Business Manager Visa and Unpaid Social Insurance Premiums: Check Before You're Denied
“My Business Manager visa renewal was rejected even though my business was doing well.” — A rapidly increasing cause for this in recent years is non-enrollment or non-payment of social insurance and labor insurance. Since the revision in October 2025, compliance with public dues (taxes and social insurance) has become a core review item for renewal applications. Cases where businesses are profitable but still rejected due to non-payment have been widely reported in practice.
This page, supervised by an administrative scrivener, explains all items to be checked, steps to resolve issues before application, and common pitfalls.
The official guidelines of the Immigration Services Agency explicitly state that non-compliance with labor-related laws and social insurance-related laws will be "evaluated as a negative factor." In practice, this is not merely a negative evaluation; as of 2026, it is rapidly becoming a direct cause of renewal rejection in many cases.
- Why is social insurance related to the Business Manager visa?
- Comprehensive checklist of items reviewed during renewal examinations
- Types of social insurance and enrollment obligations criteria
- Common pitfalls and "NG" (no good) examples
- Concrete steps to resolve issues before application
- Points to note during the transitional measures period (until 2028)
- Frequently Asked Questions
1. Why is social insurance related to the Business Manager visa?
In the Business Manager visa examination, whether "substantive business management" is being conducted is the most important criterion. The Immigration Bureau positions proper fulfillment of social insurance and tax obligations as "proof of sincere business management." Conversely, non-payment or non-enrollment is evaluated as a signal that "business operations are dubious" or "compliance awareness is low."
With the revision implemented on October 16, 2025, documents proving payment of social insurance, labor insurance, and taxes were explicitly added to the required submissions for renewal examinations. What was previously checked at the discretion of examiners has now been institutionalized as a mandatory review item.
📌 Immigration Services Agency | Business Manager Visa Permission Standards Revision Q&A
2. Comprehensive checklist of items reviewed during renewal examinations
Be sure to check all the following items before applying. Non-payment, non-enrollment, or non-filing of even one item significantly increases the risk of rejection.
3. Types of social insurance and enrollment obligations criteria
| Type of Insurance | Conditions for Mandatory Enrollment | Where to Apply |
|---|---|---|
| Health Insurance / Employees' Pension | Mandatory enrollment upon corporate establishment (regardless of employee count). Applies to representatives with executive compensation. | Pension Office |
| Employment Insurance | When employing one or more employees working 20+ hours/week and expected to be employed for 31+ days. | Hello Work |
| Workers' Accident Compensation Insurance | When employing even one employee (representatives are generally excluded). | Labor Standards Inspection Office |
Many business owners think that "social insurance is irrelevant if I don't receive executive compensation," but upon establishing a corporation, it is mandatory to register as an insured workplace for health insurance and employees' pension. If executive compensation is zero, registration with zero insured persons is required, and failure to register at all is itself an issue.
4. Common pitfalls and "NG" (no good) examples
NG① "No sales means taxes and social insurance are irrelevant."
Even with zero sales, the per capita levy of corporate resident tax (minimum approx. ¥70,000 annually) is incurred. Corporate tax filing is also necessary for years with losses. Neglecting to file or pay will result in arrears, affecting the examination.
NG② "Part-time workers don't need employment insurance."
If a part-time worker is expected to work 20+ hours a week and for 31+ days, employment insurance enrollment is mandatory, even for part-timers. This is a common oversight in restaurants and retail businesses with many part-time staff.
NG③ "No executive compensation means Employees' Pension is not needed."
Upon corporate establishment, registration as an insured workplace for health insurance and Employees' Pension is required. When executive compensation is paid, the procedure for acquiring insured person status and payment of premiums begin. The failure to perform the procedure itself is the problem.
NG④ "It's okay because I'm currently discussing installment payments."
Even if you are discussing installment payments, the fact of arrears will be recorded in the examination. It is crucial to pay in full before applying, or to accumulate payment history after obtaining approval for installment payments.
NG⑤ "My tax accountant handles it, so there's no problem."
While tax accountants handle filing, they don't automatically handle payment. Filing and actual payment are separate procedures. Develop a habit of confirming payments yourself.
- Comprehensive Social Insurance and Labor Insurance Checklist (for corporations and sole proprietors)
- List of Tax Filing and Payment Check Items
- Summary of Tax Payment Certificate Types and Acquisition Locations
- Additional items to check during the transitional measures period (until 2028)
5. Concrete steps to resolve issues before application
6. Points to note during the transitional measures period (until 2028)
Following the revision implemented on October 16, 2025, existing Business Manager visa holders are subject to transitional measures until October 16, 2028. Even if they do not meet new criteria such as capital of 30 million yen, renewal may be approved based on a comprehensive assessment that considers management performance and prospects for fulfillment.
Transitional measures apply only to new criteria such as capital, full-time employees, and Japanese language requirements. Proper fulfillment of social insurance, labor insurance, and tax obligations is not subject to transitional measures and is a requirement that applies immediately from before the revision. Non-payment is not tolerated simply because it is during the transitional measures period.
| Requirement | Transitional Measures (until Oct 2028) | After Transitional Measures End |
|---|---|---|
| Capital of ¥30 million | Comprehensive assessment possible even if not met | Must be met |
| 1+ full-time employee | Comprehensive assessment based on actual situation possible even if not met | Must be met |
| Japanese language requirement (N2 etc.) | Comprehensive assessment possible even if not met | Must be met |
| Payment of Social Insurance and Taxes | No transitional measures - immediate application | Same as above |
| Enrollment in and Payment of Labor Insurance | No transitional measures - immediate application | Same as above |
7. Frequently Asked Questions
- Business Manager Visa Renewal Pre-application Social Insurance and Tax Self-Checklist
- 2025 Revision Compliance Check List (Transitional Measures Compatible Version)
- Summary of How and Where to Obtain Tax Payment Certificates and Social Insurance Certificates
Official Reference Links
📄 Business Manager Visa Permission Standards Revision Q&A (Immigration Services Agency)
📌 Immigration Services Agency｜"Business Manager" Residence Status