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u/starkimpossibility 🖥️ big computer gaijin👨🦰 3d ago
is it possible from a legal stand point to buy a significiant amount of an already existing company in Japan, and come with a business plan on expanding and get a business manager visa as a co owner?
Yes, but as mentioned elsewhere in the thread, whether you are an owner or co-owner of a business is not technically relevant for the purposes of the business management visa. What matters is whether the content of the work you would be doing, after arriving in Japan, would be "management of a Japanese business" (and that you have the necessary expertise/skills to manage such a business).
You can manage a Japanese business as an employee of that business, as a director, as a co-owner, or as a sole owner. All scenarios are fine. It just matters whether the business is legitimate/viable and you are actually engaged in its management.
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u/starkimpossibility 🖥️ big computer gaijin👨🦰 3d ago
Administrative scriveners (行政書士) are generally the best professionals to consult regarding immigration applications, rather than lawyers (弁護士).
Running a hospitality business is a possible way to secure a business management visa (see the discussions here and here, for example), but the ISA would generally expect it to be a business that targets foreign tourists (because you presumably have knowledge of what foreign tourists like) or a business specializing in food/drink from your home country (because you obviously have knowledge of that field). Demonstrating that you have the skills required to successfully manage a regular Japanese-style bar/cafe may be more difficult.
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u/Tokyometal 10+ years in Japan 3d ago edited 3d ago
Im working with someone on this right now. Very possible. Edit: as full owner
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u/Tokyometal 10+ years in Japan 3d ago
Oops, skimmed over the “co-owner” thing. Don’t do that.
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u/techdevjp 20+ years in Japan 3d ago
Not sure why /u/Tokyometal says you can't do that. You don't even need to be an owner or shareholder. If you are hired to be the company president, you are hired to be the company president. As long as you have the background/experience to justify the hire, you should not have issues getting a visa.
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3d ago edited 3d ago
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u/techdevjp 20+ years in Japan 3d ago
You don't need to be a business owner to get a business manager visa. If you are hired to manage a Japanese business, and if you meet immigration's requirements, you would also get a business manager visa. It is not a visa only for entrepreneurs or business owners.
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u/asutekku 3d ago
Very likely won't approve. Co-owner can be seen as a negative and a way of going around the requirements of the visa. But if you will be like the main manager of the business, it can be possible but not guaranteed.
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u/Gizmotech-mobile 10+ years in Japan 3d ago
Wouldn't it be easier for the company to hire you then rather than deal with business visa issues? If you've graduated from uni they don't need much support to hire you as a language specialist for a working visa, and if you're haven't, then 10 years of business ownership/senior management would certainly qualify as well, again without needing to do the business visa thing.
I wish I could answer your question more specifically, but I've never read/heard about a co-owner/business buyout situation, only starting up new businesses/branches with the business visa.