To Foreign Companies Considering Expanding into Japan

When a foreign company sends its first executive, manager, employee, or country representative to Japan, choosing the right visa status is one of the most important legal and business decisions.For companies that do not yet have a head office, branch office, subsidiary, or other business presence in Japan, the immigration strategy must be considered together with the planned business activities in Japan.

It is not enough to simply choose a visa name.

The appropriate visa status depends on the person’s role in Japan, the nature of the activities, the existence of a Japanese entity, the contract structure, the place of employment, and whether the activities include sales, contract execution, business management, or only preparatory market research.

Tanishima Legal Corporation Group supports foreign companies with visa and immigration planning before and after entering the Japanese market, including the Business Manager Visa, Intra-company Transferee Visa, Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services Visa, Certificate of Eligibility applications, and post-entry compliance support.Please consult us before sending your first executive, manager, employee, or country representative to Japan.

1. Common Questions from Foreign Companies

We want to place our first employee or country manager in Japan.

Many foreign companies first want to place one person in Japan to explore the market, meet potential clients, develop business relationships, or manage local operations.The appropriate visa status depends on whether the person will only conduct market research, engage in sales activities, execute contracts, manage a business, or work as a professional employee.Before deciding on a visa category, it is important to clarify the person’s actual role in Japan.

We want to use a representative office before establishing a company in Japan.

A representative office may be used for preparatory and auxiliary activities before establishing a Japanese subsidiary or branch office.Typical activities may include market research, information gathering, advertising, liaison work, and other non-revenue-generating activities.However, if the planned activities include direct sales, contract execution, or continuous business operations in Japan, a different structure and visa strategy may be required.

We want to transfer an employee from an overseas headquarters to Japan.

When an employee is transferred from an overseas headquarters or overseas group company to a Japanese entity, the Intra-company Transferee Visa may be considered. However, it is necessary to review the relationship between the overseas company and the Japanese entity, the employee’s prior work history, the role in Japan, and the Japanese receiving organization.

We want to establish a Japanese subsidiary and appoint a foreign representative.

When a foreign company establishes a Japanese subsidiary and appoints a foreign representative director or manager in Japan, the Business Manager Visa may be considered.In this case, company establishment alone is not sufficient. The business plan, office, capital structure, full-time staff requirements, management role, and actual business substance in Japan must be carefully prepared and explained.

We want to hire professional staff in Japan.

If a foreign company or its Japanese entity hires professional staff such as engineers, marketing staff, sales professionals, translators, interpreters, consultants, or international business staff, the Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services Visa may be considered.The applicant’s academic background, work experience, job duties, employment contract, and Japanese receiving organization must be reviewed.

2. Main Visa and Business Options for Foreign Companies

Situation	Main Option
Short-term business meetings, market research, exhibitions	Temporary Visitor
Market research before establishing a Japanese entity	Representative Office
Managing or operating a business in Japan	Business Manager Visa
Transfer from an overseas group company to Japan	Intra-company Transferee Visa
Professional employment in Japan	Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services Visa
Continuous business operations in Japan	Japanese Branch Office or Subsidiary
Long-term work entry from overseas	Certificate of Eligibility Application

3. Why Early Visa Planning Is Important

For foreign companies entering Japan, visa planning is not simply a matter of selecting a visa category.The following points should be reviewed at an early stage:

If the immigration strategy is not properly designed, the company may face delays, requests for additional documents, refusal risks, or post-entry compliance issues.For this reason, it is important to review both the visa status and the Japanese business structure before sending personnel to Japan.

4. Our Services

5. Why Choose Tanishima Legal Corporation Group

Integrated Support for Immigration and Japan Market Entry

Japan immigration procedures for foreign companies are closely connected with company setup, representative authority, office requirements, employment contracts, business plans, and business substance in Japan.We do not treat visa applications as isolated procedures. We support immigration planning as part of the overall Japan market-entry strategy.

English Support for Overseas Headquarters and Foreign Executives

We provide English support for overseas headquarters, foreign executives, global HR teams, and legal departments. We explain Japanese visa and immigration requirements in a way that overseas decision-makers can understand.

Preventive Planning Before Problems Occur

If visa preparation starts only immediately before filing, problems may arise with the company structure, contract format, job description, office, or business plan.We place importance on early planning before the foreign company sends personnel to Japan.

6. Consultation Flow

7. Related Service Pages