Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09TOKYO978
2009-04-28 06:51:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Tokyo
Cable title:
JAPANESE IMMIGRATION OFFICIALS: FOREIGN INVESTOR VISAS ARE
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UNCLAS TOKYO 000978
SIPDIS
Department for CA/VO Tim Smith, EAP/J Marc Jackson and EEB
Department pass to USTR FOR AUSTR CUTLER, MBEEMAN, AND EHOLLOWAY
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: CVIS ETRD ELAB EFIN EAGR CMGT OECD JA
SUBJECT: JAPANESE IMMIGRATION OFFICIALS: FOREIGN INVESTOR VISAS ARE
FEW AND FAR IN BETWEEN
Sensitive But unclassified. Not for the internet.
UNCLAS TOKYO 000978
SIPDIS
Department for CA/VO Tim Smith, EAP/J Marc Jackson and EEB
Department pass to USTR FOR AUSTR CUTLER, MBEEMAN, AND EHOLLOWAY
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: CVIS ETRD ELAB EFIN EAGR CMGT OECD JA
SUBJECT: JAPANESE IMMIGRATION OFFICIALS: FOREIGN INVESTOR VISAS ARE
FEW AND FAR IN BETWEEN
Sensitive But unclassified. Not for the internet.
1. (SBU) Summary: The Japanese government issued 918 foreign
manager/investor visas to all nationalities in 2007, according to
the Ministry of Justice. This number is less than one tenth of the
total number of E (trader/investor) visas that Embassy Tokyo issues
to Japanese citizens each year. End Summary.
2. (SBU) On March 13, Consular Section staff met with Chief of the
Business and Employment Inspection Department, Entry and Status
Division of the Immigration Bureau at the Japanese Ministry of
Justice (MOJ),Mari Takai, and her staff member, Hideaki Matsui, to
learn about Japanese investor visa practices.
3. (SBU) Ms. Takai said the first step to obtaining a Japanese
manager/investor visa is to set up a company and register it at a
local legal affairs bureau. The second step is to seek the approval
of the Immigration Bureau by obtaining a "Certificate of
Eligibility" (COE). This must be done in Japan, and the COE can
only be obtained if the business is already operational, meaning
that the office or shop space is rented, equipment is purchased,
etc. Our interlocutors admitted that in practice it is very
difficult to get this far without Japanese contacts and a good
lawyer. The final step is to appear at a Japanese Embassy or
Consulate to obtain the visa.
4. (U) To qualify for a visa, the applicant must demonstrate an
initial investment of at least 5 million yen (about $50,000) or show
a minimum of two Japanese employees have been hired. The visa
validity varies from one to three years depending on the stability
and size of the company. The company review lasts from one to five
months depending on the complexity of the case.
5. (SBU) There are also individual requirements. In the case of a
larger enterprise that qualifies for investor visa status, the
applicant must be a top executive. Furthermore, the bar is set
quite high for executive authority. For example, in a large
multinational company, perhaps only the top three or four officers
would qualify for manager/investor status, according to Ms. Takai.
5. As a general rule, an applicant cannot change status in-country
from another kind of visa to a manager/investor visa. The MOJ does
not maintain a registration system for companies, nor does it keep
track of company size, nationality, type, or volume of investment.
Japanese manager/investor visas are not based on a bilateral treaty.
When we asked about the proposed Japanese language requirement for
business visas, we were told to consult the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs (MOFA).
5. (SBU) A review of blogs devoted to Japanese visa issues suggests
that applicants for this visa category encounter significant
obstacles, such as securing a Japanese guarantor to rent business
space. Although the GOJ does not keep statistics, based on the low
minimal investment requirement and conversations with third-country
applicants at the visa window, we believe the investor visa category
is mainly being used by small investors, while large multinationals
use the intra-company transferee and engineer visa categories, with
a combined issuance of approximately 17,000 in 2007.
