Download - UIA 58 th Congress Foreign Investment Commission Lifting Immigration Restrictions in Japan
30 October 2014URYU & ITOGA
Motoyasu HIROSE
UIA 58th CongressForeign Investment Commission
Lifting Immigration Restrictions in Japan
Japanese Visa Categories For Investors - Statutory Classification
Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act (Law No. 319 of 1951)
Major Visa Categories for Foreign Investors Classification in the Appendix of the Law (not exhaustive)
Investor & Business Manager
Legal & Accounting
Humanities & International Business
Inter-Company Relocation
Research Activities
2
Investment & Business Manager Visa - Traditional Visa for Investors
Conditions
Minimum Investment of JPY5,000,000 (EUR350,000) Employment of at least 2 personnel
Simple? Not always.
Business Plan Certificate of Aptitude
Problems
Corporate register of Japan office, office lease and employment agreements in Japan must precede visa application In the future, some grace period of 1-2 years may be granted to investors
in certain strategic locations & industries
Corporate registry office requires that legal representative of Japan office be resident in Japan.
3
Strict, discretionary and unpredictable decision criteria for small and medium Enterprises …
Highly Skilled Foreign Professionals (1)- New System for Promotion of Foreign Investment Since 2012
Purpose To attract high-quality human resources To fit the sequence of deregulation of immigration rules
Targeted categories1. academic research activities2. highly specialized and technical activities3. business management activities
Total Score : 70 points↑ Transparent Criteria Academic Background (0 ~ 30 points) Professional Experience (0 ~ 20 points) Annual Income (0 ~ 40 points) Age (0 ~ 15 points) Bonus (5 ~ 15 points each)
4
Highly Skilled Foreign Professionals (2)- Points Calculation (Highly Technical and Specialized Activities)
• Ph.D: 30pts ・ Master: 20pts ・ Undergraduate: 10pts
Academic Background
• 10 years ~ : 20pts ・ 7 ~ 10 years : 15pts ・ 5 ~ 7 years : 10pts ・ 3 ~ 5 years : 5pts
Professional Experience
• JPY10M ~ : 40pts ・ JPY9M ~ : 35pts ・ JPY8M ~ : 30pts ・ JPY7M ~ : 25pts ・ JPY6M ~ : 20pts
Annual Income (ex. Aged 35)
• ~ 29 years : 15pts ・ 30 ~ 34 years : 10pts ・ 35 ~ 39 years : 5pts
Age
• Advanced Japanese language skills : +15pts• Higher Education Degrees in Japan : +10pts• Vocational Qualifications : Japan (+5pts for one) or Foreign (+5pts)• Research Track Records (invention, thesis, etc.) : +15 ~ 20pts
Bonus (Examples)
GRAND TOTAL : 70pts PASS
5
Highly Skilled Foreign Professionals (3)- Significantly Preferential Treatments
Advantages Scope of permitted activities are not limited
Resident status is valid for 5 years
Relaxed conditions for becoming a permanent resident
Speed-up of procedures
Work permit for his/her spouse
Permit to accompany parents
Permit to accompany housekeepers
6
Far more convenient than“Investor & Business Manager”Far more convenient than“Investor & Business Manager”
Recent Changes Facilitating Foreigners Life in Japan- Registry and Social Security Systems
Since 2012, the register of foreigners and social security systems applicable to foreign residents in Japan have been significantly amended and became much closer to Japanese citizens.
Registration of Foreigners
The former system of alien registration was abolished. Instead, the Basic Resident Registers for Japanese citizens also
applies to foreigners.
Japanese Health Insurance
Minimum period of stay in Japan: 1 year 3 months Mandatory affiliation (with some exceptions)
Eligibility for National Pension
7
Foreigners Registry Certificate of Residence