP 2 even after the amendments by understanding the substantive criteria that run in parallel with the points requirements. The optimal path varies depending on individual circumstances (employment setup, capital raising, language arrangements, timing of permits, etc.). If in doubt, please use our free consultation.

3. Required Documents for HSP 1(c)

Because required documents may change frequently due to legal revisions, please confirm the latest information on the Immigration Services Agency of Japan (ISA) website.

If you engage our services, we will prepare the documents most likely to maximize your approval chances, based on the ISA website list and tailored to your specific circumstances.

Documents for Application to Change Status to HSP 1(c)

Documents for Certificate of Eligibility (CoE) for HSP 1(c)

Documents for Extension of Period of Stay under HSP 1(c)

4. Process & Processing Time to Obtain HSP 1(c)

This section explains the practical steps to obtain (new or change) the status of residence “HSP 1(c) (management/administration field)”, from free consultation through return of documents after approval.

At the first consultation, we confirm your points (70 / 80) and the substance of your activities (management/administration), relevance to your duties, and satisfaction of the JPY 3,000,000 minimum annual income. From there, the keys are “evidencing the basis for each points add-on” and “sequencing the filing timeline (submission order anticipating preferential review).”

※ Processing time varies depending on the season and case content. Please plan your schedule with sufficient buffer.
※ Due to the Business Manager criteria revisions effective October 16, 2025, some cases may be affected when seeking PR or change to HSP 2 from HSP 1(c) (e.g., full-time employee, Japanese ability, payment of public dues). For details, see “Impact of the Business Manager Amendments Effective October 16, 2025” on this page.

1. Application Flow for HSP 1(c)

2. Processing Time for HSP 1(c)

Processing times are published and updated monthly. Please check the latest average days below.

5. Q&A on HSP 1(c)

How many points are required to be recognized under HSP 1(c)?

Recognition as a highly skilled professional generally requires a total of 70 points or more. If you are recognized with 80 points or more, the required period of stay for a PR application is shortened to 1 year; with 70+ points, it is shortened to 3 years.
Note that beyond points, examinations also consider the substance of your management/administration activities (e.g., duties as an officer, involvement in decision-making) and general requirements such as conduct, tax payment, and public insurance.

If my annual income is under JPY 3,000,000 but my total points exceed 70, can I still be recognized?

No. Under HSP 1(c), if your annual income is below JPY 3,000,000, you will not be recognized as highly skilled even if your total points are 70 or more. Income is verified by your contract/salary terms at the time of application.
Prepare supporting evidence such as your officer (employment) contract, board minutes (remuneration decision), salary rules/compensation table, and withholding slips/payroll ledger.

Do the October 16, 2025 “Business Manager” revisions affect HSP 1(c)?

Yes. They can affect examinations when you seek PR or a change to HSP 2. In particular, if you do not satisfy the post-amendment standards—hiring a full-time employee, securing Japanese ability (B2/JLPT N2 or equivalent), professional confirmation of your business plan, and compliance with public dues—PR from HSP 1(c) or a change to HSP 2 may be refused.
Even if you are operating within the HSP 1(c) framework, we recommend strengthening your company and personal setup in line with the revised standards if you aim for PR or HSP 2 over the mid- to long term.

What are the main benefits available under HSP 1(c)?

Key benefits include the ability to conduct composite activities (operate on your own a business related to your principal management activity), a 5-year period of stay, PR fast-track (80 pts = 1 year; 70 pts = 3 years), relaxed employment for spouses (full-time white-collar work permitted), ability to bring parents or employ a household helper under certain conditions, and preferential processing.
Accompanying parents/household helpers require conditions such as household income and cohabitation (e.g., for parents: household income ≥ JPY 8,000,000 and cohabitation; for household helpers: household income ≥ JPY 10,000,000, one helper only, monthly pay ≥ JPY 200,000, etc.).

What is the approximate processing time?

HSP cases are subject to preferential review, but actual timelines vary by season (busy periods), case details, and whether additional inquiries are issued.
As a rough guide, around 1–2 months for CoE, extension, or change. Please prepare with sufficient time if you have travel plans or status expiry considerations.

6. Approved Case Studies for the Highly Skilled Professional (HSP) Visa

Obtaining a Highly Skilled Professional (HSP) visa is not automatically guaranteed simply by meeting the required points for academic background, work experience, or annual income. In actual practice, immigration authorities conduct a comprehensive assessment, taking into account supporting documents for point calculations, the level of specialization of the job duties, employment stability, and the applicant’s prior immigration history in Japan.

Here, we introduce real approval cases in which our office provided continuous support from the preparation stage of the application, carefully designed the appropriate residence status and application strategy, and successfully assisted clients in obtaining the Highly Skilled Professional visa.

	Client (from Google Reviews)
	[Approved Case] Obtaining Highly Skilled Professional (HSP) status through a CoE application

	Client (from Google Reviews)
	[Approved Case] Business Manager Visa approval / Change of status to Highly Skilled Professional Visa

View more approved work visa cases

7. Introduction to Our HSP 1(c) Application Agency Service

1. Service Overview

This service supports obtaining the status of residence “Highly Skilled Professional” from the Immigration Services Agency of Japan.

We maximize your chance of approval and support you for a smooth acquisition of the status “HSP 1(c).”

We handle the following cases:

If you plan to apply for PR using the HSP points system, see the page below.

Obtain PR via HSP Points

This service is for those who wish to obtain an HSP visa or permanent residency via the HSP points system.

If you are applying for HSP 1(a), see the page below.

HSP 1(a) Requirements & Automatic Points Calculation

Automatic points calculation, eligibility requirements, and required documents for HSP 1(a).

If you are applying for HSP 1(b), see the page below.

HSP 1(b) Requirements & Automatic Points Calculation

Automatic points calculation, eligibility requirements, and required documents for HSP 1(b).

2. What’s Included

1. Proposal and preparation of the submission set that yields the highest approval probability
2. Filing with the Immigration Services Agency and handling stamping/issuance upon approval
3. Obtaining a re-entry permit at the same time (upon request)
4. Status checks during examination and responses to requests for additional documents
5. Free re-filing if the application is refused

3. Advantages of Choosing ACROSEED