Comment by bamboozled

10 hours ago

This new business visa thing in Japan is just so so stupid. As if people with money can't wrangle up 300k to get the business visa and then just do nefarious things like this, all the while locking out potentially millions of hard working entrepreneurial types from all over the world who would actually make good citizens, and good honest money.

11 comments

bamboozled

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socalgal2  6 hours ago

Can you elaborate?

My understanding:

Before: Need $50k in bank, register business, sponsor yourself for a visa

Result - lots of people just abusing the system for a visa

After: Need $300k, must hire at least one local, must show a profit of $200k within 2 years. Must be reviewed by the government multiple times a year to show your business is serious

I can see some issues. If you want to start a company that requires a year or more of R&D before you can ship you're S.O.L.

  • bob001  3 hours ago

    Yeah, if the foreign entrepreneur argument is that they're helping the Japanese economy and not just barely sustaining another person in japan then the new requirements seem exactly in line with that?

aurareturn  6 hours ago

This new law is doing what it's suppose to do. You can't get a business visa for $300k in the US. You need $800k in a bad area or $1m in a good area to get an investment visa.

Why should Japan allow $30k? Doesn't make sense.

I had a friend who was looking to move to Japan and abuse this visa. The business was only there to get the visa with no intention of operating it.

I'm not Japanese and I don't live in Japan but even I think this new law makes more sense than previous.

  • sashank_1509  4 hours ago

    What is the demographic looking to immigrate to Japan. I’m surprised to hear Chinese as my outsider view was that China was as good if not better place to live compared to China, is it because they’re afraid of their government and want a liberal democracy instead?

    Or is folks from poorer and more distressed countries looking to come to Japan.

    • SenHeng  4 hours ago

      Better passport for their kids, better and more reputable, internationally connected banking system to store their wealth. The latter bit is particularly important as China limits the amount of money one can send out of the country.

      1 reply →

    • dismalaf  35 minutes ago

      China cracks down on corruption from time to time and lots of rich Chinese got their riches through corruption, so they're always looking for places to stash their ill gotten gains, their family and an offramp for themselves.

      Helping launder this dirty Chinese money is a huge business here in BC (Canada) and across the world.

bob001  3 hours ago

Does Japan need more small businesses owned by foreigners (that make so little money as to be useless for economic growth) or do they actually need more foreigners to change the adult diapers of their ever aging population?