Let’s strengthen Japanese business and management visa requirements… A rapid increase in the number of foreigners leaving the country

(Tokyo = Yonhap News) Correspondent Lee Do-yeon = After the Japanese government strengthened the requirements for 'business and management' visas, Kyodo News reported on the 15th that the number of foreigners who received this visa who left Japan was 3.9 times that of last year in the first half of this year.

According to Kyodo News' analysis of statistics from the Japan Immigration Services Agency, in the first half of this year, 953 foreigners with business or management visas left the country without going through re-entry procedures.

This is approximately 3.9 times the number of 246 people in the first half of last year.

The business/management visa is a visa issued by the Japanese government to allow long-term stay for foreigners starting businesses in the country.

Re-entry procedures refer to the confirmation procedures that foreigners living in Japan with a visa receive at the airport when they try to return to Japan after going abroad for a while.

Therefore, a person who left the country without going through re-entry procedures is interpreted as a person who left Japan.

Kyodo News analyzed that the increase in the number of foreigners on business and management visas who left the country without re-entry procedures was because the visa requirements were strengthened in October last year.

In October last year, the Japanese government raised the capital requirement required for issuance of business/manager visas six times from '5 million yen (42.61 million won) or more' to '30 million yen (250 million won) or more'.

In addition, a provision was added that requires hiring at least one Japanese national or permanent resident.

This measure was reportedly taken as the number of people staying on business/management visas was 46,781 as of the end of last year, a 1.7-fold increase from the end of 2020, but cases of establishing companies without substance in order to obtain qualifications were pointed out as a problem.

However, Kyodo reported that since the scope of people involved in business/management visas is wide, such as business partners and employees, there are voices raising concerns about the impact the departure of people staying on this visa will have on related industries.