6. (SBU) Comment: Japan attracts low levels of FDI per capita by
international standards, but for large multinational companies this
is not mainly because of visa obstacles. In fact, a recent GOJ
survey of large foreign investors suggests that visas are not seen
as a hindrance to investment in Japan. However, the low numbers of
investor visas issued by the GOJ relative to the size of Japan's
population and economy show that this visa category is not an
incentive or vehicle for small entrepreneurs. By contrast, around
50% of the 6000 investor visas Embassy Tokyo issued last year were
for small businesses. End comment.
ZUMWALT
SIPDIS
Department for CA/VO Tim Smith, EAP/J Marc Jackson and EEB
Department pass to USTR FOR AUSTR CUTLER, MBEEMAN, AND EHOLLOWAY
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: CVIS ETRD ELAB EFIN EAGR CMGT OECD JA
SUBJECT: JAPANESE IMMIGRATION OFFICIALS: FOREIGN INVESTOR VISAS ARE
FEW AND FAR IN BETWEEN
Sensitive But unclassified. Not for the internet.
1. (SBU) Summary: The Japanese government issued 918 foreign
manager/investor visas to all nationalities in 2007, according to
the Ministry of Justice. This number is less than one tenth of the
total number of E (trader/investor) visas that Embassy Tokyo issues
to Japanese citizens each year. End Summary.
2. (SBU) On March 13, Consular Section staff met with Chief of the
Business and Employment Inspection Department, Entry and Status
Division of the Immigration Bureau at the Japanese Ministry of
Justice (MOJ),Mari Takai, and her staff member, Hideaki Matsui, to
learn about Japanese investor visa practices.
3. (SBU) Ms. Takai said the first step to obtaining a Japanese
manager/investor visa is to set up a company and register it at a
local legal affairs bureau. The second step is to seek the approval
of the Immigration Bureau by obtaining a "Certificate of
Eligibility" (COE). This must be done in Japan, and the COE can
only be obtained if the business is already operational, meaning
that the office or shop space is rented, equipment is purchased,
etc. Our interlocutors admitted that in practice it is very
difficult to get this far without Japanese contacts and a good
lawyer. The final step is to appear at a Japanese Embassy or
Consulate to obtain the visa.
4. (U) To qualify for a visa, the applicant must demonstrate an
initial investment of at least 5 million yen (about $50,000) or show
a minimum of two Japanese employees have been hired. The visa
validity varies from one to three years depending on the stability
and size of the company. The company review lasts from one to five
months depending on the complexity of the case.
5. (SBU) There are also individual requirements. In the case of a
larger enterprise that qualifies for investor visa status, the
applicant must be a top executive. Furthermore, the bar is set
quite high for executive authority. For example, in a large
multinational company, perhaps only the top three or four officers
would qualify for manager/investor status, according to Ms. Takai.
5. As a general rule, an applicant cannot change status in-country
from another kind of visa to a manager/investor visa. The MOJ does
not maintain a registration system for companies, nor does it keep
track of company size, nationality, type, or volume of investment.
Japanese manager/investor visas are not based on a bilateral treaty.
When we asked about the proposed Japanese language requirement for
business visas, we were told to consult the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs (MOFA).
5. (SBU) A review of blogs devoted to Japanese visa issues suggests
that applicants for this visa category encounter significant
obstacles, such as securing a Japanese guarantor to rent business
space. Although the GOJ does not keep statistics, based on the low
minimal investment requirement and conversations with third-country
applicants at the visa window, we believe the investor visa category
is mainly being used by small investors, while large multinationals
use the intra-company transferee and engineer visa categories, with
a combined issuance of approximately 17,000 in 2007.
6. (SBU) Comment: Japan attracts low levels of FDI per capita by
international standards, but for large multinational companies this
is not mainly because of visa obstacles. In fact, a recent GOJ
survey of large foreign investors suggests that visas are not seen
as a hindrance to investment in Japan. However, the low numbers of
investor visas issued by the GOJ relative to the size of Japan's
population and economy show that this visa category is not an
incentive or vehicle for small entrepreneurs. By contrast, around
50% of the 6000 investor visas Embassy Tokyo issued last year were
for small businesses. End comment.
ZUMWALT