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

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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.

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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)

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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

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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

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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

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Foreigners Registry Certificate of Residence