6posts
In papers dated 20 October 2026, Keidanren asked the government not to tie residence renewals to the planned Japanese-language and daily-life learning programme, while the Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry asked for attendance to be counted at screening and renewal.
Japan's revised Business Manager criteria carry a transitional window that closes on 16 October 2028, and permanent residence applications are excluded from it.
Japan's half-year immigration statistics, released on 16 October 2026, show a record 4,281,026 foreign residents at the end of June, a 4,034-holder drop in the Business Manager status, and overstayers down 4.8 per cent.
The Immigration Services Agency published a reinforced Zero Overstayers package at the end of August, while figures showed nearly 1,000 Business Manager visa holders left Japan in the first half of 2026.
A run of Immigration Services Agency notices in late May covered the new residence card design, photo rules for children, Specified Skilled Worker reporting, and the questions the agency is fielding most on keiei kanri.
Six months after Japan raised the capital and staffing bar for the Business Manager visa, a survey of foreign entrepreneurs shows how many are struggling to requalify at renewal